Beer-Battered Fish

I found a recipe for beer batter awhile back on Pinterest and thought, "Hey!  I could do that," so tonight, I did.  You could use this recipe as a base beer batter for anything you feel like cooking- onion rings, fish, chicken, green bean fries, etc... it's very yummy, plus then my vegetarian friends can get in on this!
The recipe itself was very good, though I did change it a bit, however the actual cooking of the fish was only okay.
If I had deep-fried it, everything would have been fine.  I tried to be a little healthier and pan-fried it instead.  That also probably would have been fine, except the fish was still a bit frozen, so I had to flip it more times than I intended and it kind of fell apart.  Oh well, it still tasted damn good.
I also halved the recipe and it is a good thing I did!  I coated two large pieces of cod as well as a pound of green beans in the stuff and had quite a bit leftover.  If you are cooking for a small army, perfect!

Beer Batter

Beer-Battered Fish

Beer-Battered Fish

Ingredients: 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/8 cup beer, plus more for correct consistancy
4 large white fish filets, such as cod
Vegetable oil, for frying

Preparation:
In a medium bowl, add flour, salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic.  Mix well.
Add beer.  Whisk.
If mixture is too dry (mine was!) add beer until the consistency of a batter.
Add about 2 Tbsp. oil to large skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat two fish in batter.  Add to pan.  Cook until golden brown on one side, flip until golden brown on the other side.  Set aside to a plate.  Cover.  Add 2 more Tbsp. oil to skillet and add battered fish.  Repeat.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Buzzle

Mexican Turkey Burgers with Mango Salsa

Today I was going to make Thai turkey burgers, but then Alyssa came into the kitchen, saw the peanut butter out, and made a face.  I didn't have scallions anyway, so I switched my menu to Mexican turkey burgers instead; especially because the mango salsa could stay!  The Mexican burgers went over well, especially because I made up the recipe on the fly!

Mango Turkey Burger with Mango Salsa

I went bun-less to cut some carbs, but it's a burger of course, use a bun if you want!

Mexican Turkey Burgers with Mango Salsa

Ingredients:
Burgers:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground turkey (93/7)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg

Mango Salsa:
1 mango, cubed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
The juice of 1 lime
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients for the hamburgers in a large bowl.  Heat oil over medium heat.  Shape burgers into 4 patties.  Cook on one side for 4-5 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine all mango salsa ingredients in medium bowl.  Flip burgers.  Cook 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through.  Serve with mango salsa spooned over top.

Recipe Adapted from Chocolate Broccoli

Pork and Apples

This dish ended up really yummy. I will say that it was a tad on the dry side, however, I used individual pork chops rather than a loin, so I'm going to chalk it up to that.  The flavor ended up being delicious though, and that's what counts, right??

Pork and Apples

Pork and Apples

Ingredients:
1 pork loin, (24 oz.)
1 large onion, sliced
1 large apple, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp. apple butter, divided
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. flour

Preparation:
In a heavy pot or dutch oven with tight-fitting lid, brown pork in oil for about 10 minutes.
After turning pork, add sliced onions.
Add wine, chicken stock, 2 Tbsp. apple butter, basil, and rosemary.  Turn heat to low, cover, and braise for 45 minutes.
Slice apples, about the same size as the onions. Add to pot.
Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes longer.
Remove pork, onions, and apple to a bowl; cover to keep warm.
Turn heat up to medium and add flour and remaining Tbsp. of apple butter.  Reduce until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Slice pork and serve with sauce.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Thyme for Cooking, the Blog

Italian One Pot Dinner

This dinner is great.  It took me about 20 minutes from start to finish, which is great after working all day!  I'm sure Matt's favorite part about this dinner was that he only had to clean one pot!  Literally everything in this dish is thrown into a pot and cooks for about 10 minutes.  Excellent!

Italian One Pot Dinner

Italian One Pot Dinner

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable to make it vegetarian)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 oz. fettuccine (I used spinach fettuccine, but you can use regular or whole wheat)
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained!
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 oz. asiago cheese, optional

Preparation: 
Over high heat, add all ingredients to pot, making sure to break fettuccine up, so it can be easily submerged.
Make sure all ingredients are submerged, place a lid on top of pot.  Allow liquid to come to a rolling boil, then remove lid and turn the heat to medium.
Allow for boiling to continue, without lid, for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove from heat and sprinkle each portion with fresh asiago cheese.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Budget Bytes

Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas

Another post about enchiladas?  Does this girl eat anything else?  If I had it my way, I really wouldn't.  I think Matt might get sick of them though.  However, he has put up with them twice in the past two weeks as well as a casserole version.  Delicious!  In this version, we lightened things up and used a fresh avocado sauce!  (Alyssa came into the kitchen and asked why the sauce was green, once I told her it was avocados though, it was fine.)
I'm always a little wary using different sauces on my enchiladas, I like them with red chile sauce, or my favorite way, with tomatillo sauce.  However, these turned out wonderfully!  This sauce is rockin'.  I would eat this on everything.  For real.  If you don't make the enchiladas, at least make the sauce.  (I tore up a tortilla to dunk in the sauce before I rolled them all out just so I wouldn't feel gross about eating the sauce with a spoon.)

Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas

Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas

Ingredients:
For the Enchilada:
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 small poblano peppers, stemmed, deseeded, and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, stemmed, deseeded, and thinly sliced
8 10'' flour tortillas (You can also use corn to make these gluten-free, but Matt won't eat them, so flour it is)
2 chicken breasts
2 tsp. taco seasoning
2-3 cups Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
Optional: fresh cilantro, sour cream, shredded cheese, for garnish

For the Avocado Sauce:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. taco seasoning
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tsp. lime juice

Preparation:
For the enchiladas:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Prepare the avocado sauce, as described below.
In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat.  Rub both sides of chicken breasts with taco seasoning.  Add to skillet.  Cover.  Cook on first side 9 minutes, flip, cook an additional 4-5 minutes.
In the same skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion, poblano, and jalapeno and saute for 5-6 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.  Remove from heat.
To assemble the enchiladas, place tortilla on a flat surface.  Spread a spoonful of avocado sauce in the middle of the tortilla.  Scoop even amounts of vegetables, chicken, and cheese.  Carefully roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish.  Repeat with all tortillas.  Drizzle the top with about half of the remaining sauce.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven.  Top each enchilada with avocado sauce.  You can also garnish with fresh cilantro, cheese, and sour cream.

For the avocado sauce:
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the flour, whisking until golden and bubbly, about 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk the broth into the flour mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in sour cream and taco seasoning, whisking to remove any lumps.  Remove from heat and transfer to a food processor or blender.  Add avocados, cilantro, and lime juice.  Pulse until well-blended.

Recipe Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Enchilada Noodle Casserole

If you have ever visited my blog before, I'm sure you realize by now that Mexican food is my favorite food.  So, now that the cool fall weather is here, I can finalize make casseroles!  Hooray!
Of course, it wouldn't be my blog without me missing some ingredient, so right before I started cooking, I realized I didn't have any cheese!  What is a casserole without cheese!?  Oh well, I can attest that this is still quite delicious, despite the lack of cheese.  Plus, now that I have scheduled two wedding dress appointments, it's probably a good thing we didn't have any cheese.

Enchilada Casserole

Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
5 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (14.5 oz.) can corn, drained
6 oz. egg noodles
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Cook egg noodles according to package directions.  Drain.  Set aside.
In a large skillet, brown ground beef and drain fat.  Add chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Add cream cheese until melted and combined.
Put noodles back into large pot you cooked them in.  Add sour cream, enchilada sauce, corn, and tomatoes.  Add meat mixture.  Stir to combine.
Pour mixture into a casserole dish.
Bake 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Table for Two

Beer-Glazed Beans

I have been eating beans wrong for years.  I have been using them as a side, to get some extra protein, and cut out the bad carbs.  NO!  I found this recipe the other day, and thought they sounded good.  Wrong, they were delicious!  I cooked some kielbasa in beer as the meat in my dish, and it ended up taking a second seat to the beans!
*Disclaimer, this dish is supposed to be made with black beans, which I think are probably the best choice, however, I only had kidney beans, so that's what I used.

Beer-Glazed Beans

Beer-Glazed Beans

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. onion flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup beer (I used Labatt's)
2 cans beans (black were suggested, but I used kidney)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. honey
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Place a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic, cook for about one minute.
Add the remaining ingredients, along with the salt and pepper.
Bring to a slow boil and cook until liquid is slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from How To Cook Everything by: Mark Bittman

Green Chicken Chili

So, I just started my job this week, which means I won't get paid until next week, which means I was looking for a meal that I could make with only the ingredients I already had on hand.  This one fit the bill!  (It actually called for some things I didn't have, but I got creative.)  My only complaint was that there were so few leftovers!

Green Chicken Chili

Green Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

2 chicken quarters, skin removed

2 cans (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained

1 can (15.5 oz) whole kernel corn, drained

1 jar salsa verde

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 tsp. chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Put chicken in bottom of crock pot.  Add beans and corn. 

Mix salsa, chiles, garlic, onion, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl.  Pour over top. 

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.  Remove chicken and shred, discarding any bones.  

Return meat to crock pot.  Stir. 

Top with sour cream, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado

Enjoy! 

Recipe Adapted from The Woman's Day Everyday Cookbook

Ham and Pepper Casserole

Tonight's dinner was supposed to be a Denver omelette.  However, when I opened up the egg carton, there were only three eggs!  The ham was already out of the freezer, and I had already bought a green pepper for the omelette.  Hence, this casserole was born!

Ham and Pepper Casserole

Look at that ooze!

Update: Matt ate half the pan!

Ham and Pepper Casserole

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked ham, cubed (I used ham steaks, but feel free to use leftovers!)
1 green pepper, cubed
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 cup milk
6 ounces egg noodles
1 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. parsley
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup french fried onions

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare egg noodles according to package directions.  Drain.
Melt down cream cheese and milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk until smooth.
Combine all ingredients  except for cheddar cheese and french fried onions in a greased casserole dish.
Mix well.
Top with cheddar cheese and french fried onions.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until top is bubbling.
Let set for 5 minutes.
Enjoy!

Onion Pizza

Cooking for my sister, Alyssa isn't always easy.  You would think I would be safe with pizza... nope!  She only likes either cheese or onion pizza, while I would prefer onions along with some sausage and peppers.  Oh well, onion pizza it is!
I was just going to make pizza and that was going to be dinner, however I decided last minute I really wanted wings!  Our normal pizza place wasn't open because of labor day weekend, so we were really scrambling!  Finally, we found a place that was open and that delivered and was cheap!  Hooray!

Onion Pizza

Onion Pizza*

Ingredients:

For the dough:
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 packet yeast

Toppings:

1/2 cup marinara sauce
1 cup fresh mozzarella, or whatever cheese you would like
Garlic Powder, to taste
1 onion, diced
Whatever other ingredients you like on your pizza!

Preparation: 

For the dough:
Add water and vegetable oil to bread machine.
Top with flour, sugar, and salt.
Tap the sides of the bread pan to evenly spread the dry ingredients.
Make a small well in the center of the pan.  Put yeast in well.
Program bread machine to dough.
Hang out for an hour and a half.
Once dough is finished, flour countertop and hands.  Remove dough from bread machine and knead for about one minute.  Let rise for fifteen minutes.
Roll out dough to fit onto pizza stone or whatever pan you will be using.  Rest for 25 minutes.

For the pizza:
Preheat oven to 425.
After rolling out the dough, and waiting for the dough to rise again, saute onions over medium heat until slightly translucent.
Once dough is ready, transfer to pizza stone or pan.
Spread marinara sauce over dough.
Top with cheese and onions.
Sprinkle garlic powder over crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Let rest 5 minutes before cutting.
Enjoy!


*This recipe is intended to be made in a bread machine.  Of course you can always buy pre-made dough instead of making it from scratch.

Salisbury Steak

Have you ever eaten salisbury steak not out of a box or in a school cafeteria?  Me either.  Well, until today.  I found this recipe in my trusty Comfort Food cookbook and didn't know what to make of it.  After reading the ingredients, it sounded tasty and pretty easy!
I did have to fix the recipe a bit though, there was no binding ingredient in the meat, so I added one which should work much better!  Also, as a disclaimer, this doesn't have the thick sauce that normal salisbury steak has... though it is delicious!

Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup red wine

Preparation: 
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook onions until soft, remove from skillet.
Mix meat, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Roll to form patties.  (The recipe suggests to make three 1/2 pound patties, however I made 6 smaller ones.)
Place in skillet.  Cook 5 minutes on one side.  Flip.  Cook an additional 3 minutes.
Remove from skillet.
Place onions back in skillet.  Add red wine.  Bring to a boil.  Cook one minute, or until slightly thick.
To eat, spoon sauce and onions over steak.
Enjoy!
(I served this with a side of stuffing and caprese salad!)

Recipe Adapted from Comfort Food

Crockpot Enchiladas

Today my friend Siobhan came over for dinner, so we had to tweak the menu to go vegetarian.  Easy!  I found this recipe for vegetarian crockpot enchiladas, and they were a hit!  (Matt and Alyssa both had seconds!)  I like this recipe also because you can easily substitute the soy crumbles for ground beef if you want meat!

Crockpot Enchiladas

So this picture, is terrible, but mostly because I ate my first one so fast I forgot to take a picture and they were a little tougher to get out of the bottom of the pot!

Crockpot Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 pound soy crumbles (I used Morning Star) or ground beef
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with mild green chiles, drained
1 14 oz. can sweet corn, drained
1 large white onion, diced
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Adobo seasoning
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. taco seasoning
1 28 oz. can enchilada sauce (I used red, but only because I couldn't find green)
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
8 10'' tortillas
Tomatoes, diced, optional
Sour Cream, optional

Preparation: 
In a large skillet, brown crumbles, corn, 1/2 the diced onion, tomatoes, and all of the seasonings.
Spray Pam in crockpot.
Pour 1 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of the crockpot.
Scoop 3 Tbsp. of mixture in tortilla, top with 1 Tbsp. of cheese.  Roll up and place in bottom of crockpot.  Repeat until you have one layer.  (I fit 4 in the bottom of mine.)
Pour one cup of enchilada sauce and one cup of cheese over first layer.
Repeat filling tortillas.
Repeat layer of enchilada sauce and cheese.
Top with remaining onions.
Cook for 2-4 hours on high.
Top with fresh tomatoes and sour cream, if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Miss Foodie Fash