Tilapia

I am not much of a fish fan, but this was delicious. I found it on my favorite recipe website. I served with some couscous and broccoli. Enjoy!

Dijon Lemon Tilapia

2 tsps margarine
1 tsps flour
1/4 cup water
2 TBS white wine
1 tsp dijon style mustard
1 TBS lemon juice
10 ounces tilapia filets
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt

1. In a small saucepan, heat the margarine until hot. Sprinkle with flour, and combine. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in water, wine, and mustard. Return to heat, and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer, stirring contantly, until sauce is thickened. Stir in 1 T lemon juice. Remove from heat and keep warm.
2. Sprinkle Tilapia fillets with remaining lemon juice. Spray broiling pan rack with cooking spray. Transfer fish to rack and broil until the fish flakes easily; approximately 5 minutes. Sprinkle fillets with salt, than spoon sauce over fish.

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Mommy's Little Helper

I was scrounging through our cabinets, trying to get some sort of meal plan with what we have on hand. Peter's first paycheck comes next Wednesday and the thing I'm most looking forward to is grocery shopping!!!

Charles thought that he would help me out, but well, I think he was thinking, "What are we supposed to do with this?"

Cooking Slow

This was kind of fun. Laura and Dan are on their way up here as we speak, and I figured I really ought to have something to offer them. Something Friday-friendly and quick. Then I saw this on my daily slow cooker calendar (Fix It and Forget It). Also this was my first slow cooker attempt at something that wasn't soupy or casserole-ish...it was fun!! Maybe I'll bake a cake in it next...

Parmesan Garlic Quick Bread
1 1/2 cups buttermilk baking mix*
2 egg whites
1/2 cup milk
1 T minced onions**
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

1. Combine baking mix, egg whites, milk, onions, sugar, and garlic in a mixing bowl.
2. Spray slower cooker with cooking spray. Pour dough into cooker.
3. Sprinkle Parmesan on top of the dough.***
4. Cook on high 1 hour.****


*I used Bisquick...it worked. I think that's what they meant.

**I used dried onion flakes b/c I'm out of onions.

*** I would also recommend sprinkling some salt on top, if you like salt. I wish I had thought to sprinkle salt on it before it cooked, but I did it afterwards.

****Lastly, the timing - always the hardest part with slow cookers. An hour and the middle was still doughy. I cut out the done pieces and put the top back on to let the center finish baking...took about 20 more minutes.

Healthy Black Bean Roll-Ups

It's been awhile since I've post. I'm on a healthy diet and my post would go something like this:

Defrost chicken
Place chicken in oven
Bake chicken
Eat Chicken

Fun huh? Last night though, I did have a fun healthy dinner! It is actually a recipe from Anne's mother-in-law for black bean roll-up’s.

Healthy Black Bean Roll-Up’s
1 pack of flour tortilla’s
1 red bell pepper, chopped
8 oz cream cheese (I used fat free)
6 green onions, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
juice from half of a lime.

Mix all ingredients together. Spread 2-4 tablespoons of bean mixture on one entire side of tortilla. Roll up and place tooth pick to secure. Refrigerate over night. Cut and enjoy!

Book to Share

Ladies, ladies! I'm so glad to be back. I haven't done a ton of cooking in my absence, as we're still waiting for that first paycheck from the new job (if you don't read my other blog - we've moved, Peter has a job, I'm at home) so the grocery list has been mostly necessities.

BUT, I do have a few recipes to share and an awesome new resource: Simply in Season. It's a cookbook that my sister in law gave to me as a Christmas present. The recipes are divided by what's fresh during each season.

So far all (3) of the recipes that I've tried have been A+'s. I'll share some of them soon!

It's good to be back in the kitchen. I missed my fellow cookers.

Gingerbread Cake (borrowed from Bless Us Oh Lord"

Thanks Barbara...this one's a keeper


Amazing..amazing..oh so delicious I am shoveling it in right now as I type..

Gingerbread Cake
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1.5 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour one 8-inch square baking pan.

Cream butter and sugar till fluffy, add egg and molasses and beat. Sift together flour, salt , baking soda, ginger and cinnamon. Bring water to a boil. Add with flour mixture to creamed mixture alternatively beating well after each addition. Pour batter into cake pan. Bake 34-40 mins.

- i put a little bit of oil in my 1/2 cup befor adding the molasses and they came right out easily.

- it baked just fine at 35 mins, it oculd not have gone longer in my oven.

- I did what barbara did and made a cream cheese frosting...A---MAZING CAKE. I am licking the plate.

Garlic Soup Recipe

Baked Garlic and Onion Cream Soup

(I made a half recipe and it made MORE than enough for 4)

6 large onions, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 HEADS garlic, cloves separated and peeled
5 cups Chicken Stock
1.5 tsp dried thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley for garnish (didn't bother with this)

Preheat oven to 350.

Place onions and garlic in shallow roasting pan and add 3 cups chicken stock. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme.

Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1.5 hrs. Stir once or twice while baking.

Remove pan and puree the onions and garlic WITH the liquid in batches in a food procesor or blender till smooth. Gradually add the remaining 2 cups stock and the cream. Pour soup into a large saucepan.

Adjust the seasonings nad slowly heat through. DO NOT ALLOW SOUP TO BOIL. Sprinkle with parlsey and serve.

6 - 8 portions

Garlic Soup and How I Kicked It's Butt

Some of you may remember me from such posts as "the cook who turned her garlic soup green" and "garlic soup 1, kristine 0". No i'm just kidding. My soup did turn green, but I refuse to loose to soup. Tuesday night I made it again and I triumphed and it was glorious. It was ridiculously easy, but a tad time consuming, although that is mostly letting the onion/garlic roast in the oven while you do other things. I have another garlic soup recipe from a friend that I am going to try next and see which soup I like better, but for later tonight I will post the recipe that I used on Tuesday.

Apple Cake

It's been awhile since anyone posted so I'll post this cake that I baked the other day for a friend who just had a baby. I didn't take a picture of it, and I gave it away so I don't know if it tasted good. It sure smelled good in the oven, though! This is a good way to soothe that winter baking urge.
Note - I used pecans instead of walnuts because that's what i had in the cupboard.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt or tube pan. In a medium bowl, combine the diced apples, 1 tablespoon white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups white sugar, oil, orange juice, vanilla and eggs. Beat at high speed until smooth. Stir in flour mixture. Fold in chopped walnuts.
Pour 1/3 of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the apple mixture. Alternate layers of batter and filling, ending with batter.
Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

First Post!

Hi Everyone, I'm Beth and this is my first post on this blog :)

I haven't cooked very much since my baby girl was born 10 months ago - my husband has really stepped up and done some great cooking and cleaning the kitchen since then.

But I made some really great cupcakes the other day, and they are milk free and egg free for my kiddo, who is allergic to milk and has to wait until after 12 months to try eggs. Here goes:

Chocolate Cake- also called Wacky Cake
Milk, Egg, Peanut and Tree Nut Free
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¾ cup oil
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups cold water
Mix all ingredients- you can even mix it right in the pan!! I usually mix in a bowl with an electric mixer. Pour into a greases 9x12 pan
Bake 350 for 35- 40 minutes

I made cupcakes, and they were cooked in about 22 minutes. I used storebought coconut pecan frosting and special dark cocoa. They were delicious! Madeleine even had some - I think we'll make this for her first birthday.