Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (5 to 7-ounce) tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
2 cups jarred or homemade tomato salsa
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups diced fresh pineapple
2 limes, thinly sliced

Directions

Combine the rice and chicken broth in a pot
over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and
cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about
20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil,
2 tablespoons of the cilantro, the garlic, and sugar; season with salt
and pepper. Add the tilapia fillets to the marinade, turning to coat.
Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
Stir together the cooked rice, salsa, beans, pineapple, and remaining 2 tablespoons of the cilantro in a 2 or 3-quart baking dish. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, reserve the marinade, and lay the fish fillets
over the rice mixture, overlapping if necessary. Pour the reserved
marinade over the fish. Shingle the lime slices over the fish. Bake
until the fish flakes easily, is opaque, and cooked through, 25 to 30
minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

via Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans and Rice.

Our friends who favor red wine surprised us with a fine selection of white wine. “What’s up?” I asked.

“We’re having tilapia.”

When we sat down to dinner and I tasted my first bite of this wonderfully flavorful dish I had to agree white wine is a better choice. This dish is light with bright flavors, a highly suitable supper when it’s 113 degrees outside. We all agreed the recipe was a keeper.

Our friends got the recipe from one of their kids who got it on the Internet. The recipe is presented here unaltered (copied) with the Guy Fieri Copyright reprinted as proof I’m not stealing but merely sharing.

Tips – no tips or suggestions at this time, since I’ve not had the time to play with this recipe. I’m already thinking of adding some red bell pepper, maybe trying basa instead of tilapia.

August 4, 2012August 4, 2012

One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #4 Pasta Primavera with(out) Chicken

Pasta Primavera with Chicken

Grated Parmesan cheese (lots)
3 medium carrots
2 small zucchini
1 small head of broccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb cooked, drained pasta (fettuccine, bow ties)

One Rotisserie Chicken, carved off the bone, cut into pieces that match your pasta shape.

Cut carrots and zucchini lengthwise into thin slices. Add carrots, zucchini and broccoli to 1 inch boiling water in medium saucepan. Cook until crisp-tender.
Drain; set aside.
In the same saucepan add olive oil, onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Gradually stir in broth, cream, grated Parmesan (min. 1/2 cup) and seasonings; simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
Add vegetables and heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Add pasta to vegetables and lightly toss. Add chicken if desired.
Top with more grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Back in my 20’s I started making Pasta Primavera. This was always the dish made to celebrate the bounty of fresh, seasonal vegetables during the summer months. I recall using copious amounts of butter and heavy cream. Low cholesterol and heart friendly were not in anyone’s vocabulary at that time. Along the Path I came across a recipe called Pasta with Fresh Vegetables in Garlic Sauce on http://www.theculinarychase.com It was the first time I had seen someone use a combination of chicken stock and cream in a Pasta Primavera type dish. Over the years I began using chicken stock with half and half with good results. Then I started tossing in cooked rotisserie chicken. The kids ate it so I kept making it.

Tips – try different vegetable combinations. Mushrooms and red bell pepper are a good addition. So too are a handful of fresh spinach leaves. A dash of red pepper flakes will add some zip. If you want less fat in your sauce, cut back on the half and half, increase the chicken stock. Or if you want a richer sauce, more half and half, less stock. Toss in a pat of butter. This dish freezes well. Don’t make the mistake of using a full pound of pasta. You’ll end up with enough pasta for 8 people. Depending upon the size of the chicken, you might need only a half chicken for this dish.

August 1, 2012August 17, 2012

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Homemade Taco Seasoning (from Whole New Mom)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp cumin

2 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly

via Homemade Taco Seasoning | Recipe Taco Seasoning.

Please follow the link above which takes you to http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/homemade-taco-seasoning/. The creator of this wonderful taco seasoning recipe is Adrienne from Whole New Mom. Please go check out her website. Thanks Adrienne!

As I write this the temperature outside is 112 degrees F. It’s really too hot to cook but for some strange reason I starting thinking tacos. I’ve already been to the store (when it was only 100 degrees) and picked up some organic canned pinto beans, Colby jack cheese, lettuce and tortillas. In the house we already have crispy taco shells, tomatoes, and salsa. While at the store I also bought some boneless chicken and a small package of lean ground beef. So as you can see, I can go one of several ways here. Soft or crispy, ground beef, chicken, or vegetarian tacos. Now you may ask, why homemade taco seasoning?

The last time I shopped for taco ingredients I forgot to buy one of those seasoning packets.

So I got online and found this recipe.

Tips – I don’t use as much salt as the recipe calls for. Otherwise I’ve changed nothing else.

July 30, 2012October 11, 2014

One Rotisserire Chicken, 50 Meals – #3 Sour Cream Chicken Enchillada Casserole

Updated 10.13.13

Son: “Whenever I make one of your recipes it never quite turns out the same.”

Me: “So?”

Recipes change with time and repeated preparations. So when the usual crew showed up to to be fed this weekend I made a conscious effort to pay attention to what I was doing and the quantities while making this dish. Sure enough, quite a few things were different from the original recipe. The changes are in bold. The original recipe is in the cookbook mentioned below. But you don’t want the original recipe. You want this one.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1/4 C butter
2 T. flour
2 C. sour cream
3 C. chicken broth
1 small can mild green chiles
1 medium onion, chopped

Saute onions in butter, add flour then broth. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Add chiles and sour cream and heat. Be careful to not let the sauce boil. Set aside.

One rotisserie chicken, meat taken off the bones, cubed
8 oz cheddar cheese, 8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese grated
18 corn tortillas

1. Butter a 9 x 12 casserole dish.

2. Put a little sauce in the bottom of the dish.

3. Layer 3 corn tortillas. Layer chicken. Cover with jack cheese. Sauce. Repeat two more times.

4. Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes covered until bubbly. Remove cover, add cheddar cheese to the top. Return to the oven to allow cheese to melt.

5. After cheese has melted, remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

And yet another recipe whose origin is kind of fuzzy. I think this recipe kind of morphed from Delicioso! Cooking South Texas Style. But when I go to the book, the recipe is different, calling for Monterrey jack cheese and jalapenos. If this is the source of the recipe, then somewhere along the Path I subbed mild chiles and cheddar. But pretty much the recipe is from this classic cookbook.

Tips – Cut up the chicken first. If you use pre-shredded cheese make sure it the kind that will melt (if you know what I mean and I think you do). Use more sour cream if you like a rich casserole. Use more chicken stock if you like your casserole “juicy” as in fall apart and spread all over your plate “juicy”. Go ahead and use the hot pepper of your choice if you don’t have kids.

July 29, 2012July 29, 2012

One Rotisserie Chicken , 50 Meals – #2 Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad

1 C canola oil
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c ketchup
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 c chopped sweet onion

Mix the above ingredients together to make the dressing.

3 hard boiled eggs
1 can water chestnuts (optional)
6 strips bacon fried and crumbled ( NOT optional)
1 lb bagged spinach, baby and organic (if you can find it)

Toss the above ingredients together and pour the dressing over and mix

The date stamp on the electronic file for this recipe was 2007. Friends of ours across the street served this salad one night and we thought the spinach salad was the best we had tasted. This simple salad is a staple in our home for five years according to the date stamp

A couple of weeks ago we were at the same friend’s house for a rousing Friday evening of cards. I said we’ll bring dinner. We bought some prepared potato and corn salads, spinach salad, and one carved up rotisserie chicken. The reaction was somewhat surprising:

“We’ve never put chicken on this spinach salad before.”

And another simple supper recipe is born.

July 29, 2012July 30, 2012

One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – The Concept

I like to cook. But let’s be honest, cooking is work. During my exploratory twenties, I seriously entertained the idea of becoming a professional chef. I researched the topic extensively. My sights were set on the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). But the more I learned about the profession the more I realized that I wanted cooking to remain fun. So I let that dream die.

During the same time frame I got the best compliment ever about my food. My roommate told me,

“You’re the best everyday cook I’ve ever known.”

Joe was a good business manager and a better motivator. I seem to recall he didn’t fix another meal the rest of the time we lived together. Just another one of those things that make you go hmm….

But I didn’t mind because I like to cook. And one of the things I learned was there is nothing wrong with shortcuts.

One of the greatest time savers for the cook is the rotisserie chicken. It’s already cooked and the perfect starting point for many dishes. I’m not quite sure I have 50 recipes that use rotisserie chicken but it sure will be a lot of fun getting there. Check ’em out.

One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #1 Salad

One Rotisserie Chicken , 50 Meals – #2 Spinach Salad

One Rotisserire Chicken, 50 Meals – #3 Sour Cream Chicken Enchillada Casserole

PS. Yes, there’s just 3 recipes in the series…for now.

July 28, 2012July 28, 2012

Italian Meatloaf

Italian Meatloaf

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red pepper, seeded, small dice
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
2 pounds ground beef (or 1 pound ground turkey and 1 pound beef)
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs (Italian or Panko)
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a plate and cool.
When the peppers and onions are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together.
Form the meat mixture into 2 loaf (brain) shapes on an oiled oven tray or baking dish.
Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the middle of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

When the kids were little I never made meatloaf. They hated meatloaf. When I was growing up as a kid my parents never made meatloaf. I hated meatloaf.

Time passes, people change, tastes change. I guess decades of going meatloaf-less made me want meatloaf more. I only started making meatloaf when MedFed began. MedFed is the code name for meals that freeze well that can be defrosted, heated up, and eaten by time starved medical school students who would quite frankly probably eat anything you put in front of them. The only problem with my new found meatloaf craving was finding the perfect recipe.

This recipe is adapted from the Food Network’s Michael Chiarello. It’s tasty, simple, and hearty. Serve this up with some loaded mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

TIP – The recipe will make two meatloaves. There’s nothing better than a cold meatloaf sandwich the next day. I’ve also heard rumors that you can chop up this leftover meatloaf, heat it up in some marinara sauce, and serve over pasta. Sounds like something a medical school student would do.

Substituting dried for fresh herbs is OK. I usually make this with a mixture of beef and turkey. 85/15 is good. Don’t use ground turkey breast, use regular ground turkey.

July 28, 2012July 28, 2012

Makes perfect sense to me!

1000 Awesome Things

Toronto is home to some of the best hot dog street vendors in the world. Street meat, we call it proudly, waiting in lines to get char-grilled, crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside, big, brown beautiful hot dogs. The dogs usually come set perfectly in a puffy, yellow bun, like a smiling child tucked tightly into bed. Yes, it’s a glowing little beef-tube of heaven, a spicy little meat-wand of joy, the perfect company for a movie or a long walk home after the bars.

Now, despite the powerful taste-punch to the mouth the street vendor hot dog delivers, I’m sorry to say there is just one little problem: my friend, there is spillage, and plenty of it. Hot dog vendors pride themselves on their never ending array of toppings, from spicy mustard to onions, pickles to olives, sauerkraut to banana peppers. It’s a delicious den of germs just sitting out on…

View original post 578 more words

July 27, 2012July 28, 2012

One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #1 Salad

Rotisserie Chicken Salad

One fully cooked rotisserie chicken

One bag salad

Salad dressing

Carve the chicken off the bones. Set aside.
Open one bag of salad into a large serving bowl.
Add sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, etc.
Arrange the chicken on top.
Serve with your favorite bottled salad dressing.

It’s been an interesting week. I really didn’t cook that much. When it’s hot outside, you don’t feel like cooking and you just want something light. With this recipe I’m starting two new Tags:

One Rotisserie Chicken 50 Meals and
Super Simple

Every grocery store now sells Rotisserie Chickens. It’s cooked. All you have to do is cut it up. Bagged salads are the greatest food invention since sliced bread. You should always have several different varieties of salad dressing in the house. Add a few chopped fresh vegetables. Grab a loaf of bread, a nice Chardonnay and you have dinner.

Yes, the picture was taken with a cell phone. Super simple like this recipe.

July 25, 2012July 25, 2012

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia

¾ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
2 T melted butter or margarine
4 tilapia fillets
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 375°.
In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the bread crumbs. Coat the fish with butter and dredge in the cheese/bread crumb mixture.
Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 15 to 17 minutes. Serve the fish with the lemon wedges.

I really don’t have a clue where this recipe came from. James Beard has a recipe for chicken that is similar and when I looked up my Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia recipe it was different than what I’ve presented here.

It was a Rachel Ray recipe. I had to change it.

garyskitchen.net

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