Fish Tacos with Baja Cream Sauce

This recipe was DELICIOUS! I can’t believe it took me so long to make fish tacos at home. It was quick, super-easy, and tasty!

I used a general seafood rub for my spice mixture, but you could literally use anything you like the flavor of 🙂

(Sorry for the bad picture…fish doesn’t exactly photograph well LOL)

Fish Tacos with Baja Cream

(Bakin and Eggs)

FOR THE BAJA CREAM
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
Salt, to taste

FOR THE TACOS
1 1/2 pounds white fish fillets such as tilapia, flounder or mahi
Seasoning rub of your choice
2 tablespoon olive oil
Shredded red or purple cabbage
Shredded cheese such as cheddar, colbyjack or your choice
1 avocado, sliced
Salsa
Lime wedges
Hot sauce, such as Cholula
8 soft taco sized tortillas

Directions:

FOR THE BAJA CREAM
Whisk all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate. (Can be made up to 3 days ahead.)

FOR THE TACOS
Drizzle fish with olive oil and coat with seasoning rub. In a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add fish and cook about 3 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove fish from pan and cut into slices.

Arrange Baja cream and toppings on a platter and serve with fish and warmed tortillas (I usually wrap mine in a paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds).

Baked Crab and Cheese Wontons

These were delicious! I have a bit of an addiction to the crab rangoons served at Chinese restaurants, so I made these to go with my homemade chicken fried rice.…they were a perfect pairing!

These don’t taste exactly like my rangoons, but they’re just as addicting!

Baked Crab and Cheese Wontons

(Health for the Whole Self)

Makes about 20 wontons

Wonton wrappers (about 4×4” in size)
4 tbsp cream cheese, softened
6 oz. can of crab meat (4 oz. drained)
freshly ground pepper (to taste)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions

– In a small bowl, mix together the crab, cream cheese, pepper, garlic powder, and chives.

– Dollop a heaping teaspoonful onto the center of each wonton wrapper, then wet the edges and fold into a “hat” shape (per the directions on the wonton wrapper package).

– Place the wontons on a baking sheet lined with foil or sprayed with nonstick spray. Spray the wontons liberally with more spray (I used Olive Oil spray).

– Bake at 400º for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

This simple marinade was very tasty on the chicken! The garlic and paprika were subtle, and the buttermilk really made this chicken super-juicy.

I used boneless, skinless breasts and thighs because I had them in the freezer…I can only imagine the flavor is even better on bone-in chicken!

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

(Health for the Whole Self)

Ingredients
1.5 cups buttermilk
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp paprika
1.5 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
6 lbs bone-in chicken pieces

Directions

–  In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper.

– Place buttermilk mixture and chicken in a large plastic bag (you might need 2), and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight. Turn bag occasionally.

–  Heat grill to medium-low. Remove chicken from plastic bag and grill – covered and turning occasionally – for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through.

Chicken Meatball Subs

These chicken meatballs are absolutely delicious. I had them as subs, as well as with pasta….delicious!

Highly, highly recommend these if you’re looking to do something a little different with your meatballs 🙂

Chicken Meatballs

(How Sweet It Is)

1 pound ground chicken

2 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

– Heat skillet on medium heat. Add one tablespoon olive oil.

– Mix chicken with remaining ingredients. Form into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches thick. Brown in pan on all sides until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

– Makes about 8-10 meatballs.

BLT Pizza

When I saw this recipe on Joelen’s site, I thought the hubs would love it.

He’d mentioned he was hungry for BLT’s, so I asked if we could do this instead — and he was up for it.

Two things: the dough AND the pizza were fantastic, but for different reasons.

The dough was fantastic because it had really good flavor and it only took me 30 minutes from start to pizza. My traditional pizza dough recipes takes 2 hours.

This means more pizza-on-the-fly in our house. BONUS!

The pizza was fantastic because of the two layers of bacony flavor. And I really think the colby jack at the end was essential. Gave it just the right amount of flavor.

I did buck the system a bit, though. I was weirded out by Joelen’s instructions to put the lettuce on the pizza and then bake it. I have weird textural issues with hot lettuce. Gross. 🙂

So I made the pizza sans lettuce (I did include the tomatoes in the cooking though) and then topped the pizza with shredded lettuce and thinly sliced avocado before eating.

Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of it with the cold toppings, though! Oops!

Making it my way, instead of Joelen’s, makes for a much messier pizza…but it was worth it to have that nice cold lettuce/avocado (in my opinion!)

BLT Pizza

(Joelen’s Culinary Adventures)

Crust:
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2-2/3 cup hot water (120-130°F)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cornmeal

Toppings:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 whole romaine heart, shredded
4 oz sliced canadian bacon, cut into quarters
1 plum tomato, sliced
1/4 cup crumbled or chopped, crisp cooked bacon
1/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese
ranch dressing for dipping

Directions

– Combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer to mix fitted with a dough hook.

– Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the stand mixer is running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Continue mixing until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.

– Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes.

– Preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting.

– Sprinkle the cornmeal on the baking sheet (I used my 12 inch cast iron skillet) before placing the pizza dough on the sheet. Press the dough to create the crust and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush the top of the crust with olive oil.

– Top the pizza with 1/2 cup of mozzarella, followed by the shredded lettuce. Place the Canadian bacon on top of lettuce layer and top with slices of tomato. Sprinkle the other 1/2 cup of mozzarella over the tomatoes. Bake the pizza in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes, or until the bottom of the pizza is crisp and golden. Remove the pizza from the oven and top with the crumbled or chopped cooked bacon and return to the oven to bake for another minute to heat up.

– Just before serving, sprinkle the colby jack cheese and serve with ranch dressing if desired.

Grilled Herb Shrimp

These were fantastic — too bad this recipe is arriving on the heels of there being basically no Gulf shrimp because of the oil issue! Sad 😦 But if you aren’t a seafood snob like I am, and don’t care where your shrimp are from — try this! 🙂

It’s delicious. And easy 😉

I served it with Parmesan risotto with peas and green beans. Delish!

Grilled Herb Shrimp

(Barefoot Contessa, by way of Pink Parsley)

2 pounds shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined, but tails left on

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, minced

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions

– Combine all the ingredients and toss to coat the shrimp.  Allow to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Prepare grill.  Thread the shrimp on skewers, and sprinkle one side with sugar.

Grill the shrimp, sugared side down, for about 2 minutes, then flip skewers and grill until cooked through, an additional 1-2 minutes.

Pasta Primavera

This was delicious — DH proclaimed it to be the best new meal in a long time (acknowledging that he rarely remembers meals from week to week!)

We added some grilled chicken (seasoned with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning) to this dish as well, because DH insists on meat in all dinners. 🙂

Pasta Primavera

(Food Network)

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips
• 2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbes de Provence
• 1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta) — I used rotini because we had it
• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

-Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

-On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total.

-Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

-Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Deep Dish Cheeseburger Pizza

This was a great weeknight meal – very tasty, and very quick to throw together!

I used a raw pizza dough ball purchased at a local pizzeria for my crust, but if you had pizza dough on hand in your freezer, that works too!

Deep Dish Cheeseburger Pizza

(Real Simple)

1/2 lb. ground beef (or turkey, or chicken)

1/4 cup barbeque sauce

1 lb. raw pizza dough (thawed, if frozen)

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded/grated

Directions

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

– Brown 1/2 lb of ground meat, add barbeque sauce and stir to mix

– Oil an oven-safe 10″ skillet (I used a cast iron skillet) and press the pizza dough into the bottom and up the sides of the skillet

– Top with the ground meat and cheese

– Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown

– Top with arugula, sliced red onion, sliced tomato, and a drizzle of olive oil (We skipped this step and had a side salad instead)

Fruit Pizza

There are hundreds of ways to make fruit pizza, but I prefer this recipe. I dislike the recipes which call for the ‘glaze’ over the fruit. Yes, it keeps the fruit from turning color — but it also makes the dessert too sweet, in my opinion.

Instead, I choose to only use fruits that won’t color. This time around I did a red/white/blue theme for Memorial Day, using strawberries and blueberries. But really, the sky’s the limit (as long as you don’t count bananas and apples or anything that turns brown when exposed to air as part of that limit!)

I’ve had it with blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, pineapple,sliced peaches, kiwi, seedless grapes, raspberries, blackberries, etc and they’re all delicious.

Be creative! Have fun!

Lastly, my mom used to make this recipe in a round pizza pan, and then ‘fan’ each layer of fruit out from the center. It makes for an awesome presentation, but can be expensive to purchase all that fruit. Instead, I normally cut the slices before I put the fruit on, and then I’ll decorate each ‘piece’ based on the fruit I’ve chosen to add.  Additionally, I find it easier to cut and serve at parties if I make it on a cookie sheet — so that’s normally the route I go.

Fruit Pizza

(Family Recipe)

1 package (20 oz.) refrigerated sugar cookie dough (*Note that Pillsbury’s packaging has gotten smaller over the years. A roll of Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough is now 16.5 oz. Rather than suffering through a thin crust, I generally use 1.5 rolls of their dough. You could, of course, make your own from scratch, if so inclined.)

8 oz. softened cream cheese (you can use low fat, but I’ve never tried it with non fat)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract (almond is also delicious)

Directions

– Press dough into a 14″ round pizza pan (or a standard, sided cookie sheet. Mine is just slightly larger than 13×9…maybe 14 or 15×10?)

– Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and puffed. Cool completely.

– Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together using an electric mixer, until well blended. Spread over cooled cookie.

– Layer your fruit of choice over the cream cheese mixture, and refrigerate. Remember to keep this dessert very cool if you’re serving it at a picnic. Travel with it in a cooler with ice, and make sure it doesn’t sit out all day. It’s really best right from the fridge!

Stuffed Chicken Florentine

This was very good — but the first night we ate it, I thought the ‘florentine’ part needed something. Maybe some garlic??

I ate it as leftovers for lunch later in the week, and it was much more flavorful — maybe it just needed to sit? 🙂

We’ll be having it again!

Stuffed Chicken Florentine

(The Rookie Chef)

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt

pepper

1 TBSP vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (I omitted)

1/2 of a 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1/3 cup of ricotta cheese

Directions

– Place chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper. Pound until thin and even with a meat mallet.

– Sprinkle both size with salt and pepper, set aside.

– Heat oven to 350 degrees

– In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion and mushrooms; sautee until onion is transparent. Stir in spinach and cheese to form stuffing. Heat through.

– Spread stuffing evenly over each chicken breast. Roll up chicken.

– Now stick a skewer through it to hold it all together.

– Place chicken in a lightly greased 9 x 9 pan. Cover with tin foil and bake 15 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 10 minute

– Remove the skewer and enjoy!