Tilapia Pita Pockets

Love love love when Tilapia is on sale at the grocery store! There's always something new I want to try with it. This time, I had a bunch of leftover Feta cheese, so I wanted to find a recipe that would incorporate both the fish and the cheese. And that's when I stumbled upon the Tilapia Pita Pockets recipe. After spending 6 years in California, we have grown to love fish tacos. This recipe is sort of similar to a fish taco, but a slight bit healthier. There is some mayo involved, but the fish is pan-grilled with no butter and there's lettuce, onions and whole wheat pita to add some nutrients! This is definitely a winner in my book. It was quick and simple to make, packed with flavor and spice, and made enough to have some leftover for lunch today.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  
• 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
  
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  
• 2 anchovy fillets, drained (I omitted these)
  
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
  
• 1 pinch salt
  
• 1 pound tilapia fillets
  
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
  
• salt and cayenne pepper to taste
  
• 4 cups iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
  
• 1 small red onion, chopped
  
• 6 pita breads, cut in half
  

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Italian dressing, feta cheese and anchovies. Season with cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Mix until well blended, then set aside.
2. Spray grill pan with non-stick spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Place the tilapia fillets in the skillet, and season with lemon pepper, salt and cayenne. Cook until browned on each side, and fish flakes easily with a fork, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Warm pita breads in the toaster or in the microwave to soften. Open from the cut side to make pockets. Fill pita bread halves with lettuce, onion, and tilapia fillets, then spoon in some of the feta cheese sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Meatloaf

It's always so difficult to find the perfect meatloaf recipe. One that's not too dry, not too wet, not too chunky, but just chunky enough, not too sweet, but not too spicy. This time, I think I've found the winning recipe! It's from Allrecipes, of course. The original recipe calls for buffalo meat, but I used a meatloaf mix (pork, veal and beef) instead. It was delicious! Full of flavor, and chunky with veggies, not too sweet, and just a little spicy. I served it with some Texas Toast and steamed veggies.

Ingredients

• 1 slice multigrain bread
  
• 1 pound ground buffalo meat (I substituted meatloaf mix and it was perfect!)
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  
• 3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 dash ground black pepper
  
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Crumble the bread slice into crumbs and set aside. Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.
2. Thoroughly mix ground buffalo meat, onion, egg, ground mustard, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs in a large bowl.
3. Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape about 8x4 inches and place into the middle of the baking dish. Apply ketchup to the top and sides of the meatloaf.
4. Bake in preheated oven until meat is no longer pink and ketchup forms a glaze over the meatloaf, 1 1/2 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Sweet & Spicy Pork

This is probably one of the easiest marinades I've ever made, and it's full of flavor! We used it on pork loin, but I think it would be equally delicious on chicken, especially if it's grilled. The marinade only has 4 ingredients, but it's full of flavor -- sweet, spicy, smokey, and slightly salty.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you can buy these in a can in the International aisle, and they last forever)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into blender or small food processor. Process until smooth.

I used a pork loin, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces, and marinated it in this for about 2 hours. Then I cut up an onion and stir fried everything together, serving over rice. Next time, I'm going to marinate chicken and grill them! Yum!

Operation Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those meals that must be planned. Shopped for. Prepped in advance. Spur of the moment dish, it is not. I've been craving some Lorna's Lasagna from San Diego for quite a while now, but who knows the next time I'll get out West to actually get some. So I decided to suck it up and make one myself. It's an easy dish to prepare, just time consuming. But the end result was gooey and cheesy and about the most perfect meal for 2 lactose intolerant people!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 20 oz can whole tomatoes, drained
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• crushed red pepper/cayenne to taste
• 1/2 lb lasagna noodles
• 1 lb ricotta
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1/2 lb sliced mozzarella (I doubled this!)

Directions

1. Brown the beef and garlic in a saute pan until cooked. Add whole tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to beef; simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions.
3. In a 9x13 baking dish, spread 1 cup beef mixture along the bottom. Top with noodles, 1/2 the ricotta, 1/2 the parm, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat layers again. Top with remaining beef and mozzarella.
   
4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes and let sit 15 minutes before serving.

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Blog entry #200! Can't believe I have that many entries on this thing. Insane!

Tonight's dish, Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa, was courtesy of Cooking Light. It's got a 5 star rating there, and now I know why! Quick and easy to prepare, a multitude of flavors, and absolutely delicious. We paired it with some steamed corn. The leftover salsa is great when mixed in with the corn, so versatile! I made the recipe exactly as stated, except for the addition of some cilantro in the salsa. I wouldn't change a thing!

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Salsa:

• 1 cup chopped plum tomato
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped (I only used 1/2 an avocado and it was plenty)
  

Directions

1. To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand 3 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.
2. To prepare salsa, combine tomato and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Add avocado; stir gently to combine. Serve salsa over chicken.

Clams and Mussels in Thai Curry Sauce

This recipe is compliments of Food Network Magazine, and I have to say, it's not only easy, but delicious too! We used fresh steamers and frozen mussels and served it over some Udon noodles. The broth is a bit spicy, but you can tone that down by using less hot pepper or hot sauce, to your liking. I made a few simple substitutions noted below, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The recipe makes quite a bit of broth, which will be used for our lunch tomorrow with a package of Ramen noodles!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped (I used 1 tsp ginger paste instead)
  
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I doubled this)
  
• 1 to 2 Thai chile peppers or jalapenos, seeded and chopped (I used Sriracha hot sauce)
  
• 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (I used green curry paste b/c it's all I had)
  
• 1/2 cup ketchup
  
• Juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for serving
  
• 16 littleneck clams, scrubbed
  
• 1 3/4 pounds mussels, scrubbed
  
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I used frozen bell peppers)
  
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
  
• 3/4 cup fresh basil
  

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chiles and stir-fry until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the curry paste and ketchup and fry until slightly browned, 3 to 4 more minutes. Add the lime juice and 3 cups water, cover and bring to a boil.

2. Add the clams; cover and steam until they open slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the mussels; cover and steam until they open slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and half of the cilantro and basil. Cook, covered, until the pepper is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.

3. Transfer the clams and mussels to serving bowls and ladle the broth on top. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and basil and garnish with lime. Serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Last night was cold and rainy and just a dreary day. So I figured it was time to try out the next soup on my list! Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup, from the Food Network Magazine. It was very easy to make with just a few ingredients, and took little prep time. Great for a busy weeknight! The recipe didn't have exact measurements or times, so I sort of winged it and ended up with a very tasty soup! It was just a bit spicy, but the creaminess of the avocado mellowed out the spice. We each had 2 bowls, and had to force ourselves to stop, so we could take leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients

• 2 seeded ancho chiles (I used ancho chiles in adobo sauce)
• 1 onion
• 2 tomatoes
• 5 garlic cloves
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked
• 6 corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 avocado
• 3/4 cup cilantro (we love cilantro, so you might want to tone this down a bit if you're not as big a fan)

Directons

1. In a food processor, puree ancho chiles, onion, tomatoes and garlic.
2. Meanwhile, cook chicken in large stock pot with a Tbsp of oil. Remove chicken and set aside.
3. Fry chile/onion mixture in the oil until fragrant. Add chicken broth, chicken, and 1/2 cup cilantro; simmer 10-15 minutes until thick. Add tortilla strips and boil 1-2 minutes until softened.
4. Ladle into bowls, top with sliced avocado and more cilantro.