Fish Tacos

We really enjoyed these tacos. I'm posting the recipe as we made it, but I definitely want to experiment with a few changes. I think the honey/cumin mixture should have a more prominent role -- maybe as the coleslaw dressing.

Fish Tacos

1 lb tilapia, cut into chunks
5/6 c lime juice, divided
2 T honey
1 T olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 c mayo
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 T adobo sauce
1/4 tsp sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 c cabbage, shredded
1 c cilantro leaves, minced
3 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 c flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 c panko bread crumbs
salt & pepper, to taste
1 c grapeseed oil, for frying
flour tortillas

1) Place the tilapia chunks in a flat dish and marinate (refrigerated) in 1/2 c lime juice for several hours.
2) Whisk together remaining 1/3 c lime juice, honey, olive oil and cumin in a small bowl. Set aside.
3) Place the mayo, chipotles, adobo, salt and cayenne in the food processor. Pulse until smooth.
4) Combine cabbage, cilantro, green onions and half of the chipotle mayo. Set aside.
5) Place the flour, eggs and panko in three separate bowls.
6) Season the fish with salt and pepper, to taste.
7) Dip the fish first in the flour, then the eggs, then the panko. Set the fish on a plate.
8) Pour grapeseed oil into heavy skillet until 1/4 deep. Heat to 365 deg over medium heat.
9) Cook the fish, turning on all sides, until golden brown.
10) Drain the fish on paper towels. Brush the fish with the honey mixture.
11) Assemble the tacos by placing several pieces of fish, 1 T chipotle mayo and coleslaw on each tortilla.

Pasta with Cream Sauce

This was extra tasty. We used fresh pasta (which comes in 10 oz packages), so I scaled the rest of the ingredients back a bit. Also, I was out of milk, so I used a little extra cream and made up the difference with water.

Pasta with Cream Sauce

1 lb dried pasta
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c whole milk
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 c (4 oz) grated parmesan
1/2 c sliced mushrooms, sauteed
1/2 c frozen green peas
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1) Cook the pasta according to package directions.
2) In the meantime, warm the cream, milk, salt and pepper in a saucepan over med-low heat.
3) Add the cooked pasta and cheese; stir until the cheese melts.
4) Add sauteed mushrooms, frozen peas and/or bacon crumbles.
5) Cook an additional 3-4 minutes until everything is warmed through and sauce thickens.

Potato Salad

This is a Mama K original....best potato salad ever!

Potato Salad

5 russet potatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
3 eggs, hardboiled and chopped
1/2 c mayo
1/2 c sugar
3 T apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste

1) Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water. Boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
2) Drain potatoes, let cool and cut into cubes.
3) Combine potatoes, onion, pepper, celery and eggs in a large bowl.
4) In a small bowl, combine mayo, sugar and vinegar.
5) Mix dressing into potato mixture.
6) Add salt and pepper to taste.
7) Refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to meld.
8) If the potatoes absorb a lot of the dressing, make another half batch and mix in.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This is my favorite mac and cheese recipe! You can try substituting part of the cheddar with another cheese to create a slightly different flavor.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

6 T butter
1/4 c plus 2 T flour
4 c milk
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 lb macaroni
3 c (12 oz) extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/3 c parmesan cheese, divided
1 c fresh bread crumbs

1) Melt butter over low heat; add flour and whisk for 3 mins.
2) Add milk, whisking, and bring to a boil.
3) Add dry mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper; simmer until thickened, about 2 mins.
4) In the meantime, boil macaroni for about 7 mins; drain.
5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6) In a large bowl, stir together cheddar, sauce, macaroni and 1 c parmesan; transfer to buttered 3-4 qt gratin dish or 9x13 pan.
7) In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs and 1/3 c parmesan; sprinkle evenly over macaroni.
8) Bake for 25-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Onion & Cheddar Biscuit

Another good recipe from Taste of Home magazine! I tripled this recipe for a party, and it made about 16 biscuits. Since I managed to burn the first batch of vinegar and onions, my second batch only had 1/4 c vinegar in it (although everything else was tripled). I could definitely taste the vinegar, so I'm hesitant about adding the full amount next time.

Onion & Cheddar Biscuits

1/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
4 T cold butter, divided
1/4 c white balsamic vinegar
1 c all-purpose flour
1 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 c buttermilk

1) In a small skillet, saute onion in 1 T butter until tender.
2) Add vinegar; cook and stir until liquid is mostly evaporated (watch closely!). Let cool.
3) In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and seasonings.
4) Cut remaining butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5) Add the onion mixture, cheese and green onions.
6) Stir in buttermilk, just until moistened.
7) Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6-8 times.
8) Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness; cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds.
9) Place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet.
10) Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

French Bread

This is a very easy homemade bread recipe from Taste of Home magazine. It makes two huge loaves. Next time I plan to cut the recipe in half to make two smaller loaves. I didn't have any bread flour so I used all-purpose flour, and it worked out fine. I'll try bread flour next time.

French Bread

2 T active dry yeast
2 c warm water (110 - 115 degrees)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 1/2 to 5 c bread flour
1 tsp cornmeal

1) In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water; let stand 5 minutes.
2) Add the sugar, salt and 2 c flour; beat until smooth.
3) Stir in enough remaining flour to form soft dough.
4) Turn dough onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 - 8 minutes.
5) Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.
6) Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.
7) Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface.
8) Divide dough in half; shape into 12 in long loaves.
9) Place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet.
10) Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 mins.
11) Sprinkle with cornmeal.
12) With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf.
13) Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

Banana Nut Bread

This is one of our breakfast stand-bys. We've started experimenting with the recipe to make it not quite so unhealthy :-)

Banana Nut Bread

1 c butter (slightly softened)
2 c sugar
2 c overripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 c walnuts, chopped

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees; grease two 9" x 5" bread pans.
2) Cream the butter and sugar in the mixer.
3) Add the bananas and eggs; mix until smooth.
4) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
5) Add the flour to the banana mixture; mix until combined.
6) Stir in walnuts.
7) Divide batter evenly between loaf pans.
8) Bake for 60-70 minutes.
9) Wrap cooled loaves in foil to store.

Healthier Alternative: Substitute 1/2 c applesauce for 1/2 c butter; reduce sugar to 1 c; substitute 1 c whole wheat flour for 1 c all-purpose flour.