Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

I love love love fish and it is so good for you. This is such a great dinner that I think most people will love.


Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

2-3 Tilapia filets
1 Cup flour
1 Egg
1 Cup Parmesan
1 Cup Bread Crumbs

In 3 separate plates place the flour, egg (scrambled), and parmesan with the bread crumbs
Once that is set out take a filet and cover it with the flour, then dip it in the egg, and last cover it with the parmesan and bread crumbs
While breading the fish place a large pan on the stove and drizzle some EVOO on it and let the pan and EVOO get hot over a med-high heat
Once the Tilapia is well coated with everything place it in your pan over the stove
Cook each side for about 4-5 min

This is such a great meal to eat with the Broccoli Pasta. Or another great way to eat it is get some really great fresh bread and make it a sandwich and add the condiments of your choice.
So good and so healthy!

Broccoli Pasta

Broccoli Pasta

1.5 cups any short cut pasta
1 large head of Broccoli
EVOO
2 tablespoons Pesto Sauce
10 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 cup Parmesan
1 Lemon

Cook pasta as directed. Once cooked drain and leave in the strainer
Cut broccoli very fine and then steam
In same pan as you cooked pasta add some EVOO and the garlic. Over med-high heat and let simmer for about 1-2 minuets
Then add in pasta, broccoli, pesto, and juice of one lemon. Make sure everything is nice, warm and mixed together
Once everything is well mixed add in the parmesan cheese

This is so great! It is a great side dish or you could eat it with some grilled chicken or fish.

Salmon Cakes

I love crab cakes but unfortunately my husband can't have shell fish. So, thanks to Miss Marsha, I now have a wonderful recipe for Salmon Cakes!!!

Salmon Cakes

1 lb. of Salom

1 medium onion

3 stalks celery

2 handfuls of small baby carrots

Dill

8 garlic cloves

2 egg whites

1/2 cup flour

1 cup bread crumbs

EVOO

• Broil Salmon for about 10 min or until done
  
• Place in a bowl and use a fork to break up salmon into small pieces
  
• Take onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and puree in a food processor
  
• Once pureed place on stove over med-high heat and cook on stove for about 30 min. You want the puree to become brown in color
  
• Add the puree in with the salmon and mix everything together (add in about 1 handful of dill while mixing everything together)
  
• Once mixed make into small patties
  
• Then dip each patty first into the egg whites, then flour, and last bread crumbs
  
• In a med-high pan drizzle some EVOO and then place the patties on and cook for about 3-4 min on each side
  

This really is such a wonderful dinner. It is a bit more time consuming so do things in stages. I try to get a lot of the prep stuff done while my child is napping. 

I usually serve this meal with red potatoes and acorn squash.

This is so good and so healthy.

Enjoy!

Red Potatoes

I love Red Potatoes and they are such a great side to many dinners. 

Red Potatoes

8 Red Potatoes

EVOO

Fresh Parmesan Cheese

• Heat oven to 350
  
• Thinly slice the potatoes and then place in a large bowl and drizzle with EVOO and makes sure all pieces are lightly coated
  
• Place in a oven safe casserole dish in even layers
  
• In-between each layer sprinkle some parmesan cheese
  
• Bake for around 45 min or until potatoes are tender
  
• Serve with your favorite dish
  

This is so good and we love eating this several times a month.

Hope you enjoy!

Acorn Squash

I have fallen in love with Acorn Squash. It is a great side dish to any dinner. It has such a wonderful flavor that anyone will love.

Acorn Squash
2 Acorn Squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt

• Cut squash crosswise..each squash cuts about 3 rings
  
• Take out the seeds
  
• Place in dish and stir in EVOO and makes sure each ring it coated
  
• Place on a baking pan and sprinkle with salt
  
• Set oven to 400
  
• Bake each side about 10-15 min. The rings will be golden brown
  
• Serve as your side with any dinner
  

This is so yummy!!

Eggplant Herb Pasta

As I have said before, we are trying to eat less meat around here and more veggies and healthy foods. So tonight I tried my hand at making a meal with eggplant and it turned out to be wonderful. This was my first time to ever eat eggplant and I really did like it and will be eating it again.

Eggplant Herb Pasta
1 large eggplant
½ Large Package of Egg Noodles
Pesto Sauce (half the recipe)
1 Bunch Asparagus
1 Bunch Green Onion
Parsley
Dill
1 Cup Feta Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Cut eggplant into small pieces. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 min at 400. I added some salt, pepper, and EVOO to it before placing it in the oven
• Cook Noodles as directed
• Make pesto sauce and set aside
• Place asparagus in a large cooking pan with some cooking spray and cook on medium high for about 5 minuets. Set aside
• Cut onion, dill, and parsley into fine pieces and set aside
• Once noodles are cooked drain and place into a large bowl. Drizzle some EVOO and mix until noodles are coated
• Once coated, add eggplant, asparagus, dill, onion, parsley, pesto and feta. Mix all together well.
• Then you are ready to serve

This was such a refreshing meal that I could eat all the time. It was light yet filling. I am not a fan of eggplant. I also loved all the herbs in this meal. I am getting used to new and fresh flavors that I normally don’t cook with and I love it!

Chocolate Cupcakes and Vanilla Buttercream Icing

I found this recipe at http://thefarmchicks.typepad.com/. I wish I had a picture of these cupcakes but they were gone in what seemed like seconds. These are the best cupcakes I have ever had and they were really easy to make.

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 ¾ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder 

1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

• Preheat oven 350
• Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix
• Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix with dry ingredients
• Add boiling water and mix just until blended (batter will be watery)
• Pour batter into well greased cupcake pans
• Place in oven and bake 20-25 min
• Once done, let cupcakes cool on a wire rack and then add icing.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing
1/3 cup butter at room temperature
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Beat butter until creamy
Add in powdered sugar gradually
Then add milk and vanilla

These are so delicious…I hope you love them as much as I did. Visit http://www.thefarmchicks.com/ it is a great website and has so much fun stuff on there!

Maple Glazed Chicken

I found this glaze at www.carriescooking.com. We eat chicken several times a week and I needed something to spice up our menu. It was really good. I added some sautéed onions on top and it was wonderful.

Maple Glazed Chicken
4 Chicken Breasts
1-2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice
½ -1 Onion Sautéed
¼ Cup Maple Syrup (I used a Light Syrup)
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
2 Teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 Garlic Cloves Minced

• Grill Chick with Salt and Pepper
• Cook rice and set aside
• In a pan place onion with a bit of oil and sauté
• In a small pot add syrup, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, and garlic. Mix well and heat over medium low heat.
• On a plate place rice, chicken, glaze, and the onions

This really was such a great dinner and healthy. You could add some great veggies on the side of this meal and it would be fantastic.

Cleaning Tip of the Week

Cleaning Tip of the Week

found at www.realsimple.com

Many of us get distracted while we are cleaning the house. So, set a timer for 30 minuets and believe me you will get so much more done in those 30 minuets then you ever thought you would. 

We would love to hear about any cleaning tips, so please email me or post a comment. 

Veggie Fried Rice

I have discovered a new amazing meal. Please add this to your list of dinners to make soon because you will be amazed at how good it is. Around here we have been trying to eat less meat because I think as Americans we think we have to eat meat at every meal when the fact is that you don’t. So this recipe is amazing and makes you full. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did tonight.
I heard about this recipe from the Today Show on their Cooking Segment.

Veggie Fried Rice

3-4 Cups cooked rice (I use brown rice)
2 Eggs
¼ Chicken Stock
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Bunch of Green Onion
1 Cup Frozen Peas
1 ½ Cup Frozen Green Beans
1 Bunch of Asparagus Tips
4 Cloves Garlic minced
¼ Cup Cilantro
Ground Ginger
Peanut Oil
Sesame Seed Oil
Soy Sauce

• Cook 3-4 cups of brown rice and set aside
• In skillet add a good dash of peanut oil and let heat for about 1 min. Add in Red Bell Pepper and Green Onion. Cook at medium high for about 3-4 min. Once cooked place contents in a bowl.
• In same skillet add a dash more peanut oil and add in Peas, Green Beans, and Asparagus Tips. Cook at high for about 5 minuets. Once cooked place contents in same bowl as onion and pepper.
• In same skillet, add a dash of peanut oil, garlic, dash of ginger and cooked rice. Stir and make sure there are no clumps. Make a whole in the middle and add in 2 eggs. Scramble the eggs into the rice mixture. Once rice and eggs are mixed add in Chicken Stock, Sesame Seed Oil, and Soy Sauce.
• After that is well mixed add in all the veggies and stir. Take off the stove and add in cilantro and then serve.

I know this seems like a lot to do but it really didn’t take that long especially if you prepare and cut all veggies before hand. To me it seemed like there was a lot of oil but I just add a dash and it really isn’t that much. This was so good. If you have other favorite veggies use them I sure it would taste good.

PB&J

This is a great helpful hint given to me by William Collins. 

When making your wonderful PB&J put peanut butter on both pieces of bread and then add the jelly. Doing this keeps the bread from getting soggy from the jelly soaking into the bread.

Try this next time you make your PB&J and see how much better it taste!

Also, try making the PB&J with natural or organic peanut butter. Natural and organic peanut butters don't have the high-fructose corn syrup that non organic ones do.

Local Harvest

Check out the website www.localharvest.org to find farmers markets, CSAs, and more in your area. 

It is important that we support our local farmers. Besides the benefit of support, you are able to buy natural and organic foods that are so much more healthy for your family. 

If you know of any other good websites for local farmers markets please email me or leave a comment.

Cara's Chinese Dinner

I have really been in the mood lately for Chinese food, so tonight I thought I would make my own Chinese restaurant style dish.

Cara’s Chinese
Rice Noodles
Yellow Squash
Zucchini Squash
Thinly sliced carrots (from the bag)
Peanuts
3 Chicken Breast
Peanut Sauce

• Cook noodles as directed on box
• Grill Chicken with a bit of salt and pepper and once done cut into small pieces
• Cut squash and zucchini into thin slices
• Add squash, zucchini, and carrots into a skillet cooking at medium high. Add some soy sauce. Cover with lid for about 3 minuets. Lift cover and stir. Let cook with lid off for about 5 more min.

Peanut Sauce
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 cloves of garlic minced

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Constantly stirring. Once melted and thickened up it is ready to serve.

In a bowl place noodles, veggie mix, chicken, peanut sauce, and a hand full of peanuts.

This is a great meal when you feel you want some Chinese takeout!
I got the recipe for the Peanut Sauce from www.cooks.com. In their recipe they added lemon juice but I didn’t add that into mine and it tasted fin.

Bon Appetite

"Eat This Not That"

This is such an amazing book that everyone should run out and get. There is so much insight to food in this book.

“Eat This Not That” Supermarket guide is so insightful on what items you should buy and which ones you should stay away from. Going through this book I have, many times, thought I was getting the better product but actually I wasn’t.

“Eat This Not That” Eating Out guide is wonderful. It gives list of popular chain restaurants and what to order and what not to order. It is amazing that making small improvements in your meal ordering can save you so many calories.

Please go right now and get these books. They will give you great insight on food that you won’t believe.

My Pantry

As requested, here are some pictures of my pantry.