Grilled Chili-Lime Fish Tacos

A delicious chili-lime fish taco with a sour cream slaw, sweet mango, and avocado.  It really was extremely good!   I deleted the ingredients below that would add heat since I was feeding this to little ones. I also used corn tortillas from Costco, as they are so much better than anything you can find in the local grocery store.  The leftover tortillas freeze well.  I also prepped the marinade and let the fish marinade all day in the fridge before grilling.  I doubled the recipe below for my family of two adults, 3 kids and we had leftovers. 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound tilapia
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (I didn't add this)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper (I didn't add this)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

 

 

• For slaw
• 2 cups shredded red or napa cabbage
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup low fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 ripe mango, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 8 small corn tortillas
• avocado and extra cilantro, to garnish

 

 

Instructions

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place fish in large ziploc bag and add olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Close bag and massage seasonings into fish. Let marinade for 20 minutes.
2. Prepare slaw: In a medium bowl combine cabbage, cilantro, sour cream, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Place in refrigerator.
3. Remove fish from marinade and place onto hot grill. Grill fish for 3-5 minutes each side, it will vary depending on the temperature of your grill. Typically the second side will take less time. Remove fish to hot plate.
4. Grill tortillas for 10-20 seconds each side. Divide fish equally into tortillas, add slaw, and mango and avocado. Garnish with extra cilantro, if desired. Makes 8 tacos total; 2 tacos each.

Photo and Recipe Source: Ambitious Kitchen

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

 

 

 

A crockpot chicken noodle soup, with chicken, onions, carrots, celery, and noodles.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (I used shredded rotisserie chicken)
• 4 cups water*
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste, depending on saltiness of broth
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 leek or small onion chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram or basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 ounces noodles

Preparation:

Place all ingredients except noodles in the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Remove chicken and bay leaf from pot; take meat from bones, dice, and return to broth, and add the noodles. Cook another hour or until noodles are done (about 1/2 hour on high). Or, cook the noodles separately and add them just before serving.

 

*Note: I had to add another 2-3 Cups of water to broth after adding the noodles. 

 

Picture and Recipe Source: Southern Food

No Bake Energy Bites

This is a great healthier "cookie" recipe.  My kids loved it, even when I omitted the chocolate chips.  I included all of the notes from the original website, as I thought they might be helpful for me another time.  She also had Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites, as well as a Cherry Pistachio flavor.  Sounds yummy!

No-Bake Energy Bites

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: About 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs (optional)
• 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Method

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.

Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Ali’s Tip:

Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients! Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter. And you could also add in some wheat germ in place of some or all of the flaxseed. I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.

Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:

• chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
• dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
• chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, or sunflower seeds
• other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, M&Ms, etc.)
• other grains (different kinds of oatmeal, rice cereal, etc.)

Update: Many of you have asked about substitutions for other ingredients. The joy of these bites being “no bakes” is that this recipe is super flexible. If you end up needing to omit one of the dry ingredients (such as coconut or flax), just add in some extra of whatever other dry ingredient is remaining (for example, the oats). If you feel like your energy bites are too dry, add in extra honey or peanut butter. It’s also not required that you refrigerate these, but I find it helps them stick together much better. And for some reason, I love things like this a little bit chilled. Enjoy!!

Source: Slightly adapted from Smashed Peas & Carrots.

Complete Recipe and Photo Source: Gimme Some Oven

Ham Bone Soup

We baked our Christmas ham a little late this year.  My husband and I made this delicious soup with the left over ham bone, which was a first for me.  It was pretty good and very simple to make.  I loved that we made it in the morning in the crock pot and dinner was done by the time we got home.  It did take a full 6 hours to cook in our crock pot.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source: All Recipes
Photo Source: Damn Delicious

Ingredients

1 leftover ham bone with some meat
1 onion, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15.25 oz) kidney beans
3 potatoes, cubed
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cubed
( we added 2 celery stalks, chopped)
*4 c water
*6 bullion cubes


*Note.  The last time I made this, it was too salty.  We ended up having to add more water.  Either add more water in the beginning, or less bullion cubes.  I would suggest 4 c water to 4 bullion cubes, as the original recipe suggests.

Directions

1. Place the ham bone, onion, tomatoes, kidney beans, potatoes, and green pepper into a 3 quart or larger slow cooker. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in water, and pour into the slow cooker.
2. Cover, and cook on High until warm. Reduce heat to Low, and continue to cook for 5 to 6 hours.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

In my quest to make all of my own bread, I attempted to make hamburger buns.  They turned out delicious!  In fact, my 4 year old just wanted to eat the bun with ketchup and not the meat (what?!)  These buns turn out fabulous (not crumbly or soggy) and the egg wash makes the top harder and shiny, like a bun from your favorite restaurant.  I love going healthier so I subbed out 1 C whole wheat flour in the dough and it was good.  Not sure how much more wheat I would put in it than that though.....after all, its a burger!  Gotta live a little every once in awhile ;)  This recipe made 12 buns and we froze half for another time.  I got the recipe from my friend Rachelle over at To Die For Recipes  Thanks Rachelle for a keeper recipe!


1 c. milk
1 c. water
2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. sugar
2 1/2 tsp salt.  
5 1/2 c. flour (more or less) (I used 5 C)
1 pkg instant yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tbs. water

In a glass measuring cup, combine water, milk, butter and sugar. Microwave until liquid is warm/hot and let the butter melt in the milk mixture (let mixture cool till very warm). In a mixing bowl, combine 3 c. flour, salt, and yeast. When milk mixture has come to a very warm temperature, add to dry ingredients. Mix until combined, add more flour to desired consistency. Knead for 8 minutes, adding flour if dough become too sticky. Placed dough in a greased bowl in a warm draft free place (in the oven works best). Cover and let dough rise for 1 hour. Punch down dough, and divide into 12 pieces. Grease a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Roll each piece on dough into a ball, stretching it to make a smooth top, place in cookie sheet. Cover, and let rise for 25-45 more minutes or until almost doubled. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl combine egg yolk with water, and mix. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Recipe and Picture Source To Die For Recipes

Chicken Souvlaki

Huge Greek fans at this house.  I have another Greek chicken recipe on this blog (click on the "Main Dishes: Greek" tab to the right of the screen to view it).  This recipe is similar, but I like a little variety every once in awhile.  We buy Naan flatbread at Costco and I also whip up some tzatziki sauce.  Add fresh tomatoes, onions and cucumbers.  My kids love this meal, but they prefer to eat everything separate and leave off the sauce.  Easy Peasy!


(I doubled the recipe below for my family and we had plenty of leftovers)
Chicken Souvlaki

1 TBS + 1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
10 oz boneless chicken breast, cut into strips


Prepare marinade and add to chicken.  Let sit at least 15 minutes in fridge (I like to do the prep work in the morning and let it sit in the fridge until I am ready to grill that evening).  Thread chicken on skewers and grill chicken over hot coals or on a broiler pan (I grill them) 4-5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.  Turn frequently (if I am running short on time, I don't do the skewers and just grill).

Top with tzatziki sauce:


Tzatziki sauce: Yield 1 ½ Cups
-make a few hours ahead of time so the flavors have time to mix

16 ounces plain yogurt (the brand "Mountain High" works really well because it is thick)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
pinch kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 TBS olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
5-6 mint leaves, finely minced (optional)

Recipe Source:  My Sister in law Heather (I think)
Picture Source: Closet Cooking

Foster's Whole Wheat Bread

I made the leap about a month ago and now make all of my own whole wheat bread.  I have wanted to do this for a few years now and am so glad I finally did!  I know there are many great recipes out there and I have tried several using different ingredients, but this one is the one that seems to turn out the best for me in the high humid climate that I live in.  I got this recipe from a friend in my previous ward, Sister H. Foster, who lives in a dry climate, so it must be the universal recipe. :)  This recipe is famous! I bake two loaves at a time and freeze one for a later use.  I always make bread on a day when I will be home most of the day so it has plenty of time to rise twice.


Makes 2 2lb loaves
(original recipe doubled this amount, but my mixer won't hold that much dough)


Mix the ingredients below and let sit to activate yeast while assembling other ingredients.  The mixture should be foamy and frothy after 5 minutes or so.  If its not, your yeast is either dead or the water is too warm and you killed the yeast.  Try again with slightly cooler water if this happens.  

1 1/2 C warm water (not scalding, just really warm)
1 1/4 TBS active dry yeast (SAF brand recommended by  Sister Foster, but I use any kind)
1 tsp of sugar


While yeast is activating, mix the following in your Kitchen Aide mixer or Bosche with the dough attachment added.


1/4 C brown sugar
2 tsp salt


Add the following:
1 1/2 C natural apple sauce (if its been in the fridge, put it in the microwave until warm)
1/4 C oil

Add in the yeast and water mixture while the mixer is running.  Then add 1 cup at a time:

1 C bread flour
3 C freshly ground whole wheat flour

Add in another 3-4 C whole wheat flour until the dough is soft to the touch but not too sticky, one cup at a time.  Towards the end, add in the flour 1/4 c-1/2 c increments.  If you add too much flour, the bread will be dry.  The total amount of flour on my last loaf of bread was 6 1/3 c of whole wheat flour, but it depends on humidity and such so go by feel.  The sides of the bowl should be clean, not too sticky but not too stiff.  Its a learned art with a lot of tutorials online to help beginners.  Mel's Kitchen Cafe has this great tutorial.  Let the mixer knead for about 10 minutes.  Cover bowl with a damp towel and let rest until doubled in size. Dump dough out onto floured surface.   Cut dough in half, roll into dough shape and place into greased bread pans.  Cover and let rise again until bread is 1-2 inches above the pan.  Cook at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes, depending on your oven settings and pans.  Let bread sit in pans for about ten minutes, but no more than that.  Let cool completely on a cooling rack (NOT a cutting board, as I have done this before and the bread gets moist on the bottom).



Recipe source: H. Foster, directions by me, as there wasn't any written down on my recipe card
Picture Source: King Arthur