Fish Tacos

I wanted to eat something healthy and while looking through my fridge I realized I had the leftovers to make fish tacos. I had some leftover cooked salmon, refried beans, tortillas, and lettuce. To make the taco extra delicious I made a creamy chive and cayenne sauce along with some crispy fried onions for extra texture. This was super easy to throw together since it was mostly leftovers.

Crispy Fried Onions:

1. Slice a sweet onion into thin rings. The thinner the better.

2. Add flour to a bowl and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Add onions to flour and toss gently. Make sure to break up all the layers and coat everything lightly in flour.

3. Heat a few cups of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onions in batches until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Place on a paper towel to drain and season with a pinch of salt. Set aside.


Assembly:

Here's how I assembled my tacos. Basically it's heating everything up and throwing it into the warmed tortillas.

1. Warm leftover fish in a saute pan with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Cook over low heat for a few minute until warmed through.

2. Rewarm beans in microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until heated through.

3. Warm tortillas over a gas burner Just flip it a few times directly over the open flaming using your fingers or tongs.

4. Place tortilla on a plate. Add a smear of beans. Add salmon that is flaked into medium sized pieces. Sprinkle lettuce on taco. Top everything with the crispy onions and enjoy!!

Lasagna Updated

I'm having friends over to watch the first Ducks game of the season (hooray the lockout is over!) So since I didn't want to be cooking while the game was on I needed a dish that could be made ahead but everyone would love. I decided to make this lasagna extra special by mixing both white and red layers. It gave the finished dish a nice color contrast and a ton of flavor!

I ended up having a ton of leftover lasagna so I cut off a large chunk, wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap, and then wrapped it with aluminum. I labeled and dated it and tossed it in the freezer for a quick meal in the future. I'll just place it on a sheet tray, cover it with foil, and cook in a 350 oven until warm and melty.

Ingredients
1 jar tomato sauce
1 jar alfredo sauce
1 package of lasagna noodles (make sure they are the pre-cooked or no boil kind)
1 lb ground spicy italian sausage
2 cup container marscapone cheese
10 basil leaves, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
3 tbs. chopped chives
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 cups of packaged shredded mozzarella
1 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

Do Ahead:
1. Place some olive oil in a large saute pan. Add ground sausage. Cook over medium high heat until sausage is browned. Carefully drain fat from pan using paper towels. Add 1/4 jar of marinara sauce to sausage and mix together. Set aside.

2. Place the marscapone in a bowl. Add 3/4 of chopped basil, chives, squeeze of lemon, 1/2 mozzarella cheese, 1/2 parmesan cheese and some salt and pepper. Mix. Make sure to taste and check seasoning/balance. Set Aside.

3. Prepare a 9 x 13 casserole dish by rubbing butter around the outside. Now add a thin layer of alfredo sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer noodles (takes about 4) over sauce in 1 even layer. Make sure layers slightly overlap like roof shingles.

4. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining marinara sauce on top of noodles. Noodles need to be covered in liquid or they won't cook right. Add 1/2 of sausage mix on top of noodles in a thin, even layer.

5. Do another layer of noodles. Cover noodles with alfredo sauce. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture on top of noodles. Do this gently so you keep all the layers separate.

6. Do another layer of noodles. Top with 1/2 of marinara sauce left and rest of sausage mixture.

7. Do another layer of noodles. Top with most of remaining alfredo sauce and rest of cheese mixture.

8. Top everything with one last layer of noodles (this is your 5th layer of noodles). Cover noodles in marinara sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan on top of the lasgana. At this point your lasagna is built. If you're making this dish ahead, cover the lasagna tightly with a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 2 days or the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

9. Cooking instructions: Remove plastic wrap and cover with foil (make sure it doesn't touch cheese or it will take off the layer. You can spray the foil with some non-stick spray) and cook for 20 minutes in a preheated 350 oven. Uncover and cook another 20-25 minutes or until top is melted and slightly browned. Let set after cooking for 10-15 minutes. (this is a good time to cook garlic bread) Then just slice it up and serve!

note- if freezing, cook an extra 15-20 minutes while it's covered. 

Grilled Chicken with Roasted Kale

I found this recipe on food network and saved it a while ago. I wanted to eat something healthy today so I decided to cook up this dish.  I've never had crispy kale before. It turned out to be really good and added a lot of texture to the dish.

The chicken is sliced to make it thinner so it cooks up really quickly. If you're in a hurry, you can start the potatoes in the microwave for a few minutes. (prick potatoes with a fork, microwave on high for 3 minutes, cool and dice, then use as directed with slightly shorter roasting time).

Ingredients

1/2 pound small red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 large bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn (about 10 cups)

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the potatoes with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer and roast 15 minutes.

2. Toss the kale in a large bowl with the garlic, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Add to the baking sheet with the potatoes and toss. Roast until the kale is crisp and the potatoes are tender, stirring once, 10 to 15 minutes. Watch the kale to make sure it doesn't burn.

3. Meanwhile, preheat a grill or grill pan to medium and brush with olive oil. Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 cutlets. Coat evenly with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until well marked and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

4. Toss the kale, potatoes, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, parmesan, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Divide the chicken among plates and top with any collected juices. Serve with the kale salad.

Per serving: Calories 434; Fat 14 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 112 mg; Sodium 586 mg; Carbohydrate 28 g; Fiber 6 g; Protein 50 g

Tandoori Chicken with Yogurt Sauce

For Christmas I got a bunch of cool spice mixes that I've been dying to try. The first one I decided to try was the tandoori spice blend. I bought mine from Cost Plus World Market. I'm sure you could make your own but for 2 bucks I'm more than happy to buy the spice blend. To make the marinade and sauce as flavorful as possible I toasted the spice blend in a dry pan over low heat for about 2 minutes or until it was fragrant. Toasting spices always makes them better but make sure not to burn them!!

Marinade:
1 cup greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. tandoori spice blend (includes: paprika, coriander, cumin, ginger, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and cayenne pepper.)
1 Chicken Breast, cut into tenders (think like chicken tender size)

Sauce:
1/3 cup reserved marinade
1-2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. lime zest
1 tsp. lime juice

1. To make the marinade, combine the yogurt and spice mix together.Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade and set aside; you're going to make a sauce out of this reserved marinade.

2. Prick the chicken breast tenders with a fork. Add the thighs to the rest of the marinade, and toss to coat. Marinate at least 1 hour in the fridge, and at most overnight.

3. When you're ready to cook, line a baking sheet with foil, and turn your broiler on. Place each chicken breast filet on the baking sheet, making sure each one is coated with the marinade, but isn't swimming in it. Cook the chicken under the broiler until starting to blacken, about 5 minutes. Then turn the oven to 350, and cook until a meat thermometer registers 150 degrees F, Remove from the oven.

4. While the chicken is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small bowl, along with lime zest, lime juice, salt, pepper and the honey. Taste and correct seasoning.

5. Serve the chicken with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, the sauce, and some brown rice and green beans for a delicious and healthy meal.

Balsamic Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

I was bored and looking through random recipes when I found this one. I had some balsamic vinegar that I wanted to get rid of and I figured I should use it up in a new recipe. :)  I tweaked this recipe from the original to make the cooking liquid/sauce more balanced. This dish was pretty simple and I enjoyed the unique flavor that was dominated by the taste of the balsamic. 

Ingredients:
4-5 garlic cloves, minced (or you can use garlic powder)
1 medium-large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (14-16 ounces) can of diced tomatoes, un-drained
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp. brown sugar
Salt, pepper, and red pepper flake to taste

Directions:

1. Place 1 tsp. olive oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high flame. Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown on each side, about 4 mintues per side. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.

2. Add onions and garlic (or sprinkle garlic powder) to pan. Sauté for approximately 3-5 minutes over low heat, until onions start to soften. Add additional olive oil if things start to stick.

3. Add balsamic vinegar and canned tomatoes. Scrap up the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.

4. Add brown sugar and chicken stock. Place chicken back into the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (stir every few minutes while it’s simmering). Use a probe thermometer and check the temperature of the chicken every few minutes to make sure it doesn't over cook.

5. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil for 4 minutes to rest the chicken . Heat up any side dishes, in my case the mashed potatoes and green beans, and serve everything together!

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (healthy)

I wanted something that I could whip up really quickly but was still healthy. It took me about 10 minutes to cook and put together after marinating. I want to make this dish again and turn it into an official stir-fry with the corn starch slurry. This is a dish that I would use to teach someone simple cooking techniques because it's quick, satisfying, and uses most of the basic skills needed to cook.

Ingredients: 
5 oz. skirt steak
1 cup broccoli florets
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger, mined
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 green onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large basil leaf, diced or julienned
white rice

Marinade:
2  quarter inch slices of ginger
2 cloves of garlic, crushed but kept whole
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. sesame oil 
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. siracha 
1 tsp. pepper
1 green onion, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. combine all ingredients for marinade. Place skirt steak into a plastic bag and pour marinade on top. Allow to marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Place bag in a container in the fridge so if there are any leaks you don't have to clean the whole fridge.

2. Clean broccoli and cut into florets. Blanche broccoli. Mince garlic and ginger and chop herbs.

3. In a saute pan big enough to fit steak, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil over medium high heat. Place steak in pan. Allow to cook for 2 minutes or until browned. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes for medium rare. Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest.

4. Add 1 tsp olive oil to another pan over medium low heat. Add garlic and ginger. cook for 1 minute while constantly stirring. Add broccoli florets to pan and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with a pinch of pepper and 1 tsp. of soy sauce.

5. Slice skirt steak across the grain, into thin strips. Toss beef with broccoli and serve everything over white rice.

Chicken Soup

I was feeling under the weather so I threw together this chicken soup.  It's similar to the one my babysitter (hey Chio!) used to make for my family when we weren't feeling great. You can add any veggies you want but I kept it simple with just potatoes and carrots. I love soups because they take 1 pot to make and they make you feel warm and cozy! I like to make a big batch of this soup and freeze half of it for the next time I'm not feeling well.

Ingredients:
4-6 Chicken thighs
1/2 onion, cut in half with skin and root intact
3 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
4- 6 cups water, depending how much broth you want
salt
pepper

Directions:

1. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

2. Fill a large pot with water. Place over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and 1 tbs. salt. Allow to cook together for 5 minutes.

3. Add chick thighs and allow to cook at a simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

4. Remove chicken and allow to cool. Add potatoes to the chicken stock and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. 

5. Shred chicken into large chunks and discard skin and bones.

6. Add carrots and any other veggies you want in your soup. Allow to cook over medium low heat until everything is soft and cooked through.

7. Taste soup for seasoning. I like to add a little lemon zest and juice to brighten the whole thing up.