Baja Fish Tacos

I love fish tacos... they always take my husband and I back to our vacation in Mexico this past winter.  The recipe I tried tonight was delicious.  Our favorite parts were the Pico de Gallo and the Southwestern Slaw.  The fish was just a nice base for it!  We agreed that we would even love to simply do black bean tacos with the Slaw and Pico next time. 

Baja Fish Tacos

Recipe adapted from www.epicurious.com

2 lb. talapia or other mild white fish
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. lime juice
5 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. coriander
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
salt/pepper to taste
tortillas (we used whole wheat)
Southwestern Slaw (see recipe below)
Pico de Gallo (see recipe below)
Mexican Crema (see recipe below)

Instructions: 

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large freezer bag.  Either freeze and thaw in fridge on cooking day or marinate 3-4 hours.

Remove fish from marinade and grill over medium high heat for about 4 minutes per side until fish is flakey.

Cut fish into large chunks.  Divide over tortillas with a scoop of southwestern slaw, pico de gallo, and Mexican crema to top. 

Enjoy!

Southwestern Slaw

 

2 cups fine-shredded green cabbage

2 tsp lime juice

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp minced red onion

2 tsp minced jalapenos

2 tsp chopped cilantro

Salt, to taste

 

Combine all ingredients and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.

 

Pico De Gallo

 

1 cup medium-dice tomatoes (seeded before dicing)

4 tsp minced red onion

1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Salt, to taste

1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

 

Combine ingredients, stirring well.  It is ready to use immediately but can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

 

Mexican Crema

 

1/2 cup Mexican sour cream

1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest

2 tsp lime juice

 

Combine all ingredients well.  It is ready to use immediately but can be stored for up to 2 days in the fridge.

Husband Rating: 7 out of 10

Sarah's Pork Chops

I think Sarah actually calls them "Frank's Pork Chops" (correct me if I am wrong) but at our house, they are going to be Sarah's Pork Chops.  I do have to say, the boys were not fans of this meal but my husband and I gobbled them up and didn't mind the leftovers!  (I wasn't able to get a good picture of this meal so I will have to add one in later - our grill ran out of propane so I had cooked them on a grilling pan inside, still tastey but less attractive!)

Sarah's Pork Chops

1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. water
4-6 pork chops

Combine all ingredients in a large freezer bag.  Either freeze and thaw for later use or marinate for 3-4 hours.

Grill pork chops to desired doneness. 

Husband Rating: 6 out of 10

Peach Struessel Muffins

I had a case of delicious Colorado peaches and although we love to eat them, we are only able to do so much before they start to get overly ripe.  So, I have been researching peach recipes and bookmarking my favorites in order to get through the peaches.  I would hate for them to go to waste!  These muffins were easy to make and delicious!  I made a double batch and then froze half of them (uncooked batter in muffin papers) and baked half of them up for a gathering I was going to.  They were delicious and it is so nice to have a variety of muffins ready to bake right in the freezer.  Best trick ever, Sarah B.!

Peach Streusel Muffins

Recipe from www.myrecipes.com

1/4 c. butter, softened
1/3  c. sugar
1 large egg
2 1/3 c. all purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen peaches, peeled and chopped
1/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 Tbsp. butter, chilled

Instructions:

Beat 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg, beating until blended.

Combine 2 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract, and fold in chopped peaches.

Spoon muffin batter into greased or paper-lined muffin pan, filling two-thirds full.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon; cut in 2 1/2 tablespoons butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over muffin batter.

Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans, and cool on wire racks.

Food for Thought: I did not in any way make these sneaky or healthier in any way, there are easy things that could be done.  Substitute whole wheat flour for half of the flour; use 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal mixed with 3 Tbsp. warm water instead of the egg. Hope you enjoy them! 

Pecan Crusted Chicken Fingers

These turned out sooooo yummy!  I love how crispy the chicken tenders were without any need to fry!  They didn't even need a dipping sauce in my mind.  My only regret is that I didn't get a nicer picture of them!  Next time... 

Pecan Crusted Chicken Strips

12 chicken tenders
2/3 c. honey
1/3 c. mustard
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 c. panko
1/2 c. pecans

Combine honey, mustard, oil, salt, garlic, and pepper.  Pour into large freezer bag and add chicken breasts.

Combine panko and pecans in a smaller bag.  Freeze the two bags together.

To serve, thaw chicken completely in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place breadcrumb mixture on a plate.  Shake excess sauce off chicken, roll in breadcrumbs, and place on greased baking sheet.

Bake 30 minutes.

Chicken Cutlets in White Wine

Though lovely in presentation, this meal was just average in my mind.  It wasn't bad, just a bit bland.  However, my children must enjoy the occasional bland meal because they both ate really well!  So, not a loser recipe, but not my favorite either.  I served it with a rice pilaf and steamed asparagus topped with grated parmesan.

Chicken Cutlets in White Wine

8 chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 lb. total)
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1/2 c. dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 2/3 tsp. dried thyme)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:

Stack cutlets in a gallon freezer bag.  In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. melted butter, wine, garlic, and thyme.  Whisk to combine.  Season with pepper.  Pour into bag and freeze.

Thaw chicken in refrigerator overnight.  Remove cutlets from bag and discard marinade.  Gently shake chicken to remove liquid and season with salt. 

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  Add cutlets to pan and cook until browned and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Flip halfway through and adjust heat as necessary to prevent from over browning.

Husband Rating: 4 out of 10

Food for Thought: I do think that this recipe could be improved in two ways.  I used chicken tenders for the recipe.  If I instead had used chicken breast and sliced into three pieces (approximating the size of tenders) the meat would have been better in my opinion.  I also am a sauce person... I would have liked a little sauce to go with the chicken though not sure what that would be at this point.  I will noodle on that and if I come up with an idea, I will share it.  If you have one, please share it! 

Apple Cinnamon Granola

I wish I had remembered to take a picture of this.  I will add one later.  This is the best granola recipe we have made to date.  It was sweet, crunchy, and delicious.  Everyone in the family has been eating it.

Apple Cinnamon Granola

5 c. multi-grain oats
2 c. sunflower seeds/pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 c. slivered almonds
1/2 c. sesame seeds
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. oat bran
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. agave
1/3 c. honey
1 c. apple sauce
2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine first 10 ingredients (multi-grain oats through cinnamon). 

In a small sauce pan, combine agave, honey, apple sauce, and coconut oil.  Heat over medium-low heat until coconut oil melts and is runny.  Pour over oat combination and stir well.

Spread over two cookie sheets topped with parchment paper.  Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden brown. 

Cool and store in large ziploc bag.  Enjoy!

Garden Veggie Salad

I needed to use up some corn on the cob that wasn't bad but definitely not the best.  My sister-in-law makes a salad similar to this often and so I decided to borrow the recipe.  It was delicious.  I even think that if you threw a can of black beans, drained and rinsed, into this, it could be a meal in and of itself.

Garden Veggie Salad

1 avocado, cubed
1 orange bell pepper, diced
5 ears corn
2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 c. basil, chopped
1/4 c. red onion, minced

3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
salt/pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat a large pot of water to boiling.  Add corn and bring back to a boil.  Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Drain and let corn cool. Using a sharp knife, cut corn from the cob.

In a large bowl, combine veggies.  In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and salt/pepper.  Pour over veggies and serve cold.

Food for Thought: Any veggies work in this, carrots, sugar snap peas, potatoes, etc.  It's a nice way to use up any veggies from around your kitchen.