Atlantic Cod Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

Atlantic Cod Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

Okay, I'm typically not a huge fish fan. In fact, I steer clear of it the most I can. I think its more of the lack of know-how to cook it and the smell more than the taste though. I found this recipe online, and although 'fish tacos' sound incredibly unappealing, I was ready to give this sucker a shot. I was surprised that not only did I like it but my almost 3 year old was asking for seconds! (Confession: this is the first time my little one has ever consumed fish...Yes, I have avoided fish for almost 3 years!) I found the recipe here. Although you can vary the toppings to your liking, I will suggest that the Cilantro-Lime Mayo is a must try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb Atlantic Cod, or any flaky white fish of your choice (haddock, halibut, etc)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lime, squeezed
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp paprika
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Marinate fish in a mixture of olive oil, lime juice, paprika, cilantro, salt and pepper. Be sure to rub the mixture into the fish on both sides. Allow to marinate for 20-30 minutes

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Cook fish for 4-5 minutes per side. Once fish is completely white and flaky, remove from heat.

Flake fish into bite-sized pieces and place them on tortilla. Serve with Cilantro-Lime mayo and your choice of toppings. I topped mine with the mayo mix, lettuce and sauteed green and red peppers.(topping examples: shredded cabbage, shredded lettuce, fire-roasted pepper salsa, guacamole, red onion, green pepper, red pepper, shredded cheese etc.)


To make the Cilantro-Lime Mayo:
1/2 a lime, squeezed
1 tbsp of cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup mayo

Mix all ingredients, serve cold.

Oh!!! And because I was off work today, due to jury duty, me and Tayl even had time to even make dessert for after dinner! YUM!

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

I'm fairly certain these are the best burgers I've ever consumed! If you like buffalo wings then you will LOVE these burgers. I found the original recipe here. And don't freak if you have never tried turkey burgers, I promise you won't miss the beef.... I prefer turkey burgers to beef burgers anyway...and they are better for you!! Yum!


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons white onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3-4 tablespoons Frank's buffalo wing sauce
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
 kaiser rolls
ranch or blue cheese dressing, I used ranch

Directions:
Saute onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium heat.


In a bowl, combine cooked onion and garlic, ground turkey, salt and pepper. Do not over mix. Shape into patties.

I cooked ours using our George Foreman grill but if you do not own one you can cook them on an outdoor grill or on a cast iron grill pan over medium heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side. Turkey should be cooked all the way through, no red. The juices will run clear.


Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter and combine with 3-4 tablespoons of Frank's buffalo wing sauce, set aside.

When the burgers are finished cooking, coat them generously in the sauce mixture and top with a handful of cheese. Spread the tops buns with the dressing of your choice and serve!

Vegetarian Black Bean Quesadilla with Salsa and Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream

Vegetarian Black Bean Quesadilla with Salsa and Cilantro Lime Sour Cream

I made these for dinner on Thursday and there were absolutely delicious! And so quick. And cheap! You can find the original recipe here. I've made some minor changes though due to what I had on hand. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3/4 cup corn kernels, (I used canned)
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
• 4 (10-inch"burrito size") flour tortillas
• 1 (16-ounce) can black beans
• 1 cup Shredded Taco Blend cheese
• Lime-Cilantro Sour Cream, recipe follows
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• Directions:
• Heat oil over medium heat and saute onion and red pepper until soft
• 
  
• Add corn, red pepper flakes, cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Saute for about 5 minutes
• 
  
• Remove from heat and add cilantro
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• I have a panini maker that I use to make quesadillas but if you don't then preheat a cast iron pan over medium heat. 
• 
  
• Lay one tortilla down and spoon filling on top. Sprinkle with cheese and top with a second tortilla. Once browned, flipped quesadilla over to heat the other side.
• 
  
• Slice into 4 wedges, serve with salsa and lime-cilantro sour cream and enjoy!
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• 
  

• Lime-Cilantro Sour Cream:

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • Pinch salt
  In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together until combined. Season, to taste, with salt if needed.

  
  

Vegetarian Southwest Pizza with Avocado Sour Cream

Vegetarian Southwest Pizza with Avocado Sour Cream

Who doesn't absolutely love pizza? We live about 2 minutes away from Little Ceasers and my family sure does love their $5 dinner! But, it's always the same cheese or pepperoni hot and ready. So, to mix things up a bit, I found this recipe here. I made this for dinner tonight. It took no longer that 15 minutes to prep and only 15 minutes to cook! Amazing, and there is absolutely no meat on it... but believe me you won't mind!

Ingredients:

1 can of pillsbury pizza crust (or your favorite kind)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 chipotle chile en adobo, minced + 2 tsp adobo sauce
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup corn
1 cup of taco blend mix cheese
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 avocado
2 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp lime juice

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and unroll pizza dough.  Bake the dough for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, place the black beans in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave them for 45 seconds. Add the chile en adobo, sauce, chili powder, cumin, and salt to the bowl and smash them into a thick paste.

Spread the black bean mix on the pizza dough, followed by the tomatoes, onions, and corn. Bake the pizza for 8 minutes or until edges of the pizza are just starting to turn golden. Remove the pizza, sprinkle the top with cheese, and bake for another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted.

While the pizza bakes, mash the avocado with the sour cream, lime juice, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Serve with avocado sour cream on the side as dip or smear on top of the pizza. 

**I had to serve on the side due to my picky husband and toddler being skeptical of the avocado. Am I the only one in love with the stuff?? Guess not, both Taylor & Paul ending up dipping their pizza in it an said it was absolutely yummy!**

Vegetarian Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Vegetarian Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I found this recipe on foodgawker.com. Yes, I admit I'm absolutely addicted to food porn. Don't judge me. You can find the original recipe here. I made a few changes from original but I'm sure the original is just as good. Unfortunately my grocery store didn't have any yams in stock, or maybe they were just hidden from me, so I substituted with a Red Sweet Potato. Didn't know they existed? Me either until I accidentally bought them assuming they were the same thing as yams, just red! Whoops! The good news is, they were delicious! In fact, I'm certain they may be my new favorite type potato!

Ingredients:

3 medium red sweet potatoes (or yams)

1.5 cups corn (frozen corn is fine, just rinse or thaw and pat dry)1 tsp. chili powder1 tsp. cumin1/2 tsp. oregano1 Tbsp. canola oil1/2 medium yellow onion, diced1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsedcilantro, to taste1 oz. cream cheese 1/4 cup sour cream1 to 3 chipotles in adobo, finely minced1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used the finely shredded taco mix blend)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet or large pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Saute the corn in a dry heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium high heat. Sprinkle with salt, cumin, chili powder and oregano. Cook until the corn is roasted and browned (about 7 to 10 minutes). Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.

To the skillet, add the canola oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until just tender. Remove to the bowl with the corn; add the black beans and as much cilantro as you wish to the bowl and lightly mix to combine all ingredients.

When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half, lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving about a 1/8″ border in the skins, and place into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle pepper(s) and salt to the mixing bowl with the sweet potatoes. Mash with a potato masher to desired texture. Gently stir in the corn and black bean mixture.

Preheat the broiler. Fill each potato skin with the potato-corn mixture, and top each with about 1.5 Tbsp. of cheese. Broil for 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and hot.

**These potatoes are absolutely amazing! The potato stuffing would even taste good in stuffed peppers... or as a side as mashed potatoes! Yum!**

Easy S'mores Pie

Easy S'mores Pie

I made this pie over the weekend for my friends 'Kupcake for Kidneys' fundraiser bakesale. It looked so amazing that I had a request from my husband to make it again. I found this easy recipe here. But simplified it by using store bought marshmallows instead of making them home made. 

Ingredients:

one 9-inch pre-made graham cracker pie crust

7 oz bittersweet, or semi-sweet chocolate (morsels or finely chopped)

1 cup heavy cream

a pinch of salt

1 egg

Marshmallows, assorted sizes

Directions:

Unwrap the pie shell and place it on a cookie sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

First make the chocolate filling by placing the chopped chocolate in a large bowl.

Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a heavy saucepan then pour it over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute.

Whisk together the chocolate and heavy cream until it's thoroughly incorporated and smooth.

Gently whisk in the egg and a pinch of salt until combined then pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust (it will be about half full). 

Bake the pie for 20 to 25 minutes, just until the chocolate is mostly set but slightly jiggly in the center.

Allow the pie to cool on a rack for one hour.

After cooled, top with marshmallows. 

Place in oven for 5-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on the browning of the marshmallows.

After the amount of brownness is achieved, allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving. 

**If you wet the knife before cutting, the marshmallow will not stick. Also, this pie tastes wonderful at room temperature as well!**

Project: Happy Breeden Bellies

Today marks to start of project 'learn-to-make-my-family-love-dinner-time'. Okay, confession: I am a really HORRIBLE cook. Seriously, ask anyone. I can bake a mean pie, and can whip up a killer cookie but I can't roast a chicken or grill a steak. If you follow my other blog, you remember my story of undercooking my Annual New Year's Day Dinner pork roast by a few hours! Yeah, it was as bad as you are thinking.

Moving on. My husband, just like every other man in the world, is the number one fan of his mom's home cooking....but not so much of mine. He'll eat my pasta, and maybe some home made pizza but that's where he draws the line. Even my two year old, although she is picky, will only eat the vegetables during dinner. Really, she prefers the vegetables? What does that say about me?

This has caused me to start this project. I want my daughter to look back and remember how good of a cook her mommy was and I want my husband to look forward to what's in store at 5:30 every night. A lot of the recipes I will post will be from recipes I found online. The credit will be given, because lets face it, credit is due if it satisfies my family's belly's. Bottom line, if I am able to pull off these recipes, ANYONE can do it. That's the truth. So Subscribe and follow my journey of finding my family's happy tummy's again!