Seared Fish Taco Salad

Seared Fish Taco Salad

Fish:

Tilapia

Seafood seasoning (I use the one pictured below)

Olive oil

Season fish. Heat cast iron pipping hot over high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Sear tilapia in each side. It's ready when you can cut through the fish easily with your spatula. It only takes a minute or two on each side. 

Jalapeño Ranch Dressing:

1 jalapeño

Olive oil

1/2 cup milk 

1 tsp lemon or lime juice

1/2 cup mayo

2 Tbs dry ranch dressing mix 

2 Tbs fresh cilantro

1 tsp minced garlic

Cut the jalapeño meat away from the seeds and membrane.  Discard seeds and membrane.  Cook the pepper slices in some olive oil for about 5 minutes on the same cast iron you cook your fish. Add milk and lemon/lime juice to your blender. Milk should curdle a little. Add mayo and ranch mix and blend well. Add seared jalapeños, cilantro and minced garlic to the blender. Pulse a few time to chop and mix. 

Salad:

Lettuce, chopped

Tomato, chopped

Purple onion, chopped

Bell pepper, chopped

Avocado, diced

Cheese (Queso Fresco preferred)

Tortilla chips for garnish

Build your salad and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. When you're ready to serve, dress the salad with jalapeño ranch dressing and top with hot seared tilapia and tortilla chips. I wish I would have dressed the salad before I put my fish on top in the picture!

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Broccoli Cheese Rice (large pan-$40)

Aunt Lou

1 cup uncooked rice, steamed

2 Tbs oil

1 bell pepper, chopped finely

1 onion, chopped finely

2 lbs frozen chopped broccoli

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 can cream mushroom

2 eggs, beaten

1 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and split

Preheat oven to 400*  Mix ingredients well (only using 1/2 cup of cheddar) and spread in greased pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Top with 1/2 cup cheddar and bake for additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. 

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Brenda Pope

1 lb chicken thighs, boiled with broth in salted water

1 lb frozen spinach, chopped

1/2 cup hot picante or salsa

1 Tbs chili powder

1/8 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt & pepper

10-12 flour corn tortillas 

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Sour Cream Sauce:

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs flour

1/2 cup milk

1 cup chicken broth from thighs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded and split

1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400* Drain chicken and set broth aside for later.  Sautee chicken with spinach and thoroughly mix in salsa, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper until the chicken is mostly shredded.  In sauce pan melt butter and mix in flour stirring on high for 1 minute.  Slowly add milk thinning flour mixture out.  Whisk in chicken broth and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and add sour cream, 1/2 cup cheddar and all pepper jack cheese.  Simmer, stirring frequently, until cheese has melted and sauce has thickened.  Microwave tortillas for 30-45 seconds.  Grease pans and fill each tortilla with 1/3 cup of chicken mixture.  Wrap (while tortilla is still warm) and place seam side down in pan.  Repeat with each tortilla.  When all enchiladas have been placed in the pan(s) cover with a thick layer of sour cream sauce making sure to get all edges.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar over enchiladas and bake for additional 10 -15 minutes until cheese melts and is bubbly.  Garnish with chopped green onion

Side salad:

Tomatoes
Avocado
Purple onion
Lime juice
Salt & Pepper

Mix well and serve over shredded Romaine.

Red Enchiladas

Below is my favorite recipe.  In the pictures here I didn't have cheddar and had to use sliced Muenster cheese and I had fajita steak left over so I used that as well.  You can fill and top them with whatever you like.  

Red Enchiladas

Mom

1 lb chicken thighs boiled, drained

2 Tbs taco seasoning

1/2 tsp salt & pepper

10-12 corn tortillas 

29 oz can red enchilada sauce (El Paso preferred)

1 cup spicy V-8 juice (optional if needed)

1/2 cups sour cream

1/2 onion, chopped finely

1 cups cheddar cheese, split

Preheat oven to 400* Thoroughly mix chicken with taco seasoning, salt and pepper until it is mostly shredded.  Microwave 10 tortillas for 30-45 seconds.  Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in greased pan and 1 cup in a shallow bowl.  Dilute enchilada sauce as needed with V-8 to help make more.  Dip each warm tortilla in the sauce in the shallow bowl completely covering with enchilada sauce.  Place about 3 Tbs chicken mixture, 1 Tbs sour cream, 1 tsp onions, 1 Tbs cheddar in each tortilla.  Wrap (while tortilla is still warm) and place seam side down in pan.  Repeat with each tortilla.  When all enchiladas have been placed cover with a thin layer of enchilada sauce making sure to get all edges.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheddar on each pan and bake for additional 10 -15 minutes until cheese melts and is bubbly. 

I love sour cream and onion enchiladas too.  I usually make a separate pan following the steps above and just fill the inside with sour cream and onions instead of the meat mixture.  Bake as directed above.  

Shrimp Roban Over Mixed Veggies

Shrimp Roban

Adapted from Mom

1 lbs shrimp peeled, tail-on, boiled (below)

1/2 stick butter

1 bunch green onions chopped, separate white/green

1 Tbs garlic, minced

2 Tbs Seafood Seasoning

2 cups heavy cream

2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Crushed red pepper flakes for garnish

1 lb cooked pasta (shells or cheese ravioli are my favorites with this dish)

Or Sauteed veggies (below)

Recipe can be cut in half for about 4 servings.  Melt butter in heavy sauce pan.  Add whites of green onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.  Add the seafood seasoning, stir for a minute.  Then, add the heavy cream and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.  Remove from heat and mix in cooked shrimp.  Top with parsley and green onion tops.  Serve over pasta or sauteed veggies.  Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes.  

Boiled Shrimp

Mom

1/2 - 1 lbs raw shrimp, pealed

2 Bay Leaves

1 ½ Tbs liquid Crab Boil

1 Tbs salt 

Bring about 6-8 cups of water to rapid boil.  Break bay leaves in have and add to water with salt and crab boil.  Add shrimp and stir frequently.  Shrimp is ready when they are all pink without any gray left.  DO NOT OVERCOOK!  Drain and place in ice bath or run under cool water.  Remove from ice bath and refrigerate until ready to be served.  Great for shrimp coctail, shrimp salad, shrimp pasta, etc.  Juicy, plum amazing shrimp.  

Sauteed Veggies

Below I sauteed zucchini, yellow and red bell pepper and onion in olive oil and seasoned with salt & pepper.  Serve as a side or as an alternative base instead of pasta.  

Home Fries

Potatoes, 3/4" chunked (I used unpeeled fingerling potatoes here but unpeeled red skins or peeled russets will work great too)

1 lb bacon

Onion, chopped

Chives or parsley for garnish

Preboil the potatoes in salted water.  Fry up a pound of bacon in a large cast iron skillet.  I get the pan pipping hot and thrown the whole pound in the skillet.  I let one side get hot, then flip the whole pound.  As the back side is getting hot I start peeling bacon off one piece at a time using a wooden spoon.  I'm crumbling it so there's no need for it to be in pretty strips and have to cook in multiple batches.  Turn the heat down to medium-low and slow cook the bacon stirring frequently until it's crisp.  Remove bacon from grease.  Using the remaining grease to sautee the onion.  Just before onions are done add the potatoes and turn heat up to high.  Do not stir.  Let the pan get pipping hot again and crisp the potatoes.  Once your first side is crisp, gently flip the potatoes trying not to stir them.  Crisp up the bottom again and remove from heat.  Serve in your skillet or a fancy serving dish and top with bacon and fresh (if possible) chopped chives or parsley.  

Talk about comfort food!  What's not comforting about a pound of bacon with all the grease.

Apple Pie

Sour Cream Apple Pie  Becky Camillus (actually her mom, but...)

2 Tbsp Flour
1/8 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Sour Cream or Yogurt
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 Egg

Pour over sliced 4 peeled and thinly sliced apples (or 8 peeled, sliced peaches) in an upcooked pie shell. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes then at 350 for 30 minutes

Add topping and bake 10 minutes more at 400.

Topping:
1/3 cup flour
1 t cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
Mix dry ingredients.  Cut in the butter or margarine.  (This can be done with a few pulses of a food processor, till the mixture is crumbly).

7 Layer Dip

Oldie but goodie I've been craving. 

Refrained beans

Sour cream and taco seasoning mixed

Guacamole

Cheddar

Olives

Green onions

Tomatoes

This one is actually only 6 layers because my hubby doesn't do beans. 

Shrimp Salad

I wish the picture did this one justice.  The colors are so nice, kind of an Eastery pastel mix.  This is an amazing, flavorful dish for lunch or great for gatherings.  

Shrimp Salad Sandwiches

Mom

1/2 lb shrimp, boiled (below)

1/4 cup mayo

2 celery stalks, chopped

4 boiled eggs, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Boil, chill and chop shrimp ½” chunks.  Add next 4 ingredients and mix well.  Serve on hoagies, croissants, kaiser rolls, lettuce, etc.    

Please don't ever buy preboiled shrimp.  They are so easy and soooooo much tastier.

Boiled Shrimp

Mom

1/2 - 1 lbs raw shrimp, pealed

2 Bay Leaves

1 ½ Tbs liquid Crab Boil

1 Tbs salt 

Bring about 6-8 cups of water to rapid boil.  Break bay leaves in have and add to water with salt and crab boil.  Add shrimp and stir frequently.  Shrimp is ready when they are all pink without any gray left.  DO NOT OVERCOOK!  Drain and place in ice bath or run under cool water.  Remove from ice bath and refrigerate until ready to be served.  Great for shrimp coctail, shrimp salad, shrimp pasta, etc.  Juicy, plum amazing shrimp.  

Egg Slicer...if you don't have one, get one!  I assumed everyone had one, but I have found out in working in many different kitchens that is not the case.

Scones

Scones (large pan-$40)

Southern Living – Betty Joyce Mills

Base: 

2 cups flour, all purpose

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbs baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup cold butter, cubed

1 cup whipping cream, divided

½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 450* Stir together the first 4 base ingredients in a large bowl.  Cut butter into flour mixture with a blender (pastry if available) until crumbly.  Freeze 5 minutes.  Add ¾ cup (plus 2 Tbs)  cream and any add ins.  Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Turn dough out onto wax paper.  Gently press or pat dough into a 7” round (mixture will still be crumbly).  Cut round into 8 wedges.  Place wedges 1” apart on a slightly greased baking sheet.  Brush tops of wedges with remaining 2 Tbs cream just until moistened.  Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden. 

 Add ins:

Blueberry

½ cup blueberries

½ tsp almond extract

Drizzle with a Vanilla Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbs milk (up to 2 Tbs if needed)

½ tsp vanilla

Chocolate Almond

½ cup chocolate chunks

¼ cup roasted almonds

½ tsp almond extract

Chocolate Cranberry

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup chocolate chunks

Apricot Ginger

½ cup dried apricots, chopped

2 Tbs crystallized ginger

Drizzle with a Vanilla Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbs milk (up to 2 Tbs if needed)

½ tsp vanilla

Brown Sugar Pecan

Use brown sugar instead of white sugar

½ cup toasted pecans, chopped

Bacon, Cheddar & Green Onion

Omit sugar and vanilla

¾ cup cheddar

¼ cup bacon pieces

2 Tbs green onion, chopped

Ham & Swiss

Omit sugar and vanilla

¾ cup Swiss cheese, shredded

¾ cup ham, cubed

Serve with Mustard Butter:

½ cup butter, softened

1 Tbs spicy brown mustard

1 Tbs minced sweet onion

Rosemary, Pear & Asiago

Omit sugar and vanilla

¾ cup fresh pear, chopped

½ cup Asiago cheese, grated

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Banana Bread

1 Banana – Banana Bread

from Mom

1 1/2 cups flour (can use half white/half wheat)

1 egg plus milk to make 1 cup

3/4 cup sugar

1 bananas

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Optional:  1/4 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350* Grease and flour a loaf pan.  Mix all ingredients except pecans on low until thoroughly combined.  Then, beat mixture on high for 2 minutes.  Add pecans and mix well by hand.  Pour into loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes.  Cool on rack 10 minutes then remove from pan.  Continue cooling on rack.