Fish Tacos

I really love the cabbage part of this dish.  It gives the taco a great crunch.  The fish is seasoned well and the creamy sauce adds a little bit of spice.  This was my first time using corn tortillas.  I don't usually like them, but found the white corn ones I bought were delicious.  You could use regular flour or whole tortillas if you want. 

Fish Tacos from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

4 cups shredded cabbage

5 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

3 scallions, chopped fine

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

4 tsp. canola oil

kosher salt and pepper

3/4 cup light mayo (You could use fat free Greek Yogurt to make it healthier.)

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1-2 minced canned chipolte in adobo (depending on how spicy you want it)

1 minced garlic clove
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
3 (6 oz) skinless mahi-mahi fillets (or halibut)
1 avocado, diced
corn tortillas

In a large bowl, mix the cabbage, 1/4 cup cilantro, scallions, vinegar, 1 tsp. of the oil, and 1/4 tsp. of salt.

In a separate smaller bowl, combine the chili powder, coriander, cumin, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper.  Pat fish dry with paper towels and brush with 1 tbsp. oil.  Rub evenly with the spice mixture.

Grill (or sautee in a pan) fish on both sides, until it is opaque and flakes apart easily.  Grill tortillas until lightly charred on both sides, about 30 seconds. 

Cut fish to desired size pieces.  Spread each tortilla with the mayonnaise sauce, top with avacodo and cabbage slaw. 

****The following nutritional facts do not include the avocado, since I added that to the original recipe.
Per serving (3 tacos):  Cal 540   Fat 20g   Sat Fat 2g   Chol 130mg   Carb 52g   Protein 36g   Fiber 6g   Sodium 900 mg

Garlic Oven-Fried Chicken

I never buy any chicken with bones in it.  For some reason I always just use chicken breasts because they seem easier.  You see, I don't really like to touch the chicken so I don't want to messing around with skin or anything like that.  The original recipe calls for the skin to be left on.  In an effort to save calories and fat, I (rather Marc) took the skin off half of the chicken legs.  I took a bite of both and honestly couldn't taste the difference. 

This chicken is delicious...if you like garlic!  It has a strong garlic flavor, which you can modify to suit your own tastes.  I love how it gives the appearance and taste of being fried, when it is really baked.  It is a good special occasion dish, since it does take a little bit of effort.  But, it is worth it!

Garlic Oven-Fried Chicken adapted from Williams Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook

1 head of garlic

6-8 chicken drumsticks

kosher salt and pepper

1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (oregano or thyme would work too)

1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 cups of Italian bread crumbs

1 cup flour

3 eggs

1 tbsp. water

5 tbsp. butter

Preheat the oven to 350. 

Peel the garlic cloves and slice lengthwise into very thin slivers.  You will need at least four per drumstick and a few extra.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Cut 4 small slits into each piece with a paring knife.  Insert 4 slivers of garlic into each piece of chicken.

Mix gerbs and breadcrumbs together in a large bowl.  Put the flour in a separate bowl or shallow pan.  In a third bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tbsp. water.

Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking of excess, coat in the egg mixture, and then dredge in the bread crumbs.

Meanwhile, melt 5 tbsp. of butter in a large glass baking dish by placing it in the preheated oven for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the butter.

When the butter has melted, place each chicken piece in the pan, arranging to fit together tightly.  Tuck any leftover garlic between the chicken.

Bake for 45 minutes and then turn chicken carefully.  Continue baking for about another 35 minutes, until chicken is brown and crisp. 



Grilled Skirt Steak Gyros

I know this picture is not good.  But, this recipe was absolutely delicious!  It's the perfect summer dinner.  The yogurt sauce really adds to it, so don't skip that step!

Grilled Skirt Steak Gyros adapted from this recipe from the Food Network Magazine

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt

1 onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

1 pound skirt steak

4 pocketless pitas

1 tomato, chopped

1 bunch watercress, roughly chopped

Preheat a grill to medium high. 

To make the marinade:  whisk the olive oil, garlic, oregano, paprika, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl.  Transfer 1 tbsp. of the marinade to a small bowl.  Mix in the yogurt and 1 tbsp. water.  Set aside.  Add onions and steak to the bowl with the remaining marinade and toss.

Grill the onion and steak, turning once, until lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side for the onions and 4 to 8 minutes per side for the steak (depending on the thickness). Set aside to rest, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grill the pitas until grill marks develop, about 1 minute per side.

Per serving: Calories 567; Fat 29 g (Saturated 7 g); Cholesterol 55 mg; Sodium 891 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 33 g

Easy Macaroni & Cheese

This is my favorite recipe for macaroni and cheese by far...and the simplest!  With only 5 ingredients, low fat milk, and no butter what's not to like??  I have tried a zillion macaroni and cheese recipes.  I usually gravitate towards ones that are baked, but this was so delicious and creamy, I loved it just the way it was.  You could always bake it if you would prefer it that way.



Easy Macaroni & Cheese recipe from Cate's World Kitchen

2 cups of dried pasta (I used penne, but you could use elbows, bowties, etc.)

2 cups of 2% milk

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1tsp. salt

Bring the pasta and mik to a simmer on low heat.  Cook on low for around 15-20 minutes, until pasta is tender.  Make sure you stir very frequently, so the milk does not stick to the pan.  Remove from heat.  Stir in salt, dijon, and cheese. 

Pasta Con Broccoli

Anything with pasta and cheese is comforting to me. This was simple, easy, delicious comfort food.

Pasta Con Broccoli adapted from this recipe, originally from The Pasta House Co. in St. Louis

8 oz. penne pasta

1 1/2 cups fat-free half and half

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup canned tomato sauce

2 cups chopped frozen broccoli

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Boil a large pot of salted water.  Cook the pasta until halfway done (about 5 min. for the penne I used).  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add half and half, butter, garlic, and tomato sauce.  Bring to a boil and add broccoli, salt and pepper to taste.  Boil for about another 4-5 minutes (on med-high) until the pasta is cooked and the sauce is thick.  Stir frequently or the sauce will stick to the bottom of the pan.  Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese.

Serves 4.

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

I cannot say enough good things about  this recipe!  I feel like I have tried a million different Mexican recipes a million different ways.  It's usually a combination of meat, beans, corn, salsa, cheese, tortillas, etc.  This recipe was different and absolutely delicious.  It is also very versatile and can easily be adapted to whatever you like/have on hand.  Just so you know, Marc and I both don't like zucchini very much.  However, it was SO good in this recipe.  I cannot wait to make it again soon!

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole (adapted from this recipe from Cara's Cravings)

1 small onion, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium zucchini, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 
1 can mild Rotel with chiles
6 oz. fat free or reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 scallions, chopped
2 6" whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese  

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with nonstick olive oil cooking spray. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes more, stirring. Add zucchini and garlic, and cook for about 8 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Season with salt & pepper, cumin, chili powder, and oregano and stir to coat.

Add the black beans and Rotel. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir in cream cheese.  Finally, mix in the chopped cilantro and scallions. Remove from heat.

Spray a 9x9 with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the vegetable mixture in the bottom of the pan. Cut 2 tortillas in half and arrange to cover pan. Top with about a cup of shredded cheese.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. 

Bacon, Tomato & Onion Pasta

So, we have had a busy past couple of weeks.  We were out of town for two weeks visiting family.  While it was great to be with everyone, I can't say I was sorry to be home.  I missed my house, my bed, most of all cooking.  The night we got home, all I wanted was comfort food.  And when I think comfort food, I think of something I grew up on and ate very frequently- pasta. 

I got this recipe awhile ago out of a Rachel Ray magazine.  I made a few changes and halved the recipe.  To me, this was simple comfort food.  It only has a few ingredients and is not anything fancy, but it defintely hit the spot.   Oh, and I don't normally cook with bacon, but we had some left over, so this recipe was perfect.

Bacon, Tomato & Onion Pasta adapted from Rachel Ray Magazine

8 oz. thin spaghetti

5 slices of bacon

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 large egg yolk

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 cup parmesan  cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

1/2-3/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water

salt and pepper

In boiling, salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water.  In a large pan, cook 5 slices of bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon and discard most of the bacon fat, except 1 tablespoon.  Add onions and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until softened.  Add chopped tomatoes of and cook for 2 minutes more.  Add pasta water (start with 1/2 cup) and bring to a boil.  Add the rest of the water if needed.  Stir in the spaghetti and remove from heat.  Stir in the egg yolk.  Add the bacon and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with extra cheese on top.  

Turkey Burgers with Carmelized Onions

I love hamburgers.  I also love turkey burgers.  I know some people eat turkey burgers because they think they are healthier for you, but I buy lean ground beef and ground turkey meat that have the same amount of fat.  I think you could make this with either one.  I honestly thought these were the best turkey burgers I have ever had.  I kind of made up the recipe as I went along and added what I thought would go.  The grated carrots added moisture and helped me feel better about squeezing in some veggies.  The chipolte pepper added just a hint of spiciness.  I might add more next time.  Overall, these were juicy and  flavorful- everything I look for in a burger.  I will definitely be making these again.

Turkey Burgers with Carmelized Onions

1 large onion

1 1/4 pound ground turkey

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 chipolte in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus about a teaspoon of the juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. of pepper

2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp. onion powder

Preheat oven to broil.

Cut onion into thin slices.  Sautee in a little olive oil over medium heat, stirring frequently.  It took about 20-25 minutes for the onions to be soft and carmelized.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients (besides onion).  Mix well and form into flat patties.  This can make anywhere from 4-6 patties, depending on how big or small you want them.  Place burgers on a baking sheet and place on the top rack.  Broil for around 10 minutes on each side, or until burgers reach 165 on a meat thermometer.  Serve on hamburger buns (or Arnold's Sandwich Thins) and top with carmelized onions.