Fish Taco Encore

Last year, when I was first starting my blog, I wrote a post about fish tacos, which you can find here. I have recently discovered a restaurant called Canelo's in Canton, NC that has amazing crunchy fish tacos. Not to be outdone, I adapted a recipe from for the home cook. Crunchy fish tacos, here we go!

Crunchy Fish Tacos (makes 4 tacos)

Ingredients:
4 flour or corn tortillas
1 box Gorton's Fish Sticks (12 count)
1 pkg prepared guacamole
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. sour cream
1 pkg taco seasoning
Optional Ingredients:
Spinach
Cheese
Pico de gallo

Directions:
Mix taco seasoning and sour cream, put in refrigerator to chill.
Cook fish sticks according to package directions.
Mix guacamole and heavy cream together, set aside.
Warm tortillas in a skillet or in the microwave.

To serve:
On each tortilla, add 3 fish sticks, 1 tbsp of guacamole sauce, and 1 tbsp of sour cream mix.
Top with spinach, cheese, and pico de gallo as desired.
Serve with rice and fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

Kitchen Sink Cookies (they don't actually contain the kitchen sink!)

On Saturday, I wanted to cook. It had been so long since just Price and I were at home...so long since I could cook just because it was fun. But there was a problem too...I was wearing a splint from a recent surgery. So I enlisted Price's help. He did a great job doing all of the things I couldn't do one-handed! Especially opening containers. Note to food companies...shouldn't one-handed people be able to open your products too? Anyway, we were trying to use up some zucchini from last year before the new crop comes in. So we made kitchen sink cookies (the healthy version)-they contain everything but the kitchen sink.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup whole-wheat or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 c. grated zucchini
1 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 c.) butter, softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 lg egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (not imitation)
1 1/3 c. rolled or quick cooking oats
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. dried cranberries, cherries, raisins, or berries
1/2 c. flax seeds or nuts

Note: shredded carrots or apple, or baby spinach may be substituted for the zucchini

Directions:
1. Put zucchini and salt in a colander. Let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Beat to combine.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture to the bowl using low speed.
6. Mix in oats, zucchini, chocolate chips, dried fruit, and flax seeds or nuts.
7. Form heaping table spoons into balls and place on greased baking sheets 2 inches apart.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are light golden brown and appear dry.
9. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 24-30 cookies.


Enjoy!

Mother's Day Lunch

It's been a while since I have cooked...I mean really truly cooked. For the last 4 months I have been student teaching...and suddenly all of the things I thought I had time for, like cooking, went out the window. So here I am, back to cooking, and what do I start with...Mother's Day Lunch.
Considering my parents and my in-laws both came over, I think it went well...especially since I had to make a menu with optional cheese only...and no cilantro...and low salt and fat...just so everyone could eat!

And the most amazing thing? Everything was done when it was supposed to be and perfectly cooked.

Here is the menu...sorry no recipes (they are being saved for later).

Antipasto (pancetta, salami, turkey, gouda, port salut, avocado, homemade pickles, katamala olives, and whole wheat french bread)
Followed by Baked Cod with a mango-lime salsa, basmati rice, and sugar snap peas.
Ending with a Strawberry accented Lemon cake.

Hope you enjoy!

Snow=Soup (Fennel Pesto Chicken Noodle Noodle Soup)

It's snowing! They are calling for a total of 24 inches by Thursday. We have about 4 right now. It's so pretty, it's fun to play in. Our dog, Rags, loves the snow. He runs and runs in circles. Into the snow, out of the snow, around us (on us). Its perfect. And cold. Which means soup. So here is the recipe I made for a classic favorite that I love. I hope you enjoy eating it as much as I did!

Fennel Pesto Chicken Noodle Noodle Soup
1 12 oz can chicken broth
1 1/2 c. water
1 tbsp prepared pesto (or 1 tsp pesto concentrate)
1/4 c. diced fennel (the white bulb part)
1 4-6 oz chicken breast
1/4 box (3 oz) stelline noodles
splash white wine (optional)

In a pot, add the chicken broth, water, and chicken. Slowly cook on medium heat until the chicken has cooked through. Removed chicken. Add remaining ingredients. Boil 7 minutes to cook the pasta through. Meanwhile, chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Add back to the pot. Serve Immediately.

Enjoy!

Pancakes Oh Pancakes, How do I despise thee?

The annual Presby Pancake Breakfast has come an gone. We served between 250-300 students at Western Carolina University. It left everyone involved exhausted even though we only served half the students we normally do, due to the weather. It was snowing! After making pancakes in bulk, using a 5 gallon bucket, a paint stirrer, and 5 griddles...even the chocolate chip pancakes start to lose their appeal. But it was worth it. And lets not mention the 50 gallons of Presby Punch. It was made in 2 1/2 gallon batches this year instead of 5 gallon batches. Each 5 gallon batch contains the following: 3 liters each of lemon-lime, orange, and raspberry sodas; 2 cans of pineapple juice; 1 can of orange juice concentrate; 1/4 c. sugar; 1 pkg each cherry, fruit punch, and orange kool-aid mix; 1/2 gallon of Sunny Delight; and 1/2 gallon of tea syrup*. Then you fill to 5 gallons with water. Tea syrup...200 tea bags, 5 gallons water, 10 lbs sugar. Need I say more? (by the way...this is the reduced sugar version!). The original recipe called for 20 lbs of sugar in the tea syrup...and 1/2 c. in the punch! But students need to study...all night right? Anyway, Pancakes...I don't want to see any for a while.

Tradition! (orange pear cranberry sauce)

What makes a holiday? The family traditions? The expectations? According to the World English Dictionary a tradition is the body of customs, thought, practices, etc, belonging to a particular country, people, family, or institution over a relatively long period.

This is especially comforting as Thanksgiving rolls around and we remember the traditions that make this holiday special. As my pastor pointed out this morning, not everyone likes Thanksgiving. The symbols of this holiday revolve around food: turkey a bird native to N. America; corn, also native to N. America; and cranberries (you guessed it!) native to N. America. But many people cannot afford to eat lavish meals at the holidays. Some cannot even afford to eat at all. So if you are fortunate enough to have the traditionally holiday spread, give thanks for our countries founding and survival. Give thanks for what is special to you. And remember the violence our country is founded on, and the people less fortunate than you who do not get the lavish Thanksgiving feast. Perhaps you could even donate to a local food bank or volunteer at a soup kitchen!

If you want to change up your feast this year and have cranberry sauce not from a can…here is a wonderful recipe using the best America has to offer.

This is especially comforting as Thanksgiving rolls around and we remember the traditions that make this holiday special. As my pastor pointed out this morning, not everyone likes Thanksgiving. The symbols of this holiday revolve around food: turkey, a bird native to N. America; corn, also native to N. America; potatoes, native to N. America; and cranberries (you guessed it!) native to N. America. But many people cannot afford to eat lavish meals at holidays. Some cannot even afford to eat at all. So if you are fortunate enough to have the traditional holiday spread, give thanks for our countries founding and survival. Give thanks for what is special to you. And remember the violence our country is founded on, and the people less fortunate than you who do not get the lavish Thanksgiving feast. Perhaps you could even donate to a local food bank or volunteer at a soup kitchen!

If you want to change up your feast this year and have cranberry sauce not from a can...here is a wonderful recipe using the best America has to offer.

Orange Pear Cranberry sauce (makes 2 1/2 pints)
Ingredients:
3 oranges
2 c. diced pears (about 4 whole)
3 c. fresh cranberries (1 16 oz bag)
1 1/2 c. red grape juice
1 tsp cardamon
2 tbsp honey
dash salt
2 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
From each orange, peel a 1x3 in. strip and put in a large pot. Juice the oranges, and add to the pot along with the grape juice, lemon juice, honey, salt, and cardamon. Bring to boil over medium heat. Add the pears and cranberries. Simmer over med-low heat for about 25 minutes. Remove the orange peel. Let cool to room temperature and serve or refrigerate up to 1 week, or process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Cream Sauce

Tonight for dinner Price and I had Alaskan salmon over couscous topped with a mushroom cream sauce. It is important to note the Alaskan part of the salmon, because Alaskan salmon is wild caught. Atlantic or farmed salmon is something no one should ever eat. Not only does it taste icky, it's bad for the environment too! Anyway, while Price and I were at GreenLife grocery this weekend, I pick up a 6oz pack of King Oyster Mushrooms. And so the salmon with a mushroom cream sauce was born. The recipe for the cream sauce is something I picked up this summer while taking a fungi class. It works with most types of mushrooms and is especially good with oyster, king oyster, and shitake mushrooms!

Salmon with a Mushroom Cream Sauce over Couscous
Ingredients for 2:
2 4-6 oz wild salmon filets
1/2 c. couscous
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp minced onion
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 c. water
6 oz mushrooms, stipes (stems) removed.
1 tbsp butter
1/4 c. white wine
1 tbsp flour
1 c. milk (not skim!)

Directions:
Bring the couscous, oregano, minced onion, 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and water to a boil. Stir once, cover, and set aside off the heat.
Meanwhile, slice the mushroom caps and melt the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. While they are heating up, add the remaining olive oil to another pan and add the salmon, skin side down. Salt the salmon just a little. Cook the salmon 5-10 minutes until flaky, flipping at least once. Stir the mushrooms around like a stir-fry. Add the wine. Turn up the heat! When the wine has boiled away, whisk the flour into the milk and pour into the mushrooms. Add a little more oregano if desire. Turn the heat to low. When the sauce has reached sauce consistency, dinner is ready (if the salmon is cooked that is!). Fluff the couscous with a fork, spoon half onto each plate. Top with a salmon filet and the mushroom cream sauce.

Enjoy!