Yesterday, my brother put in an odd request to have tilapia for dinner. I was quite thrilled because, I for one, really love to eat fish. My family typically favors chicken/beef/pork, but I'm a fish person. (Although, I do love a good steak too.) Anyways, I was excited that I had an opportunity to make tilapia and not get any complaints from the brother. I found this recipe on Pinterest. Surprise, huh?! It's actually a thing on MyRecipies, "7 Ways to Cook Tilapia." A great thing to have handy, since I'm prone to buying the jumbo bags of tilapia. I made the Skillet Fillets with Cilantro Butter because I had all the ingredients, and really needed to use up the rest of the cilantro from the other night. (I really need to start an herb garden, so I can just get what I want, when I want.) This was a super quick, easy dinner with steam-in-the-bag veggies on the side! (Also, it was very tasty. Some people might consider it spicy, but I'm not one of them.)
Skillet Fillets with Cilantro Butter
(If you look at the original, you'll notice I've doubled the spices! You've been warned.)
For the tilapia:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
6 (4-oz) tilapia filets
Cooking spray
1 lemon (quartered)
Combine the spices and sprinkle (or rub) over both sides of fish. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat skillet with cooking spray. Also spray both sides of the fish and place in skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily or reaches 145ish degrees. Place on serving tray or plate and squeeze on some lemon juice!
For the cilantro butter:
2 TBSP butter, softened
2 TBSP cilantro, finely chopped
Grated rind from 1 lemon (grate before you quarter & squeeze it!)
1/4-1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well blended. Serve with fish!
Like I said, I had a TON of quinoa leftover from last night's meal. I also had a chicken breast leftover. On hand, in the fridge, was cucumber and red bell pepper. Quinoa+chicken+cucumber+red bell pepper = a yummy salad for lunch today! (And, probably, the rest of the week.) I really like this. A little goes a long way here because quinoa is very filling (and protein-packed). It's definitely an easy, quick, healthy lunch to have ready to eat!
I think that's all I got for now. It's time to start preparing for severe weather round #2. (That's why I didn't post last night...there was zero electricity = no internet.) Fun times in Oklahoma.
Dinner last night was blackened chicken with cilantro lime quinoa (another Pinterest find). It was pretty stinking tasty, although I will make some changes when I make it again. For one, the chicken breast we had to use was very, very thick (this makes it somewhat difficult to blacken, and not char, and get it thoroughly cooked). So, I would definitely recommend using chicken breast that is fairly flat. Also, the original recipe calls for a whole lot of lime. It was good, but probably half the amount would be sufficient. The recipe additionally calls for a lot of quinoa. Now, I have a great way to use the leftovers, but probably half the quinoa would be enough for one meal. I'd also recommend making more of the spice mixture to rub on the chicken, at least if you like it hot. Here it is with some oven-roasted asparagus on the side:
Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa
(My modified recipe. Click the "original recipe" link above, if you want that)
For the chicken:
4 Chicken breasts (not too thick)
1-2 tsp Paprika
1/2-1 tsp Salt
1/2-1 tsp Ground black pepper
1/2-1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/2-1 tsp Onion powder
1/2-1 tsp Cumin
2-4 TBSP EVOO
Combine all the dry seasonings together in a small bowl. Mix them together and season both sides of the chicken breasts. Add EVOO to a large pan or skillet. Heat for a minute over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for about 7 minutes (each side) with the lid on. Once the chicken breasts are thoroughly cooked, remove from pan and let rest for 7 minutes before slicing them (slicing is optional).
For the quinoa:
2 c Low-sodium chicken stock
1 c Quinoa
1 Lime (juice and zest)
Dash of salt & pepper
2 TBSP of cilantro, chopped
Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 10-15 minutes (or until all the stock is absorbed). Stir occasionally to prevent quinoa from sticking to bottom of pan. Remove from heat and add lime juice and zest, salt and pepper, and cilantro. Mix to combine.
I made a yummy breakfast today, since it's Memorial Day. Holidays require extra-special breakfasts. I "slept in" (8 a.m.), did X2-Core, and then made pancakes. I decided that these were more exciting than the traditional Memorial Day dinner we'll be having later. I found this recipe on Pinterest (shocker, isn't it?), from Two Peas & Their Pod (they have lots and lots of tasty-looking recipes that I want to try). Anyways, I really like lemon & blueberry together so I was pretty excited to try these puppies out. And, they were pretty scrumptious. I might have added a hint more lemon, but otherwise, I wouldn't change much. The ricotta made them very fluffy and wonderful. I kind of thought my brother would complain (he's more of a traditional buttermilk pancake guy), but he liked them too. I got a baker's dozen out of the recipe, and blueberry sauce to spare...that'll probably wind up on some plain Greek yogurt. YUM!
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients and lemon zest. Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until the flour disappears. Make sure not to over mix. The batter should be thick. Cook on a griddle or a non-stick skillet like you would other pancakes.
Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients:
1 1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice*
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2-3 TBSP granulated sugar
2 TBSP water
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and stir in lemon juice and cornstarch mixture. Stir until the sauce is slightly thickened. Cover to keep warm and set aside. Once your pancakes are ready, scoop some sauce on top!
*I got all the lemon juice I needed from 2 large lemons
I know this happened back over spring break, but I didn't have time to tell you about it then. AND, I really wanted to share this with you. So here it is:
Almost every year for as long as I can remember, a group of people from the Edmond church of Christ traveled to Aquiles, Mexico for a spring break mission trip. I have friends who have gone on this trip since they were little. I've had opportunities myself to go on this trip before now. And despite all the great things I heard about this trip, I made excuses not to go: "I have allergies" or "I don't sleep in tents" or "I will die without running water" or "I have other plans." There's many more I can think of. I had fully intended to NOT go this year. "It's dangerous." "I have things I need to do here." But then there was that voice telling me that I should go. But I was still hesitant. "Where am I going to get the money?" Then, for Valentine's Day, I received a gift that had a note which said my trip had been paid for. Best Valentine's Day gift EVER.
As it got closer to time to go, I got more and more anxious. Not really about the safety factor. More about the maintaining good hygiene factor and having enough clothes and not forgetting anything. Oh, and how I was suppose to catch up on all the school stuff I needed to do during spring break. When the week of the trip came around, I was running around like a mad person trying to get things done. And pack. I did really well, actually. You should be proud. I got everything I needed for 10 days into a duffle bag, tote bag & backpack. (Really, this is epic. I have been known to bring a duffle bag & a 30" rolling suitcase on weekend retreats.)
Finally, we were off to Mexico! It was kind of a long trip down, spending one night in Temple, TX and another in McAllen, TX before crossing the border. Once you get to the border, the safety situation starts to seem like a bigger issue. There was lots of picture taking. Then you get in, and there's a checkpoint. Then, we made it a little ways and all these military vehicles with guys with big guns start flying by on the highway. Then, they pulled us over. And we sat there for a little while. I guess I can't speak for everyone else, but I was trying not to laugh as I contemplated the thought that these may not be legit military people and they may not want us there. Anyways, they let us go and we made it safely to Aquiles.
Family picture at the border. (That's my little brother, for those of you who don't know.)
The objective upon arrival is to get camp set up. Literally. Putting up tents, cleaning outhouses (if you can even do that), getting the kitchen put together. Important things. Our first full day in Aquiles in Sunday, so we go worship at the little church building, and then us students take the kids back to camp for VBS during the sermon. Afterwards, we eat lunch with EVERYONE. It's a little crazy, but great.
The tent I stayed in. AKA the "Taj Mahal." It has 4 bedrooms.
Monday marks the first day of work projects and VBS. That morning, I put together boxes for care packages then helped carry and shovel rocks for the concrete crew. That is some exhausting work. I went to La Union for VBS that afternoon (intending to go to a different village for VBS everyday) but I fell in love. The kids were totally crazy. But I love them. I knew that day, I would go to La Union everyday. Tuesday morning, we filled the care packages with food and a Bible. That was quite the event. Obviously, that afternoon, I was back in La Union. More craziness. More fun. But don't ever let a bunch of little girls talk you into getting on a janky teeter-totter, where you will inevitably be hanging in the air at the mercy of the pile of girls holding the other side down. Scariest moments of my life. But totally worth it. The next couple of mornings involved more care package things, and the afternoons--VBS at La Union! The last day at La Union was rough though. It was really hard to leave. Especially since I had somehow managed to end up with a precious little girl, Tiffany, attached to my hip. She didn't want to leave either.
My little Tiffany.
I spent Thursday night sleeping in the van, since we had to have the tents and luggage packed away. We rolled out of camp insanely early Friday morning and headed for San Antonio, TX. We got in, got cleaned up and went out for dinner at some burger place. It was good. Then, I walked around downtown with a group of people. We ran into an All-American Rejects concert and listened to that for a little bit. Went by the Alamo. Things like that. Saturday, I ate breakfast at the hotel and then went with a friend to get a dress for Gamma's spring banquet. We both had luck at Macy's. That afternoon, I went to the zoo with a group of people and had a good time. Saturday night, we all went and saw "The Hunger Games" (I had not read the books at this point). We left early Sunday morning and made it back late that afternoon.
The best van of them all. 7 minutes in heaVAN.
It was really, seriously a fantastic trip. I had a wonderful time. I got to know several people better. I was touched by the kindness and generosity of the people in the valley. I learned a lot. My only regret is not going sooner. I know that's cliche, but it's very true. I absolutely loved it. I definitely plan to go next year!!! This post in no way, does this mission trip justice. This video, comes pretty close:
10 Things I Learned (in no particular order):
1. "No mas" and "sientense por favor" are very important things to know at VBS
2. Showers made of PVC aren't that bad
3. Bugs in Mexico don't seem to like me
4. I can sleep well in a tent...with Ambien (but it's important to only take it once you're in your tent, ready to go to bed)
5. Mexicans are very open about breastfeeding
6. You don't have to know Spanish to communicate
7. I don't have the attention span to play Spades
8. Don't stand still for too long at VBS or you might be lassoed
9. Making popcorn in a pan over a gas stove is an art
I was on Pinterest one day, and came across a cute idea--a cake stand by the kitchen sink to hold soap, lotion, sponges, and so on. I thought this was pretty brilliant considering how all those things are usually a mess, lined up behind the sink. However, I didn't really want to pay $X for a cake stand to be used like this. I decided, instead, to walk around Dollar Tree to see what I could come up with. I found a plate that was quite similar to the ones we have (see picture) and a "glass" candle stick. The cost of this project was a whopping $2 plus tax.
The "original" plate is on the right (salad size) and the Dollar Tree knock-off is on the left.
Here you see the candlestick, which I spray painted a hammered metal brown of some sort (I already had the spray paint!)
Ta-da! (Yes, that's a baby bottle brush...they work well on other bottles (ex. Nalgene) too!)
One of my all-time favorite camp foods is fruit slush. (I go to a really, pretty great camp that has really, pretty legit food that is quite tasty.) Check it out: Flaming Pine Youth Camp. I was super excited when I found that we had the camp cookbook in our pantry at home! There's a lot of good recipes in it, but, of course, I'm most excited about this one. When I made it, I didn't blend the banana or cherries in, but you definitely could. The cherries tend to sink to the bottom otherwise, and the bananas like to stay together too. I do highly recommend pouring it into plastic punch cups and covering with Glad Press 'n Seal wrap. Then, it's ready to pull out of the freezer and eat. You'll also notice that it calls for 6 oz of frozen lemonade concentrate and orange juice concentrate (both of which come in 12 oz cans). You can either double the recipe OR (what I did) dump both in a bowl, mix together, and pour half the mixture into a container to freeze and use later. These are really easy to make and have for later. It's really the perfect summer treat! (Especially with how hot it gets here.)
Fruit Slush Cups
Ingredients:
6 oz frozen lemonade
6 oz frozen orange juice (I'd use the kind with extra calcium, if you can)
8 oz frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 big can of peaches (I'd use the ones in light syrup &/or no sugar added, if possible)
4 oz jar of maraschino cherries (optional...healthier w/o) chopped or cut in half
3-4 diced bananas (or you can blend them, if you don't want chunks)
2 1/2 c water
1 c sugar (I used Splenda instead and no one has noticed)
Directions:
Blend strawberries and peaches (w/ syrup) together. You may also choose to blend the bananas. Then, simply mix everything together in a pretty big bowl. Freeze in plastic cups, covered. (I took a 1-cup measuring cup and scooped the mixture into the plastic cups. I got 13 out of it, but the book says you can get 15.) You might take it out of the freezer to thaw a little bit before trying to eat.
Tonight I made a recipe that I found on Pinterest a while back. (I may or may not be addicted to Pinterest.) I was super excited about this, actually. I'm a big salmon fan, and who doesn't love strawberries in the summer? I served it up with some garlic toast and green beans with slivered almonds...from the freezer section. The salmon was great, and the strawberry-balsamic reduction was wonderfully flavorful. The leftover reduction should be quite tasty over some plain Greek yogurt!
Put strawberries, water, and balsamic vinegar in saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil until the mixture is reduced to about half. Add the honey to the mixture and allow it to reduce again.
Eat up! (This could also be used on other meats...whatever you like)
I'm just about back to a "normal" summer schedule. (That's basically lots of appointments, errand running, babysitting, cleaning, P90X-2, house projects, crafts, and, obviously, cooking). Still crazy, but a nice brake from school craziness...although I should still probably be studying some... Tonight's dinner was super easy! And also delicious. I had gotten a pork loin (Hormel Always Tender Mediterranean Herb & Olive Oil) with a coupon a while back. We had an abundant supply of baby carrots hanging out in the fridge. Then, today at Target, I found sweet corn on the cob for $0.25/each. Score! My brother was kind enough to take care of grilling the meat and corn, so all I had to do was the carrots. Again, score! It was a simple and tasty summer meal (and much needed after doing Plyocide this afternoon):
Glazed Baby Carrots
Ingredients:
1 TBSP EVOO (or regular olive oil...really any oil you want to use)
2 lbs baby carrots (or cut big carrots)
1/2 c honey (I like the local, more natural variety)
2 TBSP red wine vinegar (balsamic would be good too)
1 c reduced sodium chicken stock (or water OR bouillon, which I did)
2 TBSP unsalted butter or butter substitute
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat up oil in a sauce pan. Add carrots and stir around for a couple minutes. Add honey, vinegar and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Then, cover and simmer for maybe 10 minutes, give or take. Most of the liquid should be gone. Remove from heat. Add butter, salt & pepper. Enjoy!
Applesauce bars have to be one of my most favorite things to eat. Despite the healthy-sounding name, there's probably enough sugar in these to send someone into a diabetic coma...but they are still very yummy. They are sweet and super moist. Basically perfect for a simple dessert...or to snack on. I think I mentioned these once in another post, but I didn't post the recipe. Silly me. Since I made these for my last clinical group, I thought I'd better share!
Jane's Applesauce Bars
(I have no clue who Jane is, but the recipe is hand-written by my mom's mother on a card in one of those recipe-holder-box-things)
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup shortening (some butter)
2 cups sweetened applesauce (I use unsweetened)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped nuts (I leave these out)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Cream together the sugar, shortening and egg. Add applesauce. Sift flour, soda, salt & spices; add to mixture. Add nuts (optional) and vanilla. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes in 11x16 jelly roll pan. Spread frosting while hot (or else it's not going to happen). When cool, cut into squares.
Frosting
(I double this!)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
2 TBSP milk
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Melt butter in small sauce pan. Stir in brown sugar & salt. Boil for 2 minutes. Add milk & boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat & add vanilla & powdered sugar. Spread quickly while hot!
This is yet another book that I had been wanting to read since high school. Obviously, this book has a lot to do with politics and how we, as Christians, should go about dealing with them. (Hence the title: Jesus For President.) While this book isn't really that long, it's not really an easy read. I found myself being slammed with questions and ideas brought up by the author, Shane Claiborne, that made me have to take a step back and think. It's not about Republicans versus Democrats. It's about a third way: Jesus. There's probably any number of issues that could be plugged in as to what Republicans & Democrats think and what Jesus wants from us. Claiborne doesn't stop with that, however. He also questions whether or not we can pledge our allegiance to a flag that is not God's. Naturally, the war issue is brought up too. A few gut-wrenching stories are shared in this book too (some of which are also found in The Irresistible Revolution...definitely read that one). While I don't agree with Claiborne on everything he says, I still think Jesus For President is worth reading. It makes you think twice about how you vote the way you do, which side you take on issues, and how Jesus might be feeling about your political alliances.
