Tilapia Fish Tacos

 

Ingredients:

• 5 tilapia fillets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lime, juice of
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons southwest seasoning
• salt
• 8 corn tortillas (small size) or 8 flour tortillas (small size)
• cooking spray

Toppings (optional)

• sour cream (optional)
• guacamole (optional)
• minced onion (optional)
• shredded cheese (optional)
• fresh salsa (optional)
• lime slice (optional)

Directions:

Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 15 mins

1. In a nonstick pan, heat over medium high heat the oil and then add the tilapia.
2. Season with half the lime juice, salt, cumin and southwest seasoning.
3. Once that side is cooked, flip and season, cooking till golden.
4. Heat a small pan over medium heat and then spray with cooking spray. Add tortilla, cooking and heating both sides.
5. Fill tortilla with a portion of fish and then top with desired toppings

Yields 8 Tacos 

Chicken Riggies

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 tablespoons minced shallot
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (4 ounce) jar sweet red peppers, drained and julienned
• 1/2 cup fresh tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked rigatoni pasta

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil and melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute until soft, then add chicken, season with salt and pepper to taste and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, or until halfway cooked.
2. Add peppers and stir in tomato sauce, reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes. Add sherry and simmer for another 10 minutes, then stir in cream and simmer for 10 minutes more. Toss all with hot, cooked pasta and serve.

Apple Spice Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 10 inch tube pan. Cover raisins with warm water, let soak for 10 minutes and then drain. Whisk together flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream together butter or margarine and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir together soda and 1 tablespoon warm water, and mix into the sugar mixture. Stir in flour mixture, apples, and strained raisins until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan. Once cool, shake pan to loosen cake. Turn onto plate, and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

As seen on the Rachel Ray Show

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds all-white meat ground chicken breast
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 5 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (you can substitute with chipotles or chipotle chili powder)
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce, depending on how hot you like it
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce (if you have a big can of tomatoes, don't go to the store to get the sauce, it's fine. Just use what you have)
• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 7-ounce bag yellow corn chips
• 1 7-ounce bag blue corn chips
• 3/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled, recommended type Maytag Blue
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (a couple of handfuls)

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F or broiler to medium

Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and the butter. Once the butter has melted and the pot is hot, add the ground chicken. Brown it, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up in to small pieces, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together.

While the chili is simmering, spread the yellow and blue corn chips out on a cookie sheet. Top with the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to the oven to melt the cheese, about 4-5 minutes. If using the broiler, 2-3 minutes should do the trick. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Top each serving of buffalo chicken chili with a few blue cheese-topped corn chips.