Category Archives: Mid-day

Lunch or Brunch, or something in that realm

Beer Batter Fish Tacos with a Fresh Lime Slaw & Guacamole

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BeerBatterFish

So, I’ve got a bad cold coming on… I’m pretty miserable really. It just hit me overnight and got progressively more annoying throughout the day. I had dinner tonight planned already, because my father in law arrived today! John had asked me to make something “Mexican”, but I didn’t want to do something I’ve already done… so Fresh Fish Tacos it was. Since I felt crummy, I did NOT want to deal with GRILLING fish. It can be such a hassle, and I just knew that just because of how I felt, tonight would be the night that it would all fall apart and taste awful. So… beer battered it was! Not the lightest, but… still quite tasty! I cannot label this as light, but I can label it as “Fresh”. 🙂

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Beer Battered Fish Ingredients:

3 wild caught Cod filets (or similar white fish)
3/4 cup of dark beer (I used Thomas Creek Red Ale)
2/3 cup of white whole wheat flour (plus about 1/3 cup for dredging)
dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

  1. Combine beer, flour, cayenne and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until a smooth batter is achieved. Set aside.
  2. Cut fish into 3″ pieces (Depending on type of fish, make sure it does not have bones). Pour a little flour onto a plate. Lightly dredge fish pieces in flour, shaking off excess. Set aside.
  3. Heat about 1″ vegetable oil in a deep skillet over high heat. Move floured fish and batter near the stove. Dip the floured fish pieces into the batter, ensuring each piece is fully coated and excess drips off. Fry fish pieces, a few at a time, until golden brown and crisp on one side. Use metal tongs or a metal spatula to flip them and cook on the other side. Remove carefully and drain on paper towels..
  4. To assemble tacos, top each corn tortilla with a few pieces of fish, slaw (recipe below), guacamole, a bit of salsa verde and, if desired, some feta or contija cheese.

Slaw Recipe:

1/4 head of cabbage (regular white or napa)
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 TB of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Guacamole recipe posted here: http//dancinandcookininthekitchen.com/2014/06/02/sunday-lunch/

I served with Sweet Potato (tortilla) chips and salsa.

Turned out quite good!!!! I would definitely make this again!!

 

Enjoy!

And, for the quote of the day:

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Cowboy Burgers and Homemade Fries

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So, a nice summer dish… you think burgers, right?? Well, also, do you have some extra guacamole and no chips left?? Onions, and don’t have a recipe to put them in? (Yeah, me neither… lol, but that’s ok). Want a summer meal that won’t take forever, but tastes AMAZING??? Make these cowboy burgers!! I got rave reviews from my brother and husband… and I even loved them!! DELISH!

Ingredients:

Balsamic Sauteed Onions:

1/2 onion cut into large pieces
1/4 tsp minced garlic
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 TB olive oil

Sautee all above ingredients until onions are caramelized and soft

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Burgers:

1.5 lbs. ground beef (I used 85/15, but you can use a leaner beef if you’d like)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
1/2 TB chili powder
1 TB BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s)

Stir all above ingredients together and form into patties (where you make the inside of the burger thinner than the outside… see Rachael Ray’s tutorial on how to shape a burger patty!!) and set aside.

When ready to make, either put onto a hot grill, or do as I do: pop them on a heated up and salted GRILL PAN!!! I just “grilled” them for about 4 min per side, and right before I took them off the grill, I topped them with my cheese of choice, made sure it melted, and then took off and placed onto the bun. Then, I topped that with the onions, guacamole, and placed the 2nd half of the bun and ENJOYED!!!! DELICIOUS!

Ho1memade French Fries:

5 Yukon Gold potatoes cut into THIN fries. I left the skin on
1 tsp. garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
2  TB olive oil (drizzled over potatoes)
1 TB chopped rosemary

After cutting potatoes into small fries, soak in cold water. When ready to bake, drain water, and toss with all above seasonings and put onto a greased pan and toss again. Make sure it’s just a single layer of fries. Bake at 450 in a PREHEATED oven for 15 min. If not crispy enough, put back into the oven for 5-8 min on LOW BROIL to crisp them up! And then ENJOY! (Toss around half way thru)

Guacamole: 

Check out my recipe in this previous post: https://dancinandcookininthekitchen.com/2014/06/02/sunday-lunch/

These burgers turned out so juicy and delicious, and were very quick to put together! I, for some reason, never realized how easy burgers were!!! WINNER!!

And now, for the quote of the day:

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Hummus!!

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No picture this time, BUT, at least there is a recipe! We LOVE hummus at our house, and we go through a lot! I try to get more protein in my little 5 year old who turns her nose up at most meats… and my 2 year old who likes something one day, and will spit it out and gag the next. SO FRUSTRATING! But, at the moment, hummus has been a hit! So, we’re going with it! I was completely out of hummus, but had a can of garbanzo beans and wanted to make some… so, I checked, and the only ingredient I didn’t have was Tahini… so I made it without. Pretty good! I would say it probably is a bit better with the Tahini (made from sesame seeds), but this was quite good! I even threw in some flaxseed meal to give my kids a bit extra protein. Whatever I can do!

Ingredients:

1 can of garbanzo beans
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/8 cup (approx) of olive oil
1 tsp flaxseed meal

 

Directions:

For the most smooth results, you will want to rinse the canned garbanzo beans in a colander, and then peel. You do not HAVE to peel the garbanzo beans, it just results in a smoother hummus. In a food processor (or magic bullet) you put all of the ingredients and blend until smooth! Done!

 

Enjoy!

Lemon Poppyseed Chicken with Mint-Basil Couscous

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This is one of my “comfort” foods. Like, when I’ve had a long day, I like to make this and just inhale it! The chicken always turns out, and it always hits the spot.

This is my adaptation of Rachael Ray’s recipe: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/15613_Lemon_Poppy_Chicken_With_Sweet_Pea_amp_Mint_Couscous/index.html

I only changed two things, so it’s still HER recipe. Please visit her website above for her version!!!

 

  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock, divided
  • 1/2 bag of frozen sweet baby peas
  • 1 cup israeli couscous
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 cup flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 lemons zested, 1 juiced
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, cut into bite-size pieces(I used 6 chicken tenderloins)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 10 leaves of basil, chopped
  • 10 leaves of mint, chopped

– See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/15613_Lemon_Poppy_Chicken_With_Sweet_Pea_amp_Mint_Couscous/index.html#sthash.5ikV4uxH.dpuf

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Directions:

Place a medium-size saucepot over high heat and add 1 1/2 cups of the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil then add the peas and the couscous. Place a lid on the pot and turn off the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. (Israeli Couscous has different prep instructions. If you use this kind of coucous please follow the proper directions on the box!)

While the stock is coming up to a boil for the couscous, place a large skillet over high heat with 3 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3-4 tablespoons. While the skillet is heating up, place the flour on a plate. Toss the chicken in the flour to coat, shaking off any excess. Add the chicken pieces to the hot skillet. Season the chicken liberally with salt, pepper and the lemon zest, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring every now and then to get them brown all over.

Once the chicken has browned, add the remaining cup chicken stock to the skillet. Once the stock is hot, add the butter and poppy seeds. Stir until the butter has melted and the sauce has thickened up a bit, about a minute. Turn off the heat and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the pan.

With a microplane or the smallest grade of a handheld box grater, grate in the garlic the last 2 minutes of cooking.

– See more at: http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/15613_Lemon_Poppy_Chicken_With_Sweet_Pea_amp_Mint_Couscous/index.html#sthash.5ikV4uxH.dpuf

 

Quote of the Day:

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Blueberry Banana White Chocolate Bread

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This bread was AMAZING!!! Besides the fact that it smells like absolute HEAVEN when it’s baking… DELICIOUS… oh man… dessert, breakfast, mid-day snack… whatever. YUM! My family loves it, and I brought it as a snack to my friends… and they enjoyed it too!!! YUMMY!!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened organic applesauce
2 Tb butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar (or could use 1/2 cup honey)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea  salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 ripe bananas mashed
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 cup organic low-fat PLAIN yogurt

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup blueberries (DRY, fresh. Then toss in 1 Tb of flour.) I used frozen, thawed and dried a bit on a paper towel and tossed in 1 Tb of flour.

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate large bowl, beat the sugar and butter and applesauce with an electric mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Stir in the flour mixture; just until moist. Don’t over-mix. Stir in the chocolate chunks and then gently stir in the blueberries. If you want, you can sprinkle a few additional chocolate chunks and blueberries on the top to make it look pretty.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely on the wire rack.

*This recipe turns out perfect for me, so here are the details: We bake at sea level in a greased glass blue pyrex pan and we bake on the middle rack in a electric oven.
*If you use frozen blueberries, dry off and toss in flour. Do not wash and then toss in, you want to DRY as much as possible so you don’t add too much moisture.
*If you bake in a dark metal pan or if you are baking at a different altitude or using an gas oven, you may possibly get different results.
*Oven temperatures can vary quite a bit, so if you have an oven thermometer that is helpful to see if yours is recording the right temperature.
*If the top is browning too quickly, cover the top with foil in the middle of baking to prevent it from browning further.

Bake, and ENJOY!!!

 

Quote of the Day:

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Taco Salad with a Creamy Dressing

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What’s for lunch??? Can’t figure it out? Have a bunch of left over hodge podge foods in your fridge and freezer??? I did! So, I made Taco Salad!!!

First, I made the dressing:

Dressing Ingredients:

3 TB FF Greek Yogurt PLAIN
3 TB restaurant style salsa
1 tsp chopped dill
1 TB chopped cilantro
1/8 tsp fresh minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Stir up all of the above ingredients for the dressing in a 2 cup glass liquid measuring cup, and set aside.

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Salad

1/2 cucumber cut up
grape tomatoes
1/2 an avocado
1 TB cheese
Leftover taco meat (that had corn and black beans in it)
Butter Lettuce

 

Cut up all of the salad ingredients. Place into bowl, and top with taco meat. Then, drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with cheese. For a little extra, add some crushed tortilla chips (like me, I used all those chip crumbs from the bottom of a chip bag that was still for some reason in our pantry still…).

 

Enjoy!!!

And, the quote of the day:

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Chicken and Veggie Curry with Fresh Herbs Over Coconut Cilantro Rice

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So, it’s been a long day… and I needed something to go with zucchini… yeah… so somehow I ended up making curry! 🙂 It was delicious though!

I am NOT a spicy fan. I prefer mild curry. I want the taste without the fiery burn making my eyes water. Due to that, if you prefer a slow BURN when you eat curry, making you need to drink milk while you eat it, spice it up. If you like MILD, then leave it as is!!!

Here goes:

Coconut Cilantro Lime Rice:

1 cup bismati rice
1 can light coconut milk (I use Trader Joes organic)
2 TB chopped cilantro
juice of 1/2 a lime
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put the 1 cup of rice into a mesh strainer and rinse until the water runs clear. Then, put into a rice cooker (or pot). Then add the coconut milk and salt and pepper. If in rice cooker, just hit cook. It will pop up when done. If in pot, stir and bring to boil, then put on low and put lid on. Let simmer for 20 minutes…. don’t remove the lid!

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Chicken and Veggie Curry:

6 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, diced
1/2 onion diced fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tablespoons coconut oil (or similar)
1 tsp thai red curry paste (orig. recipe called for 3 tablespoons… if you like it spicy… go ahead!)
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 can light organic coconut milk
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 carrot
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
fresh naan , for serving
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Once hot, add the diced chicken and onions and saute the chicken until browned all over and cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place on a plate.
  2. Add another tablespoon coconut oil to the skillet. Add the red peppers, garlic, carrot and corn, saute 3-4 minutes and then toss in the zucchini, ginger and garlic. Saute the veggies another 5 minutes or until they just begin to soften. Add the chicken back to the skillet and toss everything together.
  3. To the skillet add the curry powder and curry paste and give everything another good toss. Cook 1 minute and then add the coconut milk and soy sauce. Stir to combine, bring the mixture to a boil, cook 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and cilantro.
  4. Serve the curry over the rice. Add a spoonful of the mangos and a sprinkle of feta cheese. Eat with Naan!

 

Enjoy!!!

And, for the “Quote of the Day”:
from the Hymn Abide With Me, words by Henry Lyte

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Spicy Shrimp Tostado with Refried Black Beans and Guacamole

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These tostados were on my list since I saw them. I changed a few things, so now, the recipe is mine!! 🙂 I needed something pretty quick, but realized I was out of refried beans…. so, I made some out of canned black beans!!!

Recipe for Refried Black Beans:

1 can Organic Black Beans
1/2 cup organic low sodium vegetable broth
1 TB canola oil
3 TB finely diced onion
1 tsp. cumin
1 TB butter
1/8 tsp minced garlic

Refried Black Beans Directions:
Put oil and onion and cumin into sauce pan and stir and simmer until onions start to become translucent. In the mean time, rinse the can of black beans until all of the liquid that it is canned in is gone. I usually do this in a colander. Then, take the black beans and the vegetable broth, and put into a blender, or like me, the nutribullet. Blend until smooth. Then, add into the sauce pan with the onion and oil blend. Stir, and add the butter and garlic. Let simmer until cooked down and thick and able to “pull” from the bottom of the pan.

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Shrimp:

8-10 shrimp
2-3 TB olive oil (or similar oil)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
ground black pepper
Place shrimp into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle on the spices and toss. Place onto tin-foil lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. (This is for medium sized shrimp, you want to cook until no longer translucent).

Tostada Ingredients:

Shrimp (as cooked above)
Heated up frozen corn(about 2 TB per tostada)
Guacamole (about 2 TB per tostada)
diced tomatoes (as much as you’d like!)
Refried Black Beans (as cooked about) about 2-3 TB, as you’d like

I bought the corn tostadas. Place on a plate. Refried beans first, then guacamole, then the corn, tomatoes, then shrimp. ENJOY!!!!!!

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Ritz Cracker Coated Chicken with Pasta and a Cream Sauce… NOT LIGHT!

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Ok… so first off, this is NOT what I planned on cooking tonight. I was going to make a lightly “pan fried” chicken with a lemon dill sauce. Let’s just say I found out that I was out of corn starch, then I found out that I was out of panko bread crumbs. THEN I ruined my lemon sauce because I added a bit of cream… it was going well, and THEN I added a bit more lemon… CURDLED my sauce!!!! UGH! Then, the other sauce I tried to make I followed a recipe. Shouldn’t have. It was HORRIBLE! So then, I just made my own “alfredo” sauce with a bit of dill (I needed to use my DILL!!). (light version)

So… Here goes!! HAHA, the final recipe I actually used…

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Chicken Recipe:

6 chicken tenderloins
1 cup milk (I used coconut milk… you can use whichever)
2 TB light oil (canola or coconut)
1 cup flour
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt&pepper to taste
3 egg whites
1/2 cup water
1 roll of ritz crackers (or equivalent… I used TJ version)
2 TB parmesan cheese grated

Directions for the Chicken:

Soak the chicken in the milk for 30 min. at least in the fridge. Place the flour, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper in 1 bowl. In bowl #2 place the egg whites and water. In bowl #3 place the ritz crackers crushed up to crumbs, and the parmesan cheese.

Take the chicken, dip into the flour mix (bowl #1), then into the egg and water mixture (bowl #2) and then into the crumb mixture (bowl #3).  Then place into the heated skillet of oil on medium to medium-high. (Just covering the bottom, not dropping into a vat of oil)

Since I had more chicken than could fit into the pan, the chicken that was already crisped up, I placed onto a pan in the oven @350 to keep crispy and hot in the oven. (not for more than 15 min or so)

While all of this is happening… INSTEAD of making mashed potatoes like I THOUGHT I was going to… haha, I made linguini. Yeah, where was I at the grocery store?!

Then, I made the sauce… oh man. I’m telling you, this was a struggle. UGH! Ok. So… here’s the recipe for the sauce:

1 1/2 – 2 TB butter
2 TB flour
3/4 cup half and half (or whatever milk you prefer)
2 TB parmesan (or similar) cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp garlic (powder or minced)
1 tsp minced FRESH dill (optional)

1. Melt butter in small sauce pan on low
2. slowly add flour and whisk
3. when thickened add the half and half slowly while whisking quickly
4. add salt and pepper
5.add cheese just till melted, whisking the entire time until melted thoroughly
6. add fresh dill (and leave some for garnish)
7. remove from heat and pour over pasta and chicken

 

I served this with a salad with the leftover dressing from last nights summer fruit salad!!! YUM!

Summer Fruit Salad with a Honey, Lime, Cilantro Dressing!

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Salad Ingredients:

-1 Avocado sliced and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
-about 15-20 strawberries washed and sliced
-3/4 of a pint of blueberries washed and tossed into bowl
-handfull of spinach chopped roughly

 

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 3 tbsp. canola oil (or other light oil)
  • 2 large TB. honey
  • juice of 1/2 of a lime
  • dash of dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp minced garlic
  • about 1/4 tsp Mrs. Dash or similar

Whir in a magic bullet, food processor or blender for about 10 seconds

Pour dressing over salad and toss. ENJOY!!!!!

 

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