Fish Taco Roll-ups

Fish Taco Roll-ups

These are a healthy, throw together recipe! My husband doesn't like corn tortillas, so we have to use flour tortillas in my house. (Weird with fish tacos, I know!) Swap in corn tortillas and cut them in half instead of fourths. He also doesn't like fish, so I use tilapia instead of cod because it's a milder taste. The health benefits of fish are just too much to pass up! You can add and subtract ingredients to your taste (or your fridge contents).

Ingredients:
3 flour tortillas
3 tilapia fillets
1/2 tbsp and 3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1 lime
3 tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup cabbage
1/4 cup salsa or diced tomatoes
(Avocado is also yummy, but we didn't have any!)

Directions:
1. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add tilapia fillets and season with oregano and lemon juice. Cook thoroughly -- about 6-7 minutes or until fish flakes apart.
2. In a separate sauce pan, heat 3 tbsp oil. Cut flour torillas into 4 quarters. Drop tortillas into hot oil one at a time. Cook on each side for about 15 seconds, then remove and set aside.

3. Spread sour cream over each piece of tortilla.
4. Top with an appropriate-sized piece of tilapia.
5. Drizzle with fresh-squeezed lime juice.

6. Top with cabbage and salsa mix.

7. Roll tortilla from corner to corner, so the point of the triangle is the open end of the taco. Use a small dollup of sour cream to keep it together.
8. Enjoy! We had it with corn tonight. We usually have black beans or rice as well, but we weren't very hungry tonight. This recipe makes 12 mini roll-ups.

French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms

French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms
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I tried these out for a holiday potluck last night and they were a hit! One of the easier stuffed mushroom recipes I've found and possible one of my favorites. Also a great way to get your loved ones (ahem, my husband!) to eat some vegetables!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, sliced
1/4 cup beef broth
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
24 mushrooms, rinsed and stems removed
Salt
Parsley

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. You'll also want to preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Slice onions and toss in skillet. Saute for 15-20 minutes or until soft.

3. Add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Saute until all juice is absorbed. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in same skillet. Add mushroom caps and a dash of salt and saute for 1-2 minutes. 

 

5. Remove mushrooms and set it baking dish, open stem side up.

6. Fill mushrooms with onions and top with grated Swiss cheese. Be generous! Fill those puppies with as much as you can. Let it overflow a little! These cheese will help keep it all together. :)

7. Bake mushrooms in oven (325) for 10 minutes.

8. Flip the oven to broil and watch closely. Broil just long enough for the cheese on top to brown (took me about 3 minutes). Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley.

9. Let cool for 5 minutes. While cooling, line a plate with a paper towel. Place mushrooms on paper-towel-plate to absorb the extra juice.

10. Move the mushrooms to a pretty serving plate and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman blog.

Super Simple Scarf

Super Simple Scarf
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This might be one of the easiest sewing projects on the face of the earth. The beauty of it? They keep you equally warm as the $30 scarves. My dad enlisted me to make these because our entire family is HUGE sports fans. What a great gift! Choose any fleece fabric you like, but I'm an Oregon State University alumni and I love my Beavs!!

What you'll need:
1/4 yard fleece
Sewing machine
Black thread (or corresponding thread, depending on your fabric choice)
Scissors

Directions:
1. Your fleece probably came folded in half off a bolt. Well unfold that and fold it in half the long way (like a hot dog, not a hamburger, if anyone remembers that from elementary school) with the good side of the pattern on the inside

2. Place the fabric under the foot of your sewing machine about 3 inches from the end. I like to do a 1/4 inch hem, but do what ever you're comfortable with! A smaller hem will mean a wider scarf.

3. Run a backstitch, then run a hem all the way down to about 3 inches from the other end. Finish with another backstitch.

4. Now turn your fleece sleeve inside out -- or right side in, rather. (I also folded mine in half here so it wasn't so long.)

 5. Cut slits on each end through both pieces of fabric about 3 inches up. (Up to where you stopped your hem.)

6. Now tie the slits, knotting a piece from each the top and bottom layer of fabric.

7. Presto Magnifico! A warm scarf sporting the best university! (Or what ever other fabric you chose!) Definitely wearing this all winter and to Beaver baseball games!!

Chocolate-dipped S'mores Cups

Chocolate-dipped S'mores Cups
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This recipe, courtesy of Pampered Chef, was passed along to me by one of my best friends years ago. I have developed an affinity for all things s'mores and make these little treats on a regular basis. They have become a favorite in my immediate family, extended family, and office! They're a no-mess, no-campfire way to enjoy one of the best (and cheapest) desserts of all time!!! You will need a mini muffin pan for this recipe.

Ingredients:
7 Graham crackers
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted
12 marshmallows
2 Hersey's chocolate bars
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1 tbsp milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place graham crackers in a sealed ziploc bag and go to town on them! Crush them into a fine powder using a rolling pin, a drinking glass turned on its side, or your hands! These will make up your crust, so be sure to crush them up good.

 3. Combine crushed graham crackers, powdered sugar and melted butter until a crumbly mixture forms.
4. Place 1/2 tsp of mixture into each cup of your mini muffin pan.

5. Press the graham cracker mixture firmly into the bottom of your pan.

 6. Bake 5-6 minutes or until edges bubble.
7. Meanwhile, cut your marshmallows in half and break apart your Hershey's chocolate bar along the seams.

 8. When your graham cracker crusts come out of the oven, put one Hersey's square and one half marshmallow, cut side down, in each cup. Bake 2-3 minutes, or until marshmallow softens through.

9. Allow to cool in pan 7-10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Cool completely before beginning dipping process or you may lose your marshmallow!

 10. While your s'more cups finish cooling, melt down your chocolate chips. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave. (I was going to do it on the stove, then I changed my mind and did it in the microwave.) For microwave melting, add milk for creaminess and microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until thoroughly melted. You may have to re-melt your chocolate a couple times during the dipping process, depending how quick you are!
11. Turn your s'mores cups upside down and dip in chocolate. I like to give it a little twist of my wrist as I take them out of the chocolate to give them that little point at the top. Place back on cooling rack and rool until chocolate has set.

Sorry I don't have a nice camera, but this gives you an idea how little and cute and perfect they are!

12. Gobble them up! Bite size may seem like portion control, but I usually can't control myself. :)

Yogurt Granola Bars

Yogurt Granola Bars

These bars are made with whole wheat flour and applesauce instead of a portion of the butter. I made these for my son and may have eaten a few myself! They're delicious! You can also leave off the yogurt for classic granola bars or change up the ingredients to keep it fresh!

I apologize in advance for my poor photography on this tutorial. I was too excited for the end result and kept forgetting!

Ingredients:

2 cups granola

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tbsp butter, softened

4 tbsp applesauce

1 cup yogurt

1 egg slightly beaten

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

1/2 cup blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine granola, 3/4 cup flour, sugar, cinnamon and cranberries in a small bowl.

3. Cut in butter, then add aplesauce until coarse crumbs form.

4. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a greased 8-inch square pan.

5. Mix yogurt, egg and 2 tbsp flour in another small bowl.

6. Pour yogurt mixture over the granola mixture.

 

7. Sprinkle blueberries over the top.

8. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown; cut into bars when cooled.

Sorry for the ugly photography. I was so excited to give it to my son that I completely forgot! 

 I just wrapped them in saran wrap, set them on a plate and stuck them in the fridge. They aren't the most attractive thing in the world, but they are SO good and even healthy!

  
This recipe is a modification of one by Stonyfield Farms Yogurt.

Mediterranean Hummus

Mediterranean Hummus

I absolutely adore hummus and have tried flavoring it with everything under the sun, from sun-dried tomatoes to hot peppers. I can't get enough of it! (And, it's good for you!) Well, sometimes you just need a little more, so I dressed it up a bit!

Ingredients:
2 cans garbanzo beans (AKA chickpeas)
1/3 cup juice from garbanzo beans
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice form 1/2 of a lemon
Salt to taste (I use about a teaspoon)

1 red bell pepper
1 jar kalamata olives
3 oz crumbled feta cheese
fresh dill (I used dry dill, but I'd recommend fresh!)

Directions:
1. Place garbanzo beans, garbanzo bean juice, olive oil, lemon juice and salt in your food processor. Blend thoroughly!

2. Spread hummus along the bottom of whatever you want to serve it in! (I used a 1qt bowl.)

3. Finely chop red peppers and kalamata olives (another yummy addition would be cucumbers, but I didn't have any!)
4. Layer the red peppers over the hummus, followed by the kalamata olives. Crumble the feta cheese on top and sprinkle with dill.

5. Serve with warm pita bread or pita chips!

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
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I had to share this recipe, as I have many people asking for it! I've only been making it a few months, but I've quickly become known for it. Even friends and family who don't normally like pecan pie have enjoyed this recipe, so don't write it off until you've tried it! It's a variation of a recipe I found on All Recipes. I even won first prize at a Pie & Beer Jamboree with this recipe!! I'm usually horrible at baking pies, so I'm pretty proud of it. The photo to the right is of me showing it off! Won myself a new pie pan :)


Ingredients
1 (9 inch) pie shell (I use the refrigerated pre-made Pilsbury pie crusts!)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup whole pecans (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Over medium-high heat, combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter or margarine. Stir constantly (literally, constantly) until butter or margarine melts and sugar dissolves. Cool slightly. 
3. In a large bowl combine eggs, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Slowly pour sugar mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Lay the pie shell across your pie pan. Mold the crust in what ever decorative way you like. (I used what I called the crinkle. Use the index finger of one hand and your index finger and thumb of the other hand to get a wavy edge. Sorry I don't have photos of the process! You can find them online elsewhere!)

5. Spread the chocolate chips across the bottom of the pie shell.

6. Pour the mixture into your chocolatey pie shell. If you'd like, garnish your pie with the whole pecans in some sort of fun design. I'm not creative, so I skip this step. :)

7. Bake 55-57 minutes or until set. You can jiggle the pie a little to see if it's done. It will finish setting after you remove it from the oven. We like to eat the pie warm with vanilla ice cream, but you may also serve chilled or with cool whip!

8. Indulge!