Menu helper and a good tilapia recipe

I've recently subscribed to a service called "You've Got Supper." It's based out of Richmond, Virgina, and is free, free, free. My kind of menu! They send me an email once a week with five recipes, and you can choose which ones you want to make and it generates a document with all the recipes, plus a grocery list. With Chris out of town a lot, I don't cook as many full meals as I normally would, and I eat a lot of leftovers, so choosing three or four dinner recipes for a whole week is plenty for us at this time.

I made YGS' Sear-Roasted Tilapia and Tomatoes last night, and it was really, really good, so I thought I'd share.

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp capers, drained
2 tsp oregano tsp balsamic vinegar
4 tilapia fillets, 4 oz each
1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, toss together tomatoes, capers, oregano, and balsamic vinegar. Set aside. Dredge each fillet in flour. Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add the fish and cook until it browns (about 2 - 3 minutes per side). Add the garlic and then the tomato mixture around the fish and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for 4 - 5 more minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork. Serve with the tomato mixture on top.

This version obviously makes four fillets. I cut it in half and made two just for little ol' me :)

Spinach for breakfast

A friend of mine from college also has a cooking blog (Nothing Special, But It Sure Is Good) and she posted a recipe for a spinach and banana smoothie the other day.

Now, I love raw spinach. We currently have a bag and a half of it sitting in the fridge that I fully know will be gone in the next week or so. But spinach for breakfast? ... Is awesome :)

Basic Green Monster Smoothie (via Stephanie's blog and greenmonstermovement.com)

2 cups raw spinach
1 to 1.25 cups low fat or fat free milk
1 Tbsp flaxseed (optional) - I actually used wheat germ -J
1 banana
ice

Place the ingredients into the blender in the following order: 1) Flax, 2) spinach, 3) banana, 4) milk. The reason for this order is so the heavier ingredients weigh down the flax and spinach and keep it from flying up around the blender and sticking to the side. Blend everything on the highest setting for 1 minute or so. Finally, add ice and blend on the ice setting.

Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

I make this macaroni and cheese for family or special occassions. The cheeses can be expensive so it's not something I tend to make just because, but everyone always really loves it so I make it for things like family gatherings or work potlucks. Gotta share the love of gouda.

Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

1 slice whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c. shredded smoked Gouda
3/4 c. grated fresh Parmesan
5 c. coarsely chopped fresh spinach
4 c. hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 2 c. uncooked)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread in food processor to make coarse crumbs. Melt butter in a large saucepan and add garlic. Cook for a minute or two. Add flour and cook another minute or two, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, salt and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil, cook until thick (just a few minutes). Add Gouda and Parmesan cheeses, stir until melted. Add spinach and cooked macaroni, stirring until well-blended. Put into a greased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 15 minutes or until bubbly.

The key to this recipe is to be generous with cheese - I've actually doubled the cheeses from the original recipe because it just didn't taste right. I usually just eyeball the cheeses until the sauce is good and thick and cheesy. I've also omitted green onions because it didn't taste good with the rest of the ingredients.

You can also mix everything up ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake it. Enjoy!

Another easy pasta lunch

As I've mentioned before on here, I'm big on pasta dishes for lunch that I can put together easily, either to take with me to work or when I come home for my lunch break.

Rather than do my traditional mix, I opted for a more vegetable rich take and really liked the end result!

Penne pasta (my go-to brand is Barilla Whole Grain - costs the same but it's half whole grains)
Yellow, red and/or orange bell peppers
Feta cheese (I like the feta that has some basil and sun-dried tomato in it)
Raw spinach
Olive oil
Kosher salt

Put two good handfuls of spinach in your bowl. Top with two good ladlefulls of pasta, sliced or chopped bell peppers and feta. Drizzle some olive oil on top, and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute - just enough to warm the oil, melt the cheese a bit, and wilt the spinach. Stir and enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Wraps

We're trying a whole No Eating Out thing for September. Six days in we've done pretty well :) I went out with my friends during our shopping extravaganza yesterday, but since it came out of my money and not the family budget, I didn't count that. This plan means coming up with some quick lunches for after church on Sundays. (This is usually our weak spot. We sit in the car and talk ourselves into Salsarita's or Firehouse instead of heading home to cook.)

I thought this would be pretty easy to throw together, and it would have been with a bit more planning on my part: cooking the bacon and chicken the night before would have really helped. I'll do that next time ... because these things were awesome. Way better than the ones at McAlister's. (Oh, I got the recipe from Food & Family, the free(!) magazine from Kraft.)


3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (marinated in Lawry's Herb & Garlic marinade and broiled)
4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled (used Oscar Meyer Hearty Thick Cut ... man, that was some GOOD bacon)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (used Sargento shredded)
1/4 cup croutons
1/2 cup Caesar dressing (used Ken's Creamy Caesar)
4 flour tortillas (8 inch)


Place first 5 ingredients in large bowl.

Add dressing; toss lightly.

Spoon onto tortillas; roll up tightly.

Honey Almond Rice

This was a case of putting off grocery shopping as long as possible. We're really pinching pennies these days, so I'm in the habit now of totally cleaning out our fridge, freezer and pantry before going to the store. We made use out of all we can. So, in a Google search for "budget friendly meals" I came across this. We always have instant rice on hand, and we had leftover almonds from the granola bars and just a tiny bit of honey left. This was perfect, and even though Chris usually doesn't like much on his rice, he really liked this recipe.

Honey Almond Rice

1/2 cup white rice
1 cup water
12 almonds (shelled, whole)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon honey

Cook the rice according to the instructions on whatever variety you have. While the rice cooks, take the almonds and chop them up, slivers are best (if you prefer to purchase them prepared slivered almonds will do fine). Melt the butter over low heat and stir in the honey. You should get a sauce that is thicker than melted butter alone but still thin enough to pour. If necessary you can add additional butter to the mixture. After the rice is completely cooked and has absorbed all the liquid, stir in the almonds and the sauce. The sauce will thicken up in the pan after the heat's off, so just stir it all in to avoid wasting any.

Easily modified for more servings.

Ginger Ale

I haven't tried this at all, but it was in the comments section of a blog I read and I thought it sounded pretty neat. I don't always like ginger ale, but when my stomach isn't feeling good, it's what I crave.

1 1/2 C fresh ginger — sliced thin
1 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 C water
1/2 C lemon juice
club soda or plain seltzer — chilled

(No need to peel ginger, just slice it very thin. You will need a strainer after cooking ginger.)

Combine ginger, sugar and water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stir often. Maintain gentle boil until it reaches consistency of pancake syrup, approx 20 minutes.

Strain ginger syrup into a container and allow to cool.

When cool stir in lemon juice.

Store in refrigerator.

Add two tablespoons of ginger syrup to for each 6 ounces of chilled club soda or seltzer, stir gently. Add ice if desired.

Granola "Bars"

This is an Alton Brown recipe that we've wanted to do FOREVER. I have been moving us away from processed foods for years, so I thought making our own granola would be kind of awesome.

However, I'm not sure how to actually get this to be granola bars. Ours fell apart after I cut them into squares, so we just ended up with granola. However, it's delicious.

Alton Brown's Granola Bars

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, approximately 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, approximately 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, approximately 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, approximately 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, approximately 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.
Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F.
Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine.

Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes: When it says press down, press down HARD. We used a smaller baking dish and I put all my weight into pushing down, and ours still did not retain the shape. However, we made a couple of changes to the recipe - we used different dried fruit (raisins, apricots and dried apples that I ran through the food processor) and we also used more than he says in the recipe. This may have contributed to the change in consistency. Maybe if you stick with just one cup, it would help.

Pestos

For two years or more, my pesto has been an ongoing topic of discussion between Joanna and I. I claim it is way better than any storebought pesto (which it is).

So, thanks to a comment from Jo on my other blog prompting me to post this, here it is, ripped completely from Rachael Ray's original Thirty Minute Meals (p. 46, if you must know):

Classic Basil Pesto

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb. grated Parmesan cheese
3 oz pine nuts (a handful)
2 cloves garlic, popped from skin
1 bunch basil (40-50 leaves)

Heat garlic and oil in microwave for 20 seconds.

Pulse all ingredients in food processor until paste forms.

Serve pestos at room temperature over hot pasta. A little goes a long way. Definitely don't dole it out like you would tomato-based sauce. I use about a tablespoon for a whole plate of pasta. Just mix it up well.

If you're tempted to buy basil in the produce section, trust me, just skip that and buy a basil plant in the garden section. Gives you all the leaves you need for cheaper, and you can plant the plant to boot.

To change it up a bit, use half the amount of basil leaves and replace it with a handful of sun-dried tomatoes. This is actually my favorite way of doing it.

Beefy Cheese Cups

This is another one from my mom's cookbook and Dave's favorite use of a muffin tin. Yum. Meat muffins.


1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup cheese crackers, crushed
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon finely chopped bell pepper
2 Tablespoons chili sauce
2 drops Tabasco sauce
1/3 cup skim milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in bowl.

Grease muffin pan (8-muffin capacity) and divide meat into the eight cups.

Bake 40 minutes.

Couscous with Feta and Spinach

This is a side dish inspired by a super expensive by-the-pound dish we saw at Central Market's deli. We happened to have all ingredients around so I threw it together last night.

Couscous with Feta and Spinach

1 c. uncooked couscous
2 tbsp. vegetable or olive oil
salt
1 1/2 c. boiling water
A few handfuls of green leafy spinach leaves, chopped coarsely
3/4 c. feta

Put the oil and a little salt into a pan and heat up. Add the couscous and let it brown for about three minutes in the oil, stirring often to avoid burning.

Add the boiling water and take off the heat. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes to absorb all the water. Mix in the spinach and feta (to taste - we LOVE cheese and so we put in about 3/4 c. but it's up to you). Add more salt to taste. Serve. Makes about 3 servings. Easily doubled.

Added note: We actually used lemon salt for this - we picked up a packet at IKEA and it's really good in small doses, and the flavor was perfect for this dish. However, regular salt will do nicely, though we always use kosher salt! We also plan to use some basil next time in place of some of the spinach.

Barbeque Pork Ribs

This is my mom's recipe. I don't think she made it up herself, but who knows? Well, Mom does so maybe she can answer that question. These are the reason I always pick up a rack or two of baby back ribs when they're on sale and the reason our grill always has a layer of goo on the bottom. (Although I usually cut the recipe in half when it's just for us ... for some reason I always make a full amount of the sauce, though. Don't know why ... )


4 pounds baby back pork ribs
2 jars (9 oz total) strained baby food peaches
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
dash o' pepper


Rub the ribs with salt and pepper.

Cook bony side up on coals (or medium-low heat) for 20 minutes.

While that's going on, mix together the rest of the ingredients to make a sauce.

Flip the ribs and baste with sauce.

Repeat flipping and basting every 10 minutes for the next 40 minutes or so until they are done cooking.

Penzey favorite

I bought a sampler pack from Penzey's with a gift card that my children gave me for Christmas. I've found a favorite. I use the Rocky Mountain seasoning on pork chops or chicken breasts and pan-grill them. Easy-cheesy and I love the taste. I also like the Salad Elegant seasoning used like this too. It is also very good on hamburgers. I haven't been eating a lot of pasta lately but they would probably be very good on that with a little olive oil...

Artichoke Chicken

We made this last night, and it was the best meal I've ever made with so few ingredients.

Artichoke Cream Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts (6 oz or so)
5 tbsp butter
Flour
1 c. milk
4 c. prepared instant white rice

Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers for lunch, which is generally how we roll) from The Best of Mr. Food - Quick and Easy Recipes - Volume 2.

Put the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and go to town on them with a mallet (Christopher's weapon of choice) or a meat tenderizer (which we don't own). Pound them out until they're good and tender. On a plate or in a small casserole dish, put some flour. I added some salt, pepper, and ground oregano to my flour for some added flavor. Dredge the chicken on both sides, generously, with flour.

Melt 2 tbsps. butter in a large saucepan (you can use a large skillet, but ours is not big enough, so I use our pan that looks sort of like this - I find this helps with splatter as well). Put the chicken in and let it cook for about five minutes on each side on a medium-high heat. Don't move the chicken a lot or turn it over much, because you want to let the flour cook up nice and crispy and really stick to the chicken. Add more butter if you need it.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, begin melting the rest of your butter. Add three tablespoons of flour, and cook those together for a little bit. Then, slowly add the marinade from the jar of artichoke hearts and the milk. Stir together and let it cook until it gets bubbly and thickens, stirring occassionally to keep it from sticking. It should have the consistency of white gravy, pretty much. Add the artichokes and let it sit for a few minutes, and then serve over the chicken and over the white rice.

This was AWESOME. I couldn't wait to go home and eat the leftovers for lunch with Chris today. I would make this weekly - all we really had to buy special was the small jar of artichoke hearts, which I believe cost $1.50, and the meal fed us for two meals.

My go-to quick lunch

My inaugural post for the website! Until recently, we have not had a dishwasher (living on a university campus will do that for you) and we had a meal plan, so cooking wasn't big for us. Now that we live in an off-campus apartment, we've started cooking a lot more.

That said, I don't like to mess with much for my lunches. I want something that I don't have to do much with besides heat up, but I don't do processed food lunches.

Jamie's Lunch Pasta

Cook up a bunch of penne pasta. I use whole grain, and half a box lasts me for about three meals, with fairly reasonable portions. Generally, I cook it and then just put all of it in the fridge.

The night before, I put about a third of the penne into a microwave safe container, put in a big handful of leafy spinach, and a combination of these ingredients:

leftover chicken breast, cut into pieces
sundried tomatoes
pine nuts
blue cheese
feta cheese
shaved parmesan cheese
olives
etc.

The key to this is that you can put in whatever, and provide a little variety each day with little to no effort.

In the morning, I put a little olive oil and some kosher salt in with it, seal it up, and bring it to work. A minute in the microwave heats the pasta and the oil, wilts the spinach leaves, and melts the cheese, giving you a cheesy olive oil sauce to mix up with it.

Easiest lunch I've ever made.

Mesquite Lime Chicken

serves 6

Found this one off the McCormick website.


1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons McCormick® Grill Mates® Mesquite Seasoning
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Mix lime juice, Mesquite Seasoning, oil and honey in small bowl. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well.

Refrigerate 15 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

Grill over medium heat 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning frequently.

Caesar-Style Steak Sandwiches

serves four

My dad gave me a lifetime membership to a cooking club. I get the magazine every month and find at least one tip and recipe that I want to try. This month, we're trying this one. (Yes, we do grill during the winter. Doesn't everyone?)


1 1/2 lb. beef sirloin steak (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 baguette, halved horizontally, cut crosswise into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup refrigerated Caesar salad dressing
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese*
8 romaine lettuce heart leaves
8 tomato slices

Heat grill. Sprinkle steak with pepper. Grill, covered, over medium-high heat or coals 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Remove steak; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 5 minutes before thinly slicing.

Meanwhile, brush cut sides of baguette with oil. Grill, covered, 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown. Brush cut sides of bread with dressing; top bottom pieces with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, steak and remaining bread.

Roasted Paprika Chicken

serves four

Another Everyday Food recipe to try. I tend to stick with either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or whole chickens when cooking. I thought I'd stretch my limits a little :)


1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces


Preheat oven to 475 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on a large rimmed baking sheet; rub with spice mixture. Roast on upper rack, basting with pan drippings once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.

When chicken is done, transfer to a plate, and loosely tent with aluminum foil (reserve baking sheet with drippings).

Rotini and Cheese with Broccoli and Ham

serves six

Because you just can't have enough variations on macaroni and cheese. I have in my notes to make sure you whisk in the spices before you stir in the cheese* because as I recall, if you don't you end up with tongue-burning clumps of spices in your pasta. Which is no good if you're trying to convince your two-year-old to just try a bite.


4 quarts water
2 cups uncooked rotini (about 8 ounces corkscrew pasta)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) cubed light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped reduced-fat ham

Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add pasta; cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli; cook an additional 5 minutes or until pasta is done; drain.

While pasta cooks, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a medium saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; stir in cheese and next 4 ingredients* (cheese through pepper). Combine pasta mixture, cheese sauce, and ham.

Cheese Delight Chicken

This is another recipe from Joanna's and my childhood. It was a favorite of mine because after it was cooked and eaten, the spilled coating in the bottom of the dish could be scooped out with a fork and eaten as a cheesy crunchy treat! Mom and I would partake without fail. I don't recall Joanna or Dad being very interested in our greasy little piece of heaven.

Ingredients
Boneless chicken breasts
1 clove garlic
1/2 c. oil
1 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

Steps

1. Add garlic to oil and let stand for 20 mins.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Remove garlic from oil.
4. Mix bread crumbs, cheeses, pepper and salt.
5. Dip chicken in oil, then crumb mixture. Place in a large shallow baking pan: tucking sides under to form meat roll.
   
6. Pour remaining oil over chicken pieces.
7. Bake uncovered for about 45 mins or until done.