Fish Tacos

We are trying to eat a bit more healthy... Well at least with a couple meals a weeks. This one is yummy and filling.

Fish Tacos

3 Tilapa fillets
1 Lime
Seasoning
Shredded Cabbage
Cilantro
Flour Tortillas
Avocados (ok we didn't have any, so I used some ranch dressing to give the taco some moisture)

Its better if the fish is taken out of the fridge so it's not super cold when you put it in the pan. So I take it out, squeeze the lime over the fish. I also seasoned with some Cajun seasoning and pepper. The acid in the lime will cook the fish, so don't let marinate for extended periods of time. Heat the grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat. Drizzle pan with olive oil. Put fish gentle in the pan once its heated up thoroughly. Do not move the fish!!! Cook for 3 minutes on one side. Turn the fish over and continuing cooking until its cooked thoroughly, probably another 3-4 minutes. Playing with the fish in the pan, will make the fish fall apart. Heat the tortillas up in the microwave. Serve fish in the tortillas with cabbage, cilantro and avocados (or ranch dressing).

Beans

I just took a can of light kidney beans and heat them up on the stove. I added some taco seasoning, cilantro and some lime juice. It turned out great for a lazy side dish.

Steak Sandwich with Mashed Potatoes and Corn Salad

This was delicious!! It was very much inspired by the Pioneer Woman. I made a goal to cook through her entire cookbook. Although I took some creative liberty in the Steak Sandwich recipe.

Steak and Gravy Sandwich

1 large onion, sliced
1/4 cup butter
2 pounds cube steak, cut into 1" strips
2 Tbls flour
1/4 cup beef broth, close to room temperature
Black Pepper
Worcestershire Sauce

Make sure you use a large enough pan with a flat bottom. You do not want to over crowd your pan. Saute onions and 2 Tbls butter until onions are soft. Set aside. Toss cube steak into saute pan with the rest of the butter. Cook on medium-high for 5-8 minutes, until meat is cooked thoroughly. Add flour to the pan, and cook for 1 minute. Add the onions back into the pan. Add beef broth and stir. Add pepper and Worcestershire sauce. The flour will help turn the broth and sauce into a yummy gravy. We might have added a spoon of sour cream (I add sour cream to everything!! :). If you are topping your sandwich with cheese, you might find adding sour cream to make it a little too rich.

Mashed Potatoes

Big D makes these!! Boil chopped up potatoes until they are soft. Mash with butter, cheese, pepper and sour cream... Yes sour cream!!! Seems simple, but his are much better than mine. I think he sneaks something different in it while I'm setting the table.

Katie's Roasted Corn Salad - this one I actually followed the recipe!

makes 6 cups


8 fresh corn ears
1 red onion (quartered)
2 yellow squash (halved lengthwise)
1 red bell pepper
2 medium tomatoes (ok I skipped the tomatoes, cause I really don't like them)

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
12 basil leaves (cut into chiffonade; stack the leaves on top of one another, roll tightly, and slice across), 1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves (chopped)

Directions: Begin by heating a grill pan (or outdoor grill). Drizzle the grill with olive oil. Place the corn on the grill and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Grill for 5-8 minutes until the corn is beginning to brown. Drizzle the onion with olive oil and grill just until it starts to become tender. Do not allow to overcook, as you want the onion to remain somewhat firm. Repeat with halved summer squash and bell pepper. Allow vegetables to cool slightly after grilling. Roughly chop the onions, squash, and pepper. Scrape the corn kernels from the cob. Dice the tomatoes and add them to the mix.

To make the dressing, in a separate bowl, pour the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and whisk together until combined. Finally, add the basil, a dash of salt, and garlic and whisk together. Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl and pour the dressing over the top. Stir to combine.

Enjoy, until next time!!

Welcome

Howdy y'all!!! I'd like to welcome everyone and explain what goes on down here in South Texas! Big D and I moved to Texas in the hot hot summer of 2009. I work full time, he works more than full time. We have three precious dogs, that of course are as spoiled as kids.

But enough about boring us! Let's move on to the blog! This blog is to catalog our adventures in food. We both love cooking, however because of Big D's schedule, I'm the one to do most of the cooking. We don't cook healthy food. Just down home, mostly from scratch, fill your tummy food! We, and when I say we I mean I for the most part, try to balance our meals with veggies, salads and some thought to not completely clogging our arteries. Cooking for two can be difficult. We both come from large families that cook for armys! So learning to scale back, or repurpose leftovers for lunches has been a challenge. Also we do not cook fancy food. We stick to a loose budget by shopping sales, stocking up and using coupons. We'd like to share what we have learned and are learning. I get a lot of my ideas from Rachael Ray, the
Pioneer Woman and food network. Big D takes his inspiration from using lots of Tony Caseras seasonings.

Enjoy!
Little D