Fish Tacos

Photo courtesy of Food Network

It's Friday during Lent, so could only mean one thing..... that I realized this fact pretty late in the day and was left scrambling in the freezer to see what kind of fish I had on hand.  Turns out I had 2 sad little tilapia loins left (note to self: get some more from Costco before next Friday sneaks up on you...).  Not enough for a proper meal for my two guys, but certainly enough for a proper fish taco.  Phew.

I've made the crew fish tacos before, but wanted to switch it up a bit.  I found this recipe from Food Network and adapted it to what I had.  I didn't get the fish part, but I loved the salsa and plan on making that again.  I ate it on a baked potato and it was delicious.  Abe really liked it too and both Abe and Jimi said the fish was really flavorful.  I served the tacos with the salsa, shredded lettuce, sliced onions and sour cream.  I might try the shredded cabbage next time, too.  I didn't have the serrano pepper for the salsa, so I omitted it; I will use it next time, as it will add a lot of heat and flavor.  I also didn't have a chipotle hot sauce, so I used Asian chili hot sauce (the one with the rooster on it) and sprinkled a bit of dried chipotle in it.  I'm guessing you can just use regular hot sauce if you wanted.

Fish Tacos
Serves 4

Tacos:

1 pound white flaky fish (I used tilapia, but mahi mahi or cod works too)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoons ancho or Mexican chili powder
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
8 flour tortillas

Garnish:

Shredded white cabbage
Hot sauce
Sour cream
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced green onion
Chopped cilantro leaves
Pureed Tomato Salsa, recipe follows

Preheat grill pan (or regular pan with a touch of oil) over medium-high heat. Place fish in a medium size dish. Whisk together the oil, lime juice, chili powder, jalapeno, and cilantro and pour over the fish. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.



Remove the fish from the marinade place onto a hot grill pan.. Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side and then flip for 30 seconds and remove. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork.


Place the tortillas on the grill pan and grill for 20 seconds. Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with any or all of the garnishes.

Pureed Tomato Salsa: 

 

2 tablespoon canola oil
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped(or 1 can of chopped tomatoes)
1 serrano chile, sliced (I didn't have this and omitted it)
1 jalapeno, sliced
1 tablespoon chipotle hot sauce 
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano or regular oregano 
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat, add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add tomatoes, serrano and jalapeno and cook until tomatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the mixture with a hand-held immersion blender (or place in regular blender) until smooth and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Add the hot sauce, oregano, cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

White Bean Soup with Pasta and Rosemary Oil

Yes, I'm realizing as I sit to write this that I've been adding a lot of soup recipes.  But they are so easy to make, homey and usually made with things I have in the pantry already. 

So, bear with me.  I promise to have something different next time.  And once lent is over, the chicken thigh recipes will resume.

The rosemary oil can me made ahead of time, strained and kept in a air-tight container.  It adds an herbal essence to the soup and adds a silky finish.  
 The original recipe called for using dried beans, but I didn't have the time.  So I used canned, which I think is fine for a soup.  If you want to use dried, they suggested covering the beans in boiling water while prepping the other ingredients. Then simmering them for about an hour.  Add 2 teaspoons of salt and continue cooking for about 30 more minutes until tender.

Adam loved it so much that he ate 3 bowls of it.  I think I might try freezing it in batches for a quick dinner for him.  He kept calling it "chicken" despite my attempts to tell him they were beans. 

I realized after I made the recipe that I forgot to add all of the liquid (originally it called for 3 quarts of water).  I like the thickness of the soup, so I'm keeping it the way I made it.

White Bean Soup with Pasta and Rosemary Oil
Serves 4

The Rosemary Oil

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary or 2 tablespoons dried
2 garlic cloves, sliced

The Soup

2 cups cannellini, navy, garbanzo beans or a mixture
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned, with their juices
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 cup dried small pasta- shells, lumache or other favorite shape (I used fusilli)
Grated parmesan cheese

Slowly warm the extra virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoon rosemary and 2 garlic cloves until the garlic begins to color, about 3 minutes.  Turn off the heat and set aside until needed.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil (not the rosemary oil) with 1 tablespoon rosemary (2 teaspoon dried) in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until the onion is softened and starting to turn color in places, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and parsley and cook for a few minutes more.  Add beans to the pot along with the tomatoes and stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Cook the pasta in boiling salt water, then drain.  Strain the rosemary oil.  Ladle the soup into bowls and add some pasta to each.  Drizzle some of the oil over each bowl and add pepper to taste.  Cover with shaves of parmesan. 
 

Hearty Bean and Barley Soup

Abe's trying to go more vegetarian for Lent.  I originally thought he had wanted to go ALL veggie for Lent and was so excited to finally have main dishes that I could eat on a regular basis.  But, alas, he decided that he wouldn't be able to do it full-time and would only do it "as best he could".  Meh.  Well, I'm still doing my veggie recipes.  So there.

Today was one of those unplanned-oh-no-what's-for-dinner? kind of days.  I had plenty of stuff in the fridge, but no idea what to make.  So I threw a few ingredients into the search engine of Cookinglight.com and voila!  I came up with yet another soup recipe.  

It is delicious!  And very filling.  Not to mention healthy.  So, pretty much a trifecta of win for soups.

I made the mistake of not having the quick-cook barely, so I had to cook mine for a lot longer.  If you have it and like a softer barely, soak the barely in a bowl of water overnight.

I got the recipe from Cookinglight.com.

Hearty Bean and Barley Soup
Serves 8 (serving size: 1 cup with 1 tablespoon cheese)

7  cups  fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
6  garlic cloves, crushed
2  (4-inch) rosemary sprigs
1  (19-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2  teaspoons  olive oil
1  cup  chopped onion
1  cup  finely chopped carrot
1/4  cup  chopped celery
1  (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1  cup  uncooked quick-cooking barley
10  cup  torn spinach leaves (about 4 ounces)
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes. Drain through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids.

Measure 1 cup beans, and mash with a fork in a small bowl. Reserve the remaining whole beans.

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery; cook 4 minutes. Add broth mixture, mashed beans, whole beans, tomatoes, and barley; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in spinach and black pepper; cook 5 minutes or until barley is tender. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Carrot, Broccoli and Cheese Orzo

Adam is usually my big eater.  He will eat anything.  I would brag to family how he'd eat things like brussel sprouts and spinach.  He's a terrible sleeper, so I figured he made up for it in eating.

But when he's sick, he suddenly becomes a fussy eater and will pick at his meals, hardly eating a bite.  And it tends to linger, so weeks will go by with him living off of yogurt, suddenly acting like a college girl trying to fit into a dress.   And, to get him to eat, I find myself offering things like cheddar bunnies and olives, things I know he will eat, just to get something in his belly.  But that's not healthy for every dinner and I don't want him to get too used to that kind of eating habits.

So, I decided to check out my favorite kid-friendly food blog and see what she had for healthy suggestions.  And the latest one looked like a hit.  Healthy and yet something I can see Adam digging into.  And when I tasted it.... SURPRISE! It tasted pretty good.  So, it's going to be my dinner tonight too!  I wouldn't suggest it as a main course, but give it a taste when you cook it up for your little one and see if maybe it wouldn't make a quick and healthy lunch for you.

I love how easy it is.  I literally whipped it up in 15 minutes.

This recipe is from weelicious.com.

Carrot, Broccoli & Cheese Orzo 
Serves 4

1 Small Garlic Clove
1 Small Shallot
1 Cup Baby Carrots
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter or Olive Oil
1 Cup White or Whole Wheat Orzo
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1. Place shallot and garlic in food processor and pulse to chop.

2. Add baby carrots and broccoli florets to the food processor and pulse, scraping down the sides half way until finely chopped.

3. In a large stock pot, heat 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil and sauté the chopped vegetables, raw orzo and salt for 4 minutes stirring continuously.

4. Add the water and broth to the pot and cook over medium heat for 10
minutes uncovered, or until the liquid starts to evaporate and the mixture thickens.

5. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.

6. Serve.

The Tale of Two Quinoas (Quinoa Pilaf and Breakfast Quinoa)

A friend of mine asked me about quinoa when she saw that make it for Adam.  I had been thinking of posting about this mystery grain, so the timing was perfect.

Quinoa has been slowly gaining some exposure lately, even though it's actually been used for about 4,000 years.  It's a "super grain" (well, it's actually a seed) that is so full of nutrients that the Incas considered it a food from the gods.  It's one of the few plant products that is a complete protein, so it's incredibly healthy.  As a vegetarian that is very important.

I was introduced to it through a coworker who liked to bring in healthy foods for us to try.  I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant.  What was it?  It looked weird and I wondered how "nuts and granola" it would taste.  I'm all for healthy eating, but I'm not about to eat bird seeds.

It was delicious.  It wasn't like anything I had before, yet it was very homey.  The texture was similar to firm-ish orzo or larger couscous. It wasn't mushy, like rice can be, but it wasn't hard.  It almost had a bit of a "pop" when I bit into it.  It was love at first bite and I ran out to buy a bag.

But I was still hesitant to make it.  I'm not the best with sides.  Rice or potatoes is the best starch you'll get from me.  I'm always saying how I need to find new dishes to make.  So, after a few weeks on my shelf, I took it down to figure out how to make the dang thing.

I first followed the recipe on the side of the bag.  I'm actually going to list the recipe here as a good "base" recipe to start with.  It's my go-to recipe when I'm making it for lunch and then will switch out some of the ingredients.  That's the beauty of quinoa; you can make it sweet, savory or a combo of both.  It takes on whatever flavors you're in the mood for that day.  Want it Italian?  Add chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, garlic and some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.  Want it Mexican?  Add onions, jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro.  I love adding chickpeas one day, zucchini another day.  I just had it for lunch with mushrooms, carrots and onions.  I've made a sweet morning breakfast deliciousness that my friend Heather sent me once and it was awesome.  Look for later in this post for that recipe, too.

One of the things to know about quinoa is that nature provides a bitter protective coating on it to keep the insects away.  Great for the survival of the plant, not so good for our taste buds.  So you must rinse the quinoa in cool water until the soapy coating comes off.  It takes only a minute.  You can also find some brands that already rinse their quinoa, which is a great step-saver.  I buy Earthly Delights from Costco , which rinses theirs.

To cook quinoa, it's very similar to cooking rice.  It's a 2 to 1 ratio, meaning 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup quinoa.  Bring the quinoa to a boil and then reduce and cover for 15-20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and enjoy the deliciousness!

One trick to knowing if your quinoa is done is this nifty little "tail" will uncurl from the grain.  Not sure why it's there, but if you don't see it, it's not done.

So, give quinoa a try and find a new healthy way to have a protein packed meal!

Quinoa Pilaf

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Rinse quinoa, if not pre-rinsed.  Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook onion for 5 minutes or until translucent.  Add carrot and cook 3 minutes more.  Stir in quinoa and broth, bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 15 minutes to 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender and fluffy.  In a bowl, toss quinoa with walnuts and parsley.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Heather's Breakfast Quinoa

2 cup almond milk
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
zest of med orange
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Fresh berries, such as blueberries and raspberries
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped almonds (optional)

Combine everything, but the fruit and honey in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Let stand a few minutes...then add your fruit and drizzle with honey.  Top with almonds, if desired.

Tuscan Bean Soup

I'm a sucker for a good soup.  I love finding everything I need in the pantry and even if not, I love how you can swap one ingredient out for what you do have.  They are warm, delicious and often time, low-cal enough to let you gorge on one extra bowl.

Abe's been feeling sick, along with much of the household, so homemade soup was in order.  I didn't have time to defrost some chicken to make him his favorite Greek lemon rice soup, so vegetarian it was.  That way I could have a bowl too!

I found this recipe on Cookinglight.com and adjusted it because I did not have 3 cans of chick peas.  I ended up liking the creaminess that the great northern beans added, so I am sticking with that.  You can swap them for any white bean that you have in your pantry.  The vinegar adds a lot of depth and I used the full 2 tablespoons.

It was delicious and Adam gobbled his up.  I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today!

Enjoy!

Tuscan Bean Soup
Serves 6

2  tablespoons  olive oil
2  cups  finely chopped onion
8  garlic cloves, minced
4  cups  water or broth
1  teaspoon  minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
1  (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1  (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1  to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6  tablespoons  (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Handful of fresh spinach leaves (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water and the next 5 ingredients (water/broth through tomatoes), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Place 4 cups soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth, making sure to open top vent and covering with a clean dish towel.  Return all pureed soup to pan. Stir in the vinegar, add spinach, if using, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Spoon 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Calories: 373 (22% from fat)

Fat: 9.1g (sat 2.1g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.6g)

Protein: 15g

Greek Chicken Casserole

I'm not much of a casserole girl.  I get images of my mom's version of the dish with cream of mushroom soup and some rice, which was very popular in the 70's.  I remember a friend of mine, who was newly married and feeling quite grown-up, making me dinner in her new apartment.  I was still living at home and was very impressed with my young friend's homemaking attempts.  Until I ate the dish, which was her attempt at recreating that famous dish.  Oh my.  Let's just say that I didn't feel well the rest of the night and she never made us dinner again.

This dish isn't really a traditional casserole, but has the same ease and one-pot wonderfulness.  You can go from oven to table, especially if you have a pretty Dutch oven or nice casserole dish.

The flavors were good and Abe really enjoyed it.  Jimi, much to be expected, liked everything except the tomatoes, and spent a good part of the meal making an impressive chopped tomatoes pile on his plate.  That boy, I can't sneak tomatoes into his diet to save my life.

I didn't have anchovy paste, so I used chopped olives instead.  The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of water added, but I found the recipe to have a lot of liquid at the end and didn't seem necessary.  Add it if you want, but if you don't, make sure you add the juice from the tomatoes
I got this recipe from Cookinglight.com.

Enjoy!

Greek Chicken Casserole
Serves 4 (serving size: 2 thighs and 2 cups potato mixture)

1  tablespoon  olive oil
2  cups  chopped onion (about 1 large)
2  tablespoons  dried thyme
1  to 2 teaspoons black pepper
10  garlic cloves, minced
6  cups  (1/2-inch) cubed red potato (about 2 pounds)
2  cups  (1-inch) cut green beans (about 1/2 pound)
2  tablespoons  anchovy paste or finely chopped olives
2  (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup water (optional)
8  skinned, boned chicken thighs (about 1 pound)
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the thyme, pepper, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add potato; sauté 8 minutes or until potato begins to brown. Stir in green beans, anchovy paste, tomatoes and water, if using. Remove mixture from heat. Nestle chicken thighs into potato mixture. Top with feta cheese. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes.

Calories:  488 (23% from fat)
Fat:  12.6g (sat 4.2g,mono 4.9g,poly 2.1g)