Honey Lime Tilapia

Honey Lime Tilapia

Ingredients:

Fish and Marinade:

• 4 tilapia fillets (about 4-5 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 large lime)
• Zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced

Coating and Cooking:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper and garlic. Place the tilapia in a gallon-sized ziploc bag and pour the marinade on top of the fish. Press the air out of the bag and seal. Refrigerate the fish for at least an hour and up to 4 hours. It helps to lay the bag in a flat dish and turn it over once or twice during the marinading time since the marinade won't completely cover the fish.
2. Before cooking, whisk together the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish like a pie plate. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until rippling and hot. Dredge each tilapia fillet in the flour, coating both sides lightly. Cook the fillets for 3-5 minutes per side without moving the fish while it cooks on each side; this will ensure a more even browning. Adjust the cooking time as needed depending on the thickness of the tilapia and the heat of the skillet and work in batches if necessary so the skillet isn't overcrowded.
3. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Notes:

We try to have fish once a week. I love salmon but have recently started trying out tilapia. I love these flavors, lime is so refreshing. I also love how quickly fish cooks! I love the crispy coating! Make sure to have it hot enough (but not too hot!) and wait 3-5 minutes per side to ensure the coating stays on and gets nice and crispy. I served with brown rice, steamed broccoli, and watermelon. 

Recipe and picture from: http://melskitchencafe.ziplist.com/souschef?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.melskitchencafe.com%2F2013%2F03%2Fhoney-lime-tilapia.html

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks (I used a finely diced jalapeno)
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium onion, halved and slivered
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (I left these out as I am not a huge corn fan)
• 3 T heat-safe oil like grapeseed or coconut (I used olive oil)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo
• 2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls)
• 9-10 corn tortillas, torn/halved 
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar-Monterey Jack blend)
• optional toppings: sour cream and thinly sliced scallions, avocados or guacamole

directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.

Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.

Serves 4-5

Notes:

I love roasted vegetables! These southwest flavors are so yummy and I especially love the roasted sweet potato - yum! This is a colorful and beautiful dish and my boys didn't mind all the veggies. A tasty and filling meatless meal. Tastes fresh and flavorful! Served with spanish rice and watermelon. I think I will add some black beans next time as well.  Again, can be prepared in the morning and then baked in the evening. 

Recipe and pic from here: http://www.perrysplate.com/2011/03/stacked-roasted-vegetable-enchiladas.html

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed small (about 3-4 cups)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1 red pepper, diced small
• 1 small red onion, diced small (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drain
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (depending on your taste)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 6-8 burrito-size tortillas (whole wheat, white or other favorite variety)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, jalapeno, red pepper and red onion with the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dump the coated veggies onto a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. The vegetables should be tender but not mushy at the end of cooking time.
2. Let the vegetable mixture cool. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and toss with the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Taste the mixture and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to assemble the burritos or use immediately.
3. Place 3-4 tortillas on a microwave-safe plat and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 15-20 seconds until the tortillas are pliable. Place 1/4 cup or so of the vegetable mixture in the center of the tortilla and top with a sprinkle with shredded cheese, a little of each kind.. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll up. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until you have all the burritos you need (the filling can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days).
4. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes, until heated through and the top of the tortilla is golden brown. Adjust the baking time as needed depending on if the filling has been refrigerated or not. For a softer tortilla, wrap each burrito in tin foil and heat through (I did this and it kept them nice and soft!). Serve immediately.

Notes:

I LOVE the taste of sweet potatoes in southwest flavored dishes - a recently discovered favorite! This is a filling vegetarian meal, which I'm always on the lookout for. I found myself craving these for lunch all week! The boys enjoyed them as well. The filling can easily be made ahead of time, which helps for quick evening meal prep. Served with a side of spanish rice and fresh mangoes. 

Recipe and pic from: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/02/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-burritos.html

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cups rice (I used brown rice)
• 1/4 cup oil (I used canola, but will try olive oil next time)
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used the 5.5oz can)
• 3 stems cilantro (optional)
• 1 clove minced garlic 
• 2 cups water
• 1 chicken flavored bouillon cube (I used 1 ts "better than bouillon" chicken base)
• dash of cumin
• dash of garlic powder 

Directions:

Throw it all in the rice cooker (make sure to use the brown rice button if using brown rice) and cook per rice cooker instructions. 

Notes:

Makes a nice simple side to many of our "TexMex" style dinners. The boys loved it. The original recipe has many more steps and is made on the stovetop and it would probably turn out even better but I love the simplicity of the rice cooker!

Photo credit and recipe adapted from here: http://lilluna.com/food-tutorial-spanish-rice/

Zucchini Lasagna

Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 lb 93% lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (I just used my entire package, probably double this)
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick
• 15 oz part-skim ricotta
• 16 oz part-skin mozzarella cheese, shredded (Sargento)
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 large egg

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, brown meat and season with salt. When cooked drain in colander to remove any fat. Add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions about 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for at least 30-40 minutes, covered (I probably didn't simmer this long). Do not add extra water, the sauce should be thick.

Meanwhile, slice zucchini into 1/8" thick slices, add lightly salt and set aside or 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel.

On a gas grill or grill pan, grill zucchini on each side, until cooked, about 1-2 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to soak any excess moisture.

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg. Stir well. 

In a 9x12 casserole spread some sauce on the bottom and layer the zucchini to cover. Then place some of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up. Top with sauce and mozzarella and cover with foil.

Bake 45 minutes covered at 375°, then uncovered 15 minutes. Let stand about 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:
I'm certainly not part of the anti-carb movement (whole grains are good for you!) but I loved the idea of adding more veggies in and also thought this would be a great idea when zucchinis are plentiful in the summer. We all loved it! It's filling and relatively healthy and could also be great without the meat. We think it's a keeper. 

Recipe (with more great pics) and photo credit here: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/zucchini-lasagna.html