Category Archives: Entree’

Slaw for Fish Tacos

Slaw for Fish Tacos

Photo Source (Betty Crocker)

I don’t often post about entrée’s here, however I thought this one was worth sharing. For all the health food critics out there, this is not a health food, so I’ll just leave it at that. I do normally strive to provide healthy, nourishing meals to my family, and this one was, as long as you don’t look at the processed side of it!

For dinner tonight I stepped out and tried something a little different. I have always wanted to prepare fish taco’s. I had some Mrs. Paul’s Crunchy Fish Sticks (better than some, still not the most nutritious choice), some 6″ tortillas and some broccoli slaw. I did a little research and found a fish taco recipe at Betty Crocker.com. I made my own version, but used the recipe as my base.

I think this kicker was the slaw. It was quick, easy and very tasty. The original recipe called for cabbage slaw, but I almost always substitute broccoli slaw instead. Here’s what it used:

Mexican Slaw for Fish Tacos

  • 1 package broccoli slaw
  • 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons milk (skim)
  • 1/2 package prepared taco seasoning

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to prepare tacos. *Add milk to desired consistency (mine appeared a little dry).

Truthfully, the list of ingredients aren’t half bad. For the rest of meal, I baked the fish sticks and to prepare the tacos, I warmed the tortillas in an ungreased skillet on medium for about 30 seconds, then folded the sides together to make more of a burrito look.

The tacos went over so well I didn’t even have time to take a photo. The picture above came from the Betty Crocker web site. I definitely will make these again, but will get a picture before they are devoured!

BLT Wraps & Cheesy Soup!

BLT Wraps & Cheesy Soup!

Everyone is about “easy”, especially when it comes to feeding thier family. Tonights dinner was no exception. I was tired and would have been happy making PB&J sandwiches. I was able to get motivated however, and prepared this easy meal that went over quite well.

I recently saw a recipe at on myrecipes for BLT wraps, printed it, and added it to my dinner list. The next day, I came across the same recipe at recipegirl.com. An omen? Probably not, but her “lightened recipe” was more enticing to me, and it will become a regular in our house. This is a simple 5 ingredient recipe that can easily be adapted to include just about any ingredient.

BLT Wraps

from RecipeGirl

  • 1 cup light mayonnaise
  • ½ cup dried tomatoes in oil, drained well & chopped
  • Eight (10-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 large head iceberg lettuce, chopped (I only used about half)
  • 16 bacon slices, cooked & crumbled
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Combine mayonnaise & tomatoes in a small bowl. Spread evenly over 1 side of each tortilla, leaving a ½ inch border. Sprinkle lettuce & bacon evenly over tortillas; sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roll up tortillas tightly; cut in half diagonally, and secure each half with a pick.

Yield: 16 half-sandwich wraps

Source: Adapted from Southern Living

 

To go with the wraps, I use a 3 ingredient soup that was also a hit with the family. Even better, my teenage daughter, who has a great dislike for carrots, had no idea they were even in the soup. (That is until she reads this post!) This is a Kraft / Velveeta recipe that is quick and tasty, and gets a serving of vegetables in one bowl. The only thing I added was some bacon that was extra from the wraps and 1 tablespoon of corn starch to thicken the soup. Next time I will use 2 bags of vegetables.

 

 Velvety Vegetable Cheese Soup

from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

 Ingredients: 

  • 1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot blend
  • 2 cans (14 oz. each) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • ¾ lb.(12 oz.) VELVEETA (2% Milk) Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up

 

Directions:

Place vegetables and broth in large saucepan; cover. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 min. or until vegetables are tender.

Mash vegetables with potato masher to desired consistency. (I used an immersion blender). Stir in Velveeta; cook 5 min. or until cheese is melted and soup is heated through, stirring frequently. Note: If you want a simple soup recipe, this is it, or, it is a great base for any fabulous soup. Try adding potatoes, corn, other vegetable…the possibilities are endless!

Per serving: 1 Cup – Reduced fat version (From Kraft’s website)

Calories  170, Total fat  6 g, Cholesterol  40 mg, Sodium  1170 mg, Carbohydrate  10 g, Dietary fiber  2 g, Sugars  6 g, Protein  15 g

Dinner: Foil Pack Shrimp and Fish

Dinner: Foil Pack Shrimp and Fish

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Looking for a quick, easy and healthy “one dish” meal? Foil packs are always a great way to serve a satisfying dish and the filling options are endless. Tonight, I chose to serve a fish and shrimp meal with rice and vegetables. Combining all of the ingredients into one pack make the need for added oils, butter and salt unnecessary. Even better, it makes for a quick clean up. I use a heavy duty foil, though there are ready made foil packs, if you want to spend the extra money.  Nutritionally, each pack comes out to right at 400 calories.

For the seasoning, I found this wonderful new seafood seasoning made by Weber. The first time I used this seasoning, my teenage daughter said that her fish was “fabulous”. From a teenager, I would say that is the ultimate compliment.

Foil Pack Shrimp, Fish, Rice and Veggies

 Ingredients:

  • 2 cups uncooked instant rice
  • 1 3/4 cups broth
  • 2 – 3 tilapia fillets (about 16 ounces)
  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp
  • 1 pound bag of frozen vegetables (I used a broccoli, onion, pepper…mix)
  • Weber Mango Lime Seafood Seasoning (to taste)
  • 1 medium lemon cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • Heavy duty foil, Cooking Spray, Butter

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Spray 5 (18 x 12″) sheets of foil with cooking spray.

Combine the broth and rice in a medium bowl. Let stand about 5 minutes to absorb broth. (This will help the rice to cook completely). Separate tilapia into 5 pieces and place one in the center of each foil piece. Season fish to taste. Spoon rice around each fillet, then top with equal amounts of shrimp.  Divide vegetables among each foil pack and place about 1 tsp of butter in each foil pack (if desired). Fold foil over so the edges meet, seal edges then fold again. Allow some space for ventilation but ensure an airtight closure.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and the fish is white and flakes easily. Place foil packs on plates, serve and enjoy!

Hawaiian Pork Roast

Hawaiian Pork Roast

Hawaiian Pork Roast

We are home from camp this week, which means I have the opportunity to prepare dinner for the family. We were heading out to the mall, so I decided on slow cooking a pork roast. It’s a good thing I chose this cooking method, as we totally lost track of time. At 5:30 we were still shopping and we normally eat dinner at 5. This meal was ready when we arrived home. It is always a family favorite.

Read the rest of this entry

BBQ Ribs, Chicken and Fresh Veggies

BBQ Ribs, Chicken and Fresh Veggies

Ribs

While shopping at Target I couldn’t pass up a deal on St. Louis-style ribs. It was a perfect night to grill also, as my husband was to return from an 8 day class in D.C. I knew it would go great with my fresh picked corn on the cob and green beans. With this I added grilled chicken and baked potatoes.

I wanted “fall off the bone” ribs. Didn’t take me long to settle on this recipe at MyRecipes.com. The rib meat was so moist and tender you didn’t even need a fork to remove it from the bone.

For the beans, we washed and snapped them. Then I sauteed them in a little olive oil for about an hour. If you haven’t tried fresh beans this way, it is really quite wonderful. I pre-boiled the corn, then put on it the grill for the last few minutes. I like grilled corn, but don’t care for the charring that accompanies 45 minutes on a grill.

This was one of those meals that you have to double your gym time on… Everyone deserves one of these meals every once in a while. Check out the recipe for the ribs and enjoy.

Buttermilk Grilled Chicken

Buttermilk Grilled Chicken

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This recipe is from MyRecipes. This was their “Dinner Tonight” entree earlier this week. It turned out very good. My husband gave it an 8.5, however he said the “Bean Can Chicken” was his favorite (rating it a 9). Its a good choice if you just want to marinate your chicken and not put sauce on it while grilling. It is also better for you than frying buttermilk chicken.

The only “problem” I had when grilling this, was that I ran out of propane half-way through. I just kept the lid closed and ran to the store for a refill. Crisis was averted, and my chicken still turned out great.

Dinner was served with home made potato salad, grilled marinated vegetables and baked beans. The meal was topped off with Apple Cobbler and Ice Cream. Both recipes are posted below.

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Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

from MyRecipes

Ingredients:

  • 1 quart buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallots
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Chicken: I used 5 leg quarters and 8 legs

Directions:

Combine all ingredients (except chicken). Rinse chicken and place in a 9 x 13 x 2″ pan. Pour brine over chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Before grilling, drain chicken and pat dry. Grill until thoroughly cooked. I used a gas grill and place the chicken in the center (indirect heat) with only  the two outer elements on. About 5 minutes before the chicken is done, I brown the chicken over the direct heat. Remove and let chicken stand about 5 minutes then serve.

Easy Apple Cobbler

(adapted from the millions of recipes for dump cake)

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling
  • 1 box yellow cake mix (I only used 3/4 of the box), divided
  • 6 tablespoons butter, divided
  • Ice Cream

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 8″ square baking dish with cooking spray and empty can of pie filling evenly in the bottom.

Melt 1/2 of the butter (3 tablespoons) and combine with 1/2 of dry cake mix. You should get a moist crumble. Sprinkle over pie filling. Pour remaining cake mix (about 4 ounces) over the top. Slice remaining 3 tablespoons of butter into squares and place on top of cobbler.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is brown and crisp. Serve with ice cream. Run 3 miles.

 *I didn’t need an entire dish of cobbler, so I halved the recipe, using slightly more than 1/2 the box of cake mix.

Baked Potato Frittata

Baked Potato Frittata

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Saturday morning is our “big breakfast” day. Usually we will have either pancakes, or some type of egg dish. Today I had some baked potatoes (from last night’s dinner) to use up. They were already seasoned and buttered, so I just chopped them and used my hash brown frittata recipe to finish the dish. It’s basic and simple… and it’s gone.

*In addition to using the baked potatoes, I used 7 regular eggs instead of Egg Beaters. Topped it out with sour cream and salsa.

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Farewell dinner – Shrimp, Chicken, Potatoes…

Farewell dinner – Shrimp, Chicken, Potatoes…

Hasselback Potatoes

BBQ Chicken

Boil and Peel Shrimp 

My mil is leaving for Arizona tomorrow. She has lived here in FL for 22 years, but due to economic times, she is moving. I prepared one of her favorites for this farewell dinner – shrimp.

The meal itself was easy to prepare. The only drawback I had was grilling in the cold, pouring rain. It still turned out wonderfully.

The chicken was marinated all night in Italian dressing, then slow grilled for a little over an hour. Just before removing, a Honey BBQ glaze was applied. In the meantime, I steamed corn on the cob and prepared Hasselback (aka fan) potatoes. Now these potatoes rocked – and will become a staple for a starch side from now on.  We also had a freshly prepared Caesar Salad and some grilled onion packets. Overall dinner was highly successful.

I prepared the shrimp by boiling them in a lightly seasoned, butter bath and served them with melted butter. They were x-large shrimp and were purchased already deveined… mmmmm….

For dessert I made chunky brownies and served them warm with ice cream. Needles to say they were gone before photos could be taken.

Here is how to prepare the potatoes. It is very easy and well worth it.

Hasselback Potatoes(AKA Accordion, Fan etc…)

Ingredients:

  • Medium Potatoes, I used Red
  • Butter, I used spray, but you could melt some
  • Olive Oil
  • Seasonings, as desired
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Sheet pan coated with cooking spray or with a thin layer of olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the potatoes about 1/4 thick (as in the picture). To do this, place one potato in the “spoon” part, of a wooden spoon. The potato will rest in the well of the spoon and you can slice all the way through the potato till the spoon stops it. This leaves just enough of the potato attached that you can “fan” them and coat them with the oils and seasonings.

Place the cut potatoes on a microwave safe dish and heat for 6 – 10 minutes – based on the size and number of potatoes. Remove and place on prepared sheet pan. Spray the potatoes with butter, then brush on olive oil. Sprinkle with course sea salt and seasonings as desired. I use Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, coating with additional butter half way through. When the potatoes are soft, remove and serve.

*Note about the microwaving – the idea is to have them slightly cooked so they don’t scortch in the oven…just a nice crispy brown. I was hesitant about microwaving, but I am glad I did. The potatoes turned out perfectly.