Mexican Lasagna

This is similar to a tamale pie.  

The crust is made from maseca torilla mix which is also used for tamales and can be found in the hispanic section or flour section of your grocery store (also carried by Walmart).

The addition of creamed corn brings a moistness to the crust, and the hearty beans and beef are covered in a red enchilada sauce, while layers of corn, sour cream, crushed tortillas chips and cheese are baked into this tex mex casserole. 

Tamale crust
2 c. maseca tortilla mix +/-
1 can corn
2 t. butter
1 t. salt
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 c. milk

Toppings
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 can kidney beans (undrained)
1 can red enchilada sauce
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 can corn
1.5 c. sour cream
1.5 c. crushed tortilla chips
1 c. grated cheese (cheddar, jack, monterey jack - whatever is on hand)
cumin and chili powder to taste

Blend corn, then blend in add butter, salt, bouillon and milk.
In a large mixing bowl, mix masa harina tortilla mix along with corn/milk mixture.  Continue to add additional masa if necessary until mixture becomes thick and becomes easy to mold.
Spray a 9x13 cooking pan with cooking spray and pat masa mixture into pan, lining bottom and sides.

In a frying pan, cook burger and onions.  Once browned, drain grease and add kidney beans, enchilada sauce and 1 t. cumin and 1 t. chili powder (optional).

Place in pan, over the masa mixture.
Cover with a layer of sour cream, corn, crushed tortilla chips, and top with a layer of cheese.

Bake at 350* for 30 minutes.
Serve with fresh salsa or pico de gallo.

Teriyaki Chicken

I've been working on coming up with new recipes that my family enjoys. I had no idea that teriyaki sauce was so simple!

1 c. soy sauce
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 c. chopped onion
1.5 T. coarsely shopped or shredded fresh ginger
1-2 fresh garlic cloves
2-3 c. chopped chicken, turkey or tofu

Mix soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic powder thoroughly, and set aside.
Heat 2 t. oil in wok, or frying pan.
Add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
Add chicken, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add teriyaki sauce.
Bring to a boil.
Lower heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes without a lid.
If a thicker sauce is desired, thicken with 2 t. cornstarch mixed with water, then slowly added to teriyaki mixture.
Serve over rice.

Spinach Pesto Pasta with Ground Turkey Meatballs

My family really enjoyed this recipe I stumbled across.
Instead of the traditional basil and pine nut pesto, this one is made from spinach and walnuts - along with my all time favorite (manchego) cheese.

Spinach Pesto
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
2-3 garlic cloves
1/4 c. toasted walnuts (you can microwave them on a ceramic plate for 2-3 minutes)
1/4 c. grated manchego cheese (found at Costco, but parmesan cheese can be substituted)
1/8 t. salt
olive oil
freshly ground pepper

With a knife, roughly chop garlic and place in a food processor.  Add the walnuts and pulse a few times.
Coarsely chop the spinach, and add to processor and pulse a few times.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture comes together.
Remove the pesto from the food processor and add the cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.

Stir over hot pasta using a little pasta water to loosen the sauce slightly if needed.

Turkey Meatballs
1 lb. ground turkey meat
2 t. finely chopped garlic
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 c. finely chopped red or yellow bell pepper
1/2 c. chopped fresh spinach
1/4 c. grated manchego cheese
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and roll into golf sized balls.
Heat 1 T. olive oil in the bottom of a wok or frying pan.
Place meatballs in oil, and cook thoroughly.
Remove from heat and add to hot pasta and pesto sauce.


Here's a picture of manchego cheese - I get it from Costco.  It comes from Spain and it is my all-time favorite cheese - a small slice on a day when I need a treat.  It is absolutely amazing when paired with walnuts, and blueberries or pears.

Whiting - yes, that's a fish

Living in Florida now, we are having lots of new experiences.  

Like fishing in the ocean. 

Today we headed to the pier and spent some time angling - and my daughter and husband caught the only catch of the day (for us).  They came up with a fish called a Whiting.  

It was big enough to take home. 

We learned a couple of things first off. 

#1 - You can't debone or fillet a whiting like a trout.

#2 - We have no idea how to fillet a whiting (or anything other than a trout). We are going to need to find some help with that. 

I found a great recipe online and we cooked it up for dinner.  This was a really mild fish, and this recipe was Oh So Good! - Probably not the healthiest, but my husband (who doesn't like fish) really enjoyed it, and my daughter and I loved it, and I'll definitely use it again.  Next time I'll hope to have a few more fish! 

• 4 whiting fillets

• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

• ½ cup parmesan cheese

• ¼ cup softened butter (unsalted)

• 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

• 3 tablespoons of chopped onion

• 1 teaspoon of hot sauce (use more or less to your liking)

• A pinch of salt

Spray a non-stick baking pan with a butter flavored cooking spray. Place the fillets in the pan and brush them with the lemon juice. Pop them into the broiler for six minutes. While the fish is broiling, mix the remaining ingredients thoroughly. Once the timer goes off, spread the mixture onto the fish and broil for an additional three minutes until they are lightly browned.

Credit to http://www.gulf-shores-travel-guide.com/whiting-fishing.html for the recipe.