Spicy Soy Ginger Tilapia

Tonight's creation is sweet, salty, savory, and delicious. Paired with greens or with stir fry veggies and rice, it's sure to make your taste buds react. Here's how:


Ingredients:
1 lb fresh  Tilapia filets (about 4-5 filets)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs light brown sugar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 Tbs sweet chili sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
Juice of 1 fresh lime


Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a small dish that can accommodate all of the fish filets. Marinate fish in mixture for 1 hour maximum.

Remove fish from marinade, broil on high for 5-6 minutes or until no longer opaque. 

Boil the remainder of the marinade rapidly until thickened and reduced by half.

Serve the fish over the bed of greens and/or rice and drizzle the sauce over the fish.

You can strain the sauce prior to reducing if you don't like all of the "chunks" floating in it. I happen to like them so I left them in. Enjoy!

Spicy Parmesan Chicken Pasta

Whew! It's been a few weeks since I've had the chance to stop and cook dinner, which you must know stresses me out. However, after this rainy, droopy day, I was in the mood for comfort food! I just threw this together out of items I had laying around and it turned out well. Use caution if you don't like spicy food.

Ingredients

• 3/4 box of ziti pasta (reserve 1 cup cooking liquid)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 1/4 Cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.
• While pasta cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet coated with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add crushed red pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add chicken pieces, and sautee until browned.
• Add reserved pasta cooking liquid to pan; bring to a boil. Stir in salt, black pepper, chicken, and balsamic vinegar; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta, and cook 1 for minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese.

Note: Sauce will thicken if you let it cool for a few minutes - delicious!

Sausage Balls

Football is here! That means it's time to break out my favorite series of fall snacks, so I can share them with a house full of people crowded around my TV. This is my all time favorite game day snack: sausage balls. Simple, cheap, and easy.


Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork sausage
• 2 cups biscuit baking mix
• 1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

           

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees               
2. In a large bowl, combine sausage, biscuit baking mix and cheese. Form into walnut size balls and place on baking sheets.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and sausage is cooked through.

Enjoy!               

Black Bean Soup

This is the simplest, most delicious crock pot meal that I would classify as "somewhat healthy." You should definitely try it if you like black bean soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag dried black beans
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 box chicken stock
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• sour cream for garnish
• 1 ripe avocado for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large pot of water, bring dried beans to a boil, and let cook for 2 minutes. Let soak for 10 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
2. In your crock pot, pour 1/2 the box of chicken stock, and add all the seasonings. Chop onion into 1/2 pieces, and add to crock pot.
3. To crock pot, add 2 cups of the bean-soaking water, then drain the rest of the beans and add to the pot. Cook on medium-low for about 6 hours. Add remainder of broth halfway through cooking time.
4. When beans are tender, blend soup together with hand blender, to the desired consistency. Serve with avocado chunks and sour cream.

Its really yummy, and makes 4-6 servings!

Steak & Potatoes

Occasionally, I like to treat my other half to a nice steak dinner. I'm learning to cook steak in the house without completely smoking up the entire apartment and setting off the smoke alarm - but I am impressed with how this actually turned out. Mainly because of the mashed potatoes - possibly my favorite food.

Regarding the steak, I just seasoned a pair of ribeyes with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and seared them in bacon fat. (mmm) Save the bacon for crumbling on top of mashed potatoes.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Ingredients:

• 5-7 medium sized yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 c. Sour cream
• 1/2-3/4 c milk, depending on the consistency you like
• salt & pepper to taste

Cut potatoes into 1/2" pieces, and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, then smash with a wooden spoon or masher. Add all other ingredients and even some cheese if you desire. Top with crumbled bacon - enjoy!

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie

I don't make these so much anymore, because I want to eat them all, but when I'm in the mood for fresh cookies, this is my "go to" recipe. Try it - its very adaptable to your own favorite ingredients too! Ps - these turn out pretty soft and chewy. If you're looking for crispier cookies, this is probably not the recipe you want.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick)
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1 bag semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli brand because that's what I had laying around)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare 2 cookie sheets. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

Place the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and continue to mix until the mixture is smooth. Fold in the chocolate chunks using a spatula.

To form the cookies, scoop about 1/4 cup of cookie dough for each cookie. I was able to fit 12 per pan. Bake for 15 minutes for chewy cookies.

Allow the cookies to cool before consuming - although this is easier said than done!

Taco Soup

Wondering what to do with your taco leftovers? Here you go!

1/2-1 lb. cooked taco meat (leftover)
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg taco seasonings
2 large cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 can black beans
1 can whole kernel corn

Add everything into a pot and cook until everything has melded together - about 30 minutes. Enjoy!