Tilapia with Hash Browns

Two hash brown recipes in a row? Yes, because like I said, who doesn't love hash browns? :)

I came across this recipe in a Food Network Magazine and I was drawn in not only by how pretty it looked, but by the interesting combination of fish and potatoes.

See how pretty?

I'm also always looking for new ways to use tilapia, because its cheap and everyone likes it because it doesn't have a strong fishy flavor. This recipe turned out to be a little more time comsuming than I thought it would be, but the flavors were great - love the salty spanish olives - and even my 1 year-old enjoyed it.

Tilapia with Hash Browns

from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

1 20-ounce bag frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
4 cloves garlic, smashed and thinly sliced
Kosher salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
plus more for drizzling
1/2 cup pitted Spanish green olives, roughly chopped
3/4 pound tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup diced roasted red peppers
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 pounds skinless tilapia fillets
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried rosemary
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the hash browns with the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the hash browns, flatten with a spatula and cook until the bottom is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Flip the potato cake and pat it back into shape. Cook until crisp and golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix the olives, tomatoes, roasted peppers, scallions and parsley in a bowl. Cut the fish into 12 pieces and season with the dried herbs, salt and pepper.

3. Scatter half of the olive mixture over the potato cake and top with the fish. Scatter the remaining olive mixture on top and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the fish is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Serve from the skillet.

*I didn't have a big enough oven-proof skillet handy, so I cooked the hash browns in two separate small skillets, then transferred them to a 9x13 baking pan to finish the process.

Cheesy Hash Brown Chili

I'm not usually one to make/eat chili, but I actually like this version...and I give the credit for that to the hash browns for providing a nice crispy texture. Seriously, who doesn't love hash browns?

I adapted this from a recipe by Rachael Ray, see it here. I went with the basic format but changed it up according to what I hand on hand. The result was a super easy and filling dinner that we all enjoyed - with some cornbread, of course!


Ingredients

1 can turkey chili
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Mexicorn (sweet corn with red and green bell peppers)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. taco seasoning
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
3 cups shredded hash browns (the frozen ones will work, or I used some dehydrated ones I had)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*Since my baby would be eating this, I kept it pretty bland. If I were making it just for myself and Adam, I would have added some hot sauce or crushed red pepper to add some extra heat.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine chili, beans, corn, and tomatoes. Add taco seasoning, cumin, and garlic powder. Heat over medium and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 baking pan.

3. In a large bowl combine hash browns and cheese. Spread on top of chili. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the hash browns are crispy.

Ultimate Potato Salad

Thanks to Tyler Florence I now have a fantastic go-to recipe for potato salad! I changed his just little bit and its always been very well-received. Warning: use a large bowl because this recipe makes a LOT!

Potato Salad

adapted from this recipe by Tyler Florence

5 lbs. red potatoes
3 large eggs
Kosher salt
1/2 bunch sliced scallions, white and green parts
2 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles with 1/4 cup juice, about 2 pickles
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley)
1/2 bunch dill, chopped (or 1 tsp. dill weed)
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions

Put the potatoes and eggs into a big saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer. After 12 minutes remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let cool. Continue cooking the potatoes until a paring knife poked into them goes in without resistance, about 3 minutes longer. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool.

Reserve some scallion greens for garnish. Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and their juice, onion, remaining scallions, parsley, dill, and lemon juice in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes. Peel the cool eggs and grate them into the bowl. Stick a fork into the potatoes and lift them 1 at a time out of the colander. Break up the potatoes by hand into rough chunks, add them to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Cream Sauce

*Photo from Cooking with Paula Deen

Who doesn't love a good chicken enchilada? There are so many recipes out there, each one just a little varied in its own way...but honestly, you can't go wrong with any form of creamy, cheesy goodness!

I've hesitated to post any chicken enchilada recipes because I haven't felt like any of the ones I've some across thus far are anything spectacular. My mom has made this version, courtesy of Paula Deen, a couple times now though, and I really think they are worth recommending. Its the yummy sauce made with tomatillos and heavy cream (no scrimping here - you gotta use the real thing...Paula would have it no other way!) that puts these over the top.

Warning: This recipe makes a LOT, but be prepared to not wanna share :)

Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Cream Sauce
from Cooking with Paula Deen


Ingredients

3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 (8-ounce) package Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Tomatillo Cream Sauce ( recipe follows)
1 (8-ounce) package Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend, shredded
Sliced green onions (optional)

Tomatillo Cream Sauce

1 (28 oz.) can of tomatillos, drained
1 (14 oz.) can chicken brotj
1 (4 oz) can of chopped green chiles
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large skillet, combine tomatillos, chicken broth, chilies, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor, and pulse mixture several times until smooth. Return to skillet; stir in cream and cook over low heat for two more minutes.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 13x9-inch baking dishes.

2. In a large bowl, combine chicken and next 8 ingredients. Spoon 2 tablespoons chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Fold sides over, enclosing filling. Place filled tortillas, in a single layer, seam side down, in prepared baking dishes.

3. Spoon Tomatillo Cream Sauce evenly over enchiladas. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.

Pork Salad - Cafe Rio Style

I served up these salads at Mady's first birthday party, for the adults of course. They were a big hit! A little something different from typical party food, and a good idea for a crowd, because you just prep all the ingredients and everyone can put theirs together how they want.

In searching for a recipe, I found that there are sooo many copy-cat recipes out there for these salads! Not surprising, considering most anyone who has spent anytime in Utah is obsessed with Cafe Rio. A lot of the recipes I found were pretty similar, and of course all claimed to be "oh so close!" to the real thing. I must admit, however, that I've never actually had a pork salad from Cafe Rio though...I'm a "vegetarian burrito, black beans, hot sauce, enchilada style" kind of girl.

The recipe I went with came from the blog Favorite Family Recipes. The cooking of the pork was a bit more involved than most other recipes I found, but that's actually what pulled me towards this one. All that marinating/cooking time = has to be good, right?

Now, as I mentioned I've never had a Cafe Rio pork salad (although I have tried the pork and the yummy tomatillo ranch dressing), so I can't speak as to how close to the "real thing" this is. What I can say is that everyone LOVED these salads - they were delicious! They are a bit time-consuming to prep everything, but luckily I was able to do a lot of it ahead of time, and then for the party we just laid all the ingredients out buffet-style and let everyone have at it.

I'll post the recipes as they are listed on Favorite Family Recipes, and you can also visit the link to see more info and commentary. Oh, and if you are going to make these (you are going to make them, right?), don't forget the aluminum pans - those are a must for authenticity :)

Cafe Rio-style Pork Salads

Ingredients

6 large Tortillas (the uncooked flour tortillas from Costco are the best!)
Shredded cheese, Mexican blend
Cafe Rio Rice - recipe follows
Cafe Rio Black Beans - recipe follows
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork - recipe follows
Lettuce (NOT iceberg, use leafy green or Romaine)
Diced tomato, onion, and cilantro (pico de gallo)
Guacamole
Sour cream
Tortilla Strips
Cotija cheese, crumbled (or you can use Parmesan)
Cafe Rio Tomatillo Ranch - recipe follows

To assemble: Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan (if you are using the uncooked tortillas, you need to heat them up first - about 30 seconds per side, just so they are cooked through), sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of pico de gallo). Add guacamole and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the tomatillo ranch.



SWEET PORK:
2 pounds pork (i.e. boneless pork ribs)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can diced green chilies
3/4 can RED enchilada sauce
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours.


CILANTRO-LIME RICE:
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.


TOMATILLO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (Not buttermilk)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced (I used canned ones)
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (remove seeds, if desired)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Yum!

Wild Rice and Green Bean Casserole

This is one of my favorite side dishes to make, because it combines your starch and vegetable all into one! I like to think of it as an enhanced green bean casserole (which I love).

You could even add some shredded chicken to this and for an easy, complete meal.

Ingredients
1 box long-grain and wild rice, prepared and cooled (OR...save even more time by getting the Uncle Ben's ready rice in the pouch! no cooking required)
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. ground thyme
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 - 14.5 oz. cans cut green beans
1 - 6.5 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 small canister french fried onions

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cream of celery soup, milk, mayo, lemon juice, marjoran, onion powder, thyme and pepper. Stir in prepared rice, green beans, mushrooms, and half the french fried onions. Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, then top with remaining french fried onions and bake an additional 8-10 minutes.

Italian Nachos

There is a restaurant in Colorado called "Old Chicago". I know its lots of other places too. But you know where its not? California, of course.

I can't speak to the rest of their menu except for one incredibly fantastic item:

The Italian Nachos.

They are a-mazingly delicious. Being a lover of all things "nacho", there is no way for me to not be in love with this treat. This version is just a little twist on the traditional and it works. Works quite well, actually.

Since I currently don't have access to an Old Chicago, I finally tried to re-create this delectable appetizer on my own. The Old Chicago website describes Italian Nachos as "Golden pasta chips piled high with Mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage and pepperoncinis. Served with our signature pizza sauce."

Easy enough, right? Except that in a quick search for copycat recipes I found people using tortilla chips, pita chips, basically anything but pasta chips. Really?

I got mad at these people.

So I just used the listed ingredients, substituting some crispy "chips" made from wonton wrapper for the pasta chips...and ended up with a pretty. dang. good copycat.

I suggest trying these at home. No recipe needed - just fry up some wonton wrappers (cut each wrapper in half first), then place in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Top with pepperoni, Italian sausage, pepperoncinis, and lots of mozzarella cheese. Broil for a few minutes in the oven until the cheese melt and ENJOY.

Macaroni Mambo

I found this recipe on Eating Well, and although it seemed like a glorified hamburger helper, it had lots of good ingredients and was something even Baby Madyson could eat, so I went for it.

The only issue was that it was originally called "Hamburger Buddy". Seriously. How unappetizing is that name? It sounds like a toy from a happy meal or something, not dinner. So I decided that if I were going to take a chance with this one, it would have to be called something different. And that is how we came to enjoy Macaroni Mambo.

Its pretty good, and I think I'll be making it again because you can disguise lots of veggies in it (I added in some fresh spinach) and the overall flavor is mild enough for picky eaters.

Ingredients
adapted from Eating Well
3 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
10 ounces white mushrooms, large ones cut in half
1 large onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound 90%-lean ground beef
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 cups beef broth, divided
8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles, (2 cups)
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 Tbsp.chopped fresh parsley, or chives for garnish

Directions

1.Fit a food processor with the steel blade attachment. With the motor running, drop garlic through the feed tube and process until minced, then add carrots and mushrooms and process until finely chopped. Turn it off, add onion, and pulse until roughly chopped.

2.Cook beef in a large straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped vegetables, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables start to soften and the mushrooms release their juices, 5 to 7 minutes.

3.Stir in water, 1 1/2 cups broth, noodles, spinach and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

4.Whisk tomato paste with the remaining 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour until smooth. Stir into the hamburger mixture. Stir in the sour cream. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley (or chives), if desired.

Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes

Confession:

I baked.

It rarely happens, so I definitely had to document it.

See, I'm not really a fan of baking because I feel like it tries my patience and limits my creativity. You know, with all those exact measurements being necessary and such. And since I don't bake much I feel like I have to follow recipes exactly so I don't mess them up. Summary: My "a little of this, a little of that" attitude towards cooking doesn't translate well to the baking world.

Anyway, I found this recipe, and it sounded wonderful - especially with the marshmallow cream frosting. Because marshmallow cream is awesome.

Unfortunately they weren't the little bundle of deliciousness I had hoped for...they came out more of a dense, muffin consistency as opposed to a light and fluffy cupcake, and the frosting was really a disappointment because the cream cheese totally overwhelmed the marshmallow cream.

But, the cupcakes themselves were yummy; you really got both the peanut butter and the banana flavor which is a fantastic combination. So, I may make them again (and you should try them too), I just may forget the frosting and just call them muffins.

Peanut Butter and Banana Cupcakes with Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting

from Sugar Plum

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. creamy natural peanut butter

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup finely mashed ripe banana

1/2 cup milk

For the frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup marshmallow cream

1/3 cup milk chocolate chips, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with wrappers (I ended being able to make about 16).

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together peanut butter, butter and brown sugar until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla, eggs and banana until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in flour mixture gradually, alternating with milk, until well combined.

4. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool for 15 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the frosting: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in butter until well combined. Beat in marshmallow cream until well combined. Spread frosting on cupcakes. Drizzle with melted chocolate chips.

Spicy Honey Chicken

Another stolen recipe from Marci's menu blog...I had some boneless, skinless chicken thighs chillin my freezer, and I was just wondering what to do with them when I came across this recipe. It sounded good, and I love anything I can hand over to Adam and let him cook on the grill.

Two things: First, let me say the flavor of this was really good. It was definitely spicy, but not too spicy, probably balanced out by the honey. However, despite the note on Marci's blog (from the person who sent it to her) that its better with thighs rather than breasts...I wish I had used breasts. I'm pretty sure I would have enjoyed it more, which is weird because I usually do prefer dark meat. I just kept questioning whether the thighs were cooked all the way through (despite Adam's insistence that they most definitely were cooked perfectly)...but I picked through my piece and didn't really end up eating much of it. Mostly just a texture thing I guess, and due to the color of the glaze I kept thinking the meat was still pink. So, I definitely want to make this again - mostly because I bought coriander and chipotle chili powder just for this recipe - but I'll be using breasts for sure.

Spicy Honey Chicken

Ingredients

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp. vegetable oil

For the rub:
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder

For the glaze:
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar

Directions

1. Combine the spices for hte rub in small bowl.

2. Use kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat from the chicken (another downside to thighs, lots of little fat pockets you need to trim off!). Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and run in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well.

3. Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

4. While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave about 30 seconds to thin slightly. Add the vinegar and combine well. Brush the glaze on the chicken (reserve a little if you want more to dip it in later) in the final moments of grilling.