Mediterranean Halibut

Okay so I got this one out of the "Body for Life" cookbook (one of my faves!). It's easy, yummy AND healthy, hurray! Plus, it's perfect for the grilling season! Halibut can get kind of expensive though (I got a bag of 4 frozen fillets at Sam's Club for about $17). Sorry I have no picture....

Servings: 2
Preparation Time: 25 min

Ingredients:
2 sheets (12" by 18" each) aluminum foil
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced (I just use dried basil to my liking)
2 portions halibut fillet (about 12 oz), skin removed
1/2 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
1 lemon, sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Fold foil sheets in half lengthwise to crease, then unfold. Lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.
2. Divide beans into 2 portions and spoon onto foil in the center of the right half. Layer each with half the sliced tomatoes and sliced basil. Place a portion of halibut fillet on top. Sprinkle halibut with lemon-pepper seasoning and top with lemon slices.
3. Fold foil over the top of the halibut, leaving room for air circulation. Close packets by double folding the 3 open foil edges.
4. Place foil packets on grill and lower cover. Grill until halibut is opaque throughout, about 14 minutes.
5. Use tongs to remove foil packets from grill. Open packets carefully and spoon contents onto plates. Serve and enjoy!

Note: This meal can also be prepared in the oven. Simple place sealed foil packets on a baking sheet and cook in your oven at 450 degrees for about 18 minutes!

.:Grasshopper Cupcakes:.

I got this idea from this blog. I decided to see what I could whip up using things that I already had at home. Mint and chocolate is always a safe, tasty combination, so I decided to use Grasshopper cookies instead of Oreos.



I lined my muffin tin (almost - I was short one, dang!) and placed one grasshopper cookie in the bottom of each.

Then I mixed up my boxed brownie mix. (I don't usually do stuff from scratch - maybe one day!)

Spoon your brownie mix into the muffin tins.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

I only had rainbow chip vanilla frosting in my pantry, so that's what I used! I added a little bit of peppermint extract to the frosting to give some more mint flavor.

Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

I'm not sure when I'll get time to try this out, but I love the idea and hope to try it soon! How fun!

.:Machaca Beef:.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless beef roast
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilis
- 1 T minced garlic
- 1 can (28 oz) chopped tomatoes
- 1 t salt
- 1/2 t cumin
- 1 t fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
- Place all ingredients in crockpot, cook on low for 8-10 hours
- Remove beef from crockpot and shred

You can use the beef for a variety of things: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chimichangas - so many possibilities!

I love crockpot recipes!

.:Chicken-Bean Burritos:.

These are super tasty!

INGREDIENTS
- 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 c cooked rice
- 1/2 c frozen kernel corn
- 2 c shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 c mild or medium salsa
- 1 t chili powder
- 1/2 t salt
- pinch black pepper
- 12 (8") flour tortillas
- 1/2 c chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS
- Boil chicken until chicken is tender. Let cool and cut into small pieces. (You could probably also shred it if you prefer.)
- Combine chicken, beans, rice, and corn.
- Stir in 1 c of cheese and 1 c of salsa
- Add chili powder, salt, pepper and mix well
- Place approximately 1/3 c of filling down the center of each tortilla and roll up
- Place tortillas in greased 9x13 baking dish
- Spread remaining salsa down the center of the tortillas
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 min at 375 degrees
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese
- Bake, uncovered for 10-15 min at 425 degrees until cheese is melted
- Sprinkle with chopped green onions

Yields 6-8 servings

You could probably add more salsa or enchilada sauce over the top of the burritos before they baked if you like them a little bit more smothered.

Yum!

Citrus Marinated Shrimp

Citrus Marinated Shrimp - 6 servings

1 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh lemon juice
¾ cup ketchup
¼ teaspoon tabasco
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½-2 pounds of large(Costco)shrimp
1 small red onion *thinly sliced
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Combine juices, ketchup, and tabasco in large bowl. Whisk in oil. Add onion, cilantro and cooked shrimp and mix well. Place in a ziplock bag and chill for a few hours or overnight. Drain well before serving. ENJOY!

.:Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips:.

For the baby shower, we also made fruit salsa with cinnamon and sugar chips. It was equally tasty, and a good complimentary food to the quiche.

For the cinnamon and sugar chips:
- flour tortillas
- cinnamon and sugar mixture
- butter flavored Pam spray

- Spray tortilla with Pam.
- Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture
- Spray Pam over top of mixture
- Cut tortillas into wedges using a pizza cutter
- Bake on a cookie sheet at 400 for 5 minutes

Fruit Salsa

You can really use whatever you want, in whatever quantities you would like. I got this little paragraph from Our Best Bites about the different colors.

Red: Strawberries are my standard because they hold up really well, they're usually inexpensive, and everyone loves strawberries. But watermelon, raspberries or pomegranate seeds would be fun too.

Orange: Mango is my top choice because you all know how much I love mangoes! I usually put in a higher ratio of mangoes to other fruit, but that's just me. Peaches, nectarines, or orange segments would work.

Yellow: Pineapple! Fresh is best, but in a pinch open up a can. I guess nectarines and peaches can also be yellow.

Green: LOVE the bright color and great texture of Kiwi in fruit salsa. There's always honeydew too.

Blue/Purple: I go with price on this one. Blueberries or blackberries, whichever is cheaper! See my note about blackberries below.

She also uses a sweetner, but we didn't and it was just fine. Here is what she had to say about sweetners:

Honey: I love the flavor of honey with fruit. I usually add a little no matter what.

Powdered Sugar: It dissolves fast and gives a light sweetness.

Brown Sugar: Takes longer to dissolve but adds an interesting flavor. Much deeper flavor than white sugar.

Granulated Sugar: What I use the most. It tastes good and makes a nice syrup with the fruit juices. Remember my life lesson about adding sugar?

Agave Nectar: If you want to use an alternative sweetener, you could try Agave Nectar (very low on the glycemic index if that concerns you) or a natural herbal sweetener like Stevia.

She also used some 'extras' - which we again, didn't use. But here is what she said:

You don't want to do all of these together- pick and choose!

Lime Juice: I always add lime juice. Just a few big squeezes. The fruit will give off a lot of juice so you don't want to add too much additional liquid, but a few squeezes of tangy lime juice adds a great flavor and makes it nice and tropical tasting.

Cinnamon: A few dashes of cinnamon goes great with the cinnamon chips.

Mint: I love a little chopped fresh mint in my fruit salsa. It reminds me of cilantro in regular salsa and makes everything so fresh tasting. But beware, a little goes a long way and if you add too much it will really overpower the taste of your yummy fruit. My husband hates it when I put mint in- he thinks it ruins the salsa and tastes disgusting, so you may want to go sparingly on that one!

Coconut: shredded coconut is especially yummy when you have tropical fruits like pineapple and mango in your salsa. Sprinkle some on top or stir it in, but either way do it just before serving or it will get all soggy.

Toasted Coconut: If you're taking this to a party, then add some toasted coconut on top for great presentation. People will go wild over it!

Ginger: I'm adding this from Kate's suggestion in the comment section. Great thinking! A little fresh ginger would be great. A little will go a long way. P.S. ginger + coconut = yum.

We made the salsa the day before, and let it chill overnite. It wasn't too soggy, but I probably wouldn't do it for too long beforehand.

Tasty, and semi-healthy with all of the fruit, especially if you don't add any sweetners and extras!

.:Mini Mexican Quiche:.

We made these when I was visiting my mom, for a baby shower. They are DELICIOUS!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese. Add flour; beat until well blended. Shape into 24 balls; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Press balls onto the bottom and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoonful of cheese and 1/2 teaspoon of chilies into each shell.
2. In a bowl, beat eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Spoon into shells. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

We added some spicy sausage to the mixture to give it a bit more flavor. We also used a cheddar cheese blend, instead of Monterey Jack, so that it wasn't as bland. Soooo tasty!

Lemon Bread

Okay, so the picture may not show the lusciousness of it, but this Lemon Bread is delicious. It is just the right amount of lemon and sweet and rich! Oh, and easy.

Lemon Bread
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Glaze:
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
-In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and lemon juice. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into creamed mixture alternately with milk. Pour into a greased 8x4x2 loaf pan (I used a 9x5 loaf pan).
-Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Combine glaze ingredients. Remove from pan; immediately drizzle with glaze. Cool on a wire rack.

This bread makes me think of a light, fresh, sunshiny day! Perfect for this time of year.