Fast and Easy Summertime Food- Cornmeal Crusted Fish with Black Eyed Pea Salad

One of the most common search phrases that leads people to this little blog here is either "Cornmeal crusted Tilapia" or "Cornmeal Tilapia". Which the other day reminded me that I had plenty of fish in the freezer and hadn't used this recipe in awhile. I thought I would make and share the recipe again, since it seems to be such a popular one. And on the side I decided to make a really great salad. This is one of the first recipes I tried when Josh and I decided to try eating better, and I still love it. It's really delicious, first off, but it's also really quick to toss together; the corn and bell pepper make it particularly great for the summer. Who wants to spend forever in a hot kitchen during the summer months anyway? Not me. So a quick fish fry up and a no-cook salad is a sure-fire combo for summer cooking success.

Cornmeal Crusted Fish
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4


1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons paprika
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 (6-8 oz. each) skinless tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons olive oil

• In a shallow dish, combine cornmeal and paprika; season generously with salt and pepper. Separate fillets into thick and thin sides. Dredge each piece in cornmeal mixture, patting it on to coat completely.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook as many pieces as will fit (without crowding) until golden brown and firm, about 2 minutes per side for thin pieces and 4 minutes per side for thick ones. Transfer to a plate; sprinkle with salt, if desired, and cover loosely to keep warm. Wipe skillet with a paper towel. Repeat with remaining oil and fish.

Black Eyed Pea Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 10 oz. package frozen corn, thawed
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper

• In a medium bowl, whisk mustard, vinegar and oil. Add all vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, toss to combine. Serve room temperature or slightly chilled.

My notes: I used trout that we had in the freezer from my father-in-law, so don't feel like you have to limit yourself to tilapia. I also used this recipe to make some great fish tacos before. Summer puts me in a mood for Mexican, so I'll probably be making those again soon too.

Warm Spinach Salad, Version 2

So, as I said in the last post I had some filling/topping leftover from the Mushroom & Spinach Tart. I was making the Warm Spinach Salad later in the week and thought the extra mushrooms and onions I had would work well in it, so I popped the leftovers into the fridge with that purpose in mind. At the end of step three, I added the mushrooms and onions in with the browned potato and let it warm through before adding to the spinach and dressing. This was super delicious, and as I had forgotten to get the shallot for this recipe, the red onion helped make up for that. I think this is a great recipe for this "winter's ending, spring's beginning" time of year. It has a fresh taste with the greens and bright dressing, but it's got a cozy feeling too with the warm potato, Parmesan, and egg. I served it with some sourdough toast and it goes great with a glass of your favorite wine, if you are so inclined (which I was).

Warm Spinach Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4














4 tablespoons olive oil
2 baking potatoes (about 1 lb. total), scrubbed and cut into 1/2" cubes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
2 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 2 pounds total), thick stems removed, leaves washed well and roughly torn
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler
4 large eggs

• In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil with vinegar, mustard, and shallot; season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Add spinach and Parmesan (do not toss); set aside.
• When potatoes are done cooking, immediately transfer to bowl with spinach and dressing (reserve skillet). Toss salad until spinach is slightly wilted, and divide among four plates.
• Heat skillet over medium, and gently crack eggs into skillet without breaking yolks. season with slat and pepper. Cook until whites are almost set, about 1 minute. Cover, turn off heat, and let stand until whites are just set but yolks are still soft, about 2 minutes more. Top each salad with a fried egg and serve immediately.

My notes: I halve this recipe for the two of us, using one potato and a pre-washed bag of spinach to save time.

Black Bean Confetti Salsa

Things have been very busy around these parts lately. Josh has been doing a lot of traveling on weekends and in the next two weeks we'll be having friends over to see the house for the first time and then going on vacation. New recipes have been trumped by finishing up projects, cleaning, and eating some of the reserves in the freezer. Last weekend though we managed to get away from all the chores for a Labor Day potluck. I decided to make use of the still reasonably priced summer produce and take Deb's Black Bean Confetti Salad, although I always eat it scooped up on tortilla chips so I call it a salsa. It's easy, colorful, delicious and can please just about any party-goer, be they carnivores, veggies, or vegans.

Black Bean Confetti Salsa
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen














2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 bell peppers, a mix of colors, small dice
1 medium white onion, small dice
Juice from one lime
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

• Mix beans, bell peppers and white onion in a large bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk remaining ingredients into a vinaigrette. Pour over the bean mixture, toss it well and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

My notes: This makes quite a bit. In fact, I ate it for lunch the rest of the week. Next time I think I'll halve the recipe and use the extra bell pepper for our lunch salads. But it's really good, and a nice break from heavy dishes that typically turn up at a potluck.

No Heat Week Part 3- Bean, Corn, and Tortilla Salad

This isn't the first time I'm sharing this recipe, but it makes repeated appearances in our kitchen. Thanks to it's beloved status in our hearts and stomachs it was a natural choice for our week of cooking as little as possible. This recipe does involve some heating, but it's all via the microwave which results in minimal heat created in the house and makes for a speedy meal too. And this salad is easily adapted to what you have on hand, as I'll share post-recipe. I didn't take a snapshot of dinner, so this picture is via Martha Stewart.

Bean, Corn, and Tortilla Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4















1 can (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels (2 cups)
1/4 cup prepared medium tomato salsa, plus more for serving
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
3 plum tomatoes, thickly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 (12 ounces) romaine hearts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups (3 ounces) broken baked tortilla chips
3/4 cup coarsely grated pepper Jack cheese

• In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine beans, corn, and salsa. Microwave just until warmed through, 1 minute. Stir in scallions, avocado, and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Set bean mixture aside.
• In a large bowl, toss lettuce and chips together. Divide evenly among plates; top with bean mixture and cheese. Serve immediately, topped with additional salsa, if desired.

My notes: After the two previous salads I was out of tomatoes, so I used some red and yellow bell peppers to add more color and crunch to the salad. You could use black beans or kidney beans instead of pinto, or even a mixture of two or more. Substitute red onion for scallions, perhaps Monterrey or Cheddar for the Pepper Jack. Or even queso fresco or blanco, both traditional Mexican cheeses. What do you have on hand? Because it will probably work with this salad.

No Heat Week Part 2- Greek Salad

Another thing I relied on during our week without air conditioning was healthy prepared or ready to eat items from the grocery store. One night I paired store-bought roasted red pepper hummus, marinated olives, and whole wheat pitas with some fresh, summery crudites and a Greek salad I threw together. Not a smidge of "cooking" involved in this meal, but plenty of flavor all the same.

Fast Greek Salad
Recipe adapted from Everyday Food














2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chunked
1 small cucumber, seeded and chunked
1/2 red onion, cut into chunks
1/4-1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
coarse salt and ground pepper

• Combine tomatoes, cucumber, onion and parsley in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Toss vegetables with dressing and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

No Heat Week Part 1- Cold Pesto Pasta w/ Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Recently we had the displeasure of discovering our air conditioning wasn't working properly, and upon inspection by our home warranty servicer, that we in fact needed an entirely new condensor. That is unfortunately not the kind of repair with a speedy turn around time. This situation rather inconveniently coincided with the increase in temperatures- it is indeed summer here in Texas. We used the windows when the heat wasn't severe, lots of fans, and kept almost all the lights off to cut down on creating any unnecessary heat. Once we had our "cooling" plan in place, my mind naturally turned to our cooking plan, ha. What exactly could we eat all week? I knew that it wouldn't take much cooking in that hot house before I'd pass out from heat stroke. So I came up with a week of food that required very little cooking. I guess the one bonus of it being summer is all the great fresh produce I could take advantage of. We usually eat salad with dinner each night, but this week I made them a bit bigger and added even more veggies in. This is the one recipe that really required any cooking, and as I suspected the mere boiling of a pot of pasta was borderline torturous! But the meal was delicious, so I suppose it was worth it. I based this recipe off the Caprese combo of basil, tomatoes and mozzarella- using the pesto my step mom-in-law generously shared with us.

Cold Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Recipe by me














3/4 lb. rotini pasta
1 cup prepared pesto
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed

• Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water till cool to touch.
• Toss pasta with pesto, tomato and mozzarella. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Chill in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Serve.
  

Egg Salad

Memorial Day weekend is definitely a time for cookouts and picnics. If your destination isn't very far, maybe you'd like to make some egg salad. Of course, if it is then something with mayo isn't going to fit the bill. For some ideas that travel well check out Jane's Memorial Day post over at This Week For Dinner. To be perfectly honest (and lame) I'm just making a batch of this tonight for lunch this week, but I sure wish it wasn't too hot out for a nice picnic. This recipe is from the March 2008 Everyday Food, and I made it for the first time a couple weeks ago. I really enjoyed it so I decided to whip up a half batch for my brown bagging.

Egg Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
8 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, minced
1/4 small red onion, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper

• In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar until smooth. Add eggs, celery and onion; season with salt and pepper.

My notes: I didn't add the vinegar because I didn't have any handy. Still really liked this, and I might try it with a little cider vinegar sometime, which is an ingredient in my family's deviled egg recipe. They say this recipe serves 4, but they were pretty big sandwiches when divided evenly into 4 servings, so if you like your sandwiches a little more manageable you could probably get 6 and maybe even 8 servings quite easily.

Salmon Burgers and Black Eyed Pea Salad

I was supposed to make these delicious Salmon Burgers Tuesday night, but I got all caught up in my civic duty and didn't have time, so they got shuffled to Wednesday night. I had been craving them for awhile, so I'm glad that I finally added them to the menu. This recipe makes 4, and I cook 2 and freeze the other 2 so I'll get to have them again real soon. I can't remember where I got this recipe at all. It's one of the first one's I tried when we started eating a bit better. At the time I had just scoured the interwebs for recipes, not paying much attention to where they were coming from. That was before I even had the idea to have a cooking blog. In fact, that search for recipes is what lead to my discovery of a lot of the food blogs I still read today. Anyway, I've got no idea where this one came from, but it's a keeper for sure. I served it with one of my favorite sides, Black Eyed Pea Salad. This dish is easy to throw together and has a great kick to it.

Salmon Burgers
Makes 4












16 oz. canned salmon, drained, cleaned and flaked
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup fine, dry, unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

• In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until well mixed. Divide into 4 equal parts and form 1/2" thick patties. Preheat a generously greased skillet on medium-high heat.
• Cook 8-10 minutes or until browned, turning them after 4-5 minutes.
• To freeze extra patties: place on waxed paper on baking sheet and flash freeze for at least 30 minutes. Then transfer to freezer bag or air-tight container and replace in freezer.

Black Eyed Pea Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4















1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 10 oz. package frozen corn, thawed
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper

• In a medium bowl, whisk mustard, vinegar and oil. Add all vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, toss to combine. Serve room temperature or slightly chilled.

My notes: See, didn't I tell you it was easy. Since the only real prep work is dicing the pepper and scallions I can pretty much get this salad together while my salmon burgers cook and everything is ready to go to the dinner table in a flash. This salad goes great with lots of things, from salmon, turkey, and beef burgers to some nice pork or chicken. Love it!

Skillet Potato Salad

After we had that Warm Spinach Salad I kept thinking about the flavor of the potatoes with the dressing. It was haunting my taste buds and just had to be re-visited. So last week I made a little something I've dubbed Skillet Potato Salad. I'll probably continue to tweak it, as I'd like it to be more colorful, but it was perfectly delicious just as it is.

Skillet Potato Salad
Adapted from Everyday Food Recipe; Serves 2-4 depending












2 baking potatoes (about 1 lb.), scrubbed and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 shallot, minced
Parmesan cheese, grated

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the other tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Finely grate Parmesan cheese into dressing to taste (follow your personal preference here).
• When potatoes are done cooking, add to bowl and toss with dressing. Serve.

My notes: We had these potatoes with tuna salad pitas. I'll write about the delicious tuna salad another time. I think these potatoes would be good for a brunch too, something a bit different from regular skillet potatoes or hash browns.

Back To The Future

The future of my cooking that is. Finally back to my usual cooking schedule after all the travel and other interruptions. Trying out two new recipes this week, the first one was made last night. I have had this on my menu once or twice in the past few weeks but it just hadn't happened for one reason or another. Last night my plans finally came to fruition. I really enjoyed this recipe, despite the fact that I was having a clumsy night in the kitchen. I think I'll definitely make some variation of this recipe again in the future.

Warm Spinach Salad with Fried Egg and Potatoes
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4












4 tablespoons olive oil
2 baking potatoes (about 1 lb. total), scrubbed and cut into 1/2" cubes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
2 bunches flat-leaf spinach (about 2 pounds total), thick stems removed, leaves washed well and roughly torn
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with vegetable peeler
4 large eggs

• In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until potatoes are tender and browned, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil with vinegar, mustard, and shallot; season with salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Add spinach and Parmesan (do not toss); set aside.
• When potatoes are done cooking, immediately transfer to bowl with spinach and dressing (reserve skillet). Toss salad until spinach is slightly wilted, and divide among four plates.
• Heat skillet over medium, and gently crack eggs into skillet without breaking yolks. season with slat and pepper. Cook until whites are almost set, about 1 minute. Cover, turn off heat, and let stand until whites are just set but yolks are still soft, about 2 minutes more. Top each salad with a fried egg and serve immediately.

My notes: I accidentally over-cooked the eggs. Well, I was busy rinsing dishes and just wasn't paying too close attention. Our yolks were still soft, but not very runny so they didn't really mingle with the dressing and salad like I believe they are supposed to. Anyway, the real star of this salad is the combination of flavors from the potatoes and dressing. That was a really fabulous flavor and scent for me. I think this salad, minus the egg, would be a really great accompaniment to the quick and easy crust-less quiches I like to prepare for dinner. Also, I halved the recipe for just the two of us, and since I was doing that I took the easy way out and bought a ready-to-eat bag of baby spinach

Changin' It Up

Last night's dinner was really good, and really pretty easy. Now, that doesn't mean it didn't take me forever to make it. Between more laundry and trying to keep my cat from attacking the cute kittens that appeared on our back porch, not to mention attempting to shred delicious smelling chicken with the cat under my feet, it wasn't as quick as I think it would normally be. Actually, if I think about the steps done between all the other chores, it is really a fast meal. This was another attempt to step outside my recipe box, as it were, and stretch my cooking boundaries. Or perhaps I should say food boundaries as there is no actual cooking required, just preparations. This salad was actually featured on the cover of the June issue of Everyday Food, but I more or less ignored it then. While making my menu plan this weekend I did a recipe search on Martha Stewart rotisserie chicken. They were on sale this week and I wanted to pick one up to make chicken pizza for Josh, so I was looking for something to use the rest of the chicken up. This is, I think, the first recipe to pop up. After giving it a once over I thought about a tiny adjustment I could make, and decided to go for it. I am so glad that I did, because I really loved it. I'm definitely going to make it again, and probably soon.

Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1/4 medium red cabbage (8 ounces), cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup cashews

• Make dressing: In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
• In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, and scallions; season with salt and pepper. In another large bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing. Divide among four bowls, and top with chicken mixture. Drizzle all with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with cashews.

My notes: As you might notice from my picture, there is a suspicious lack of cashews and red cabbage. The red cabbage didn't look too great at the store, so I bought a bag of broccoli slaw, which has carrots and cabbage in it. That worked well, but next time I will probably give just the cabbage a shot. And I was personally apprehensive about the cashews. I love cashews, but I just have never been really keen on nuts in my salad. I mean, sesame seeds are good, maybe the occasional pecan, but I just didn't go for the cashews. But what I do love? Chow mein noodles. So that's what I sprinkled across the top. And I'd do it again! Obviously, probably not as nutritional as nuts, but delicious. I ended up making the dressing with bottled lime juice. My grocery store, for some inexplicable reason, had only key limes this week. I've never seen a key lime there before (it's a small local store), and yet this week they had hundreds and no regular limes whatsoever. This dressing was very limy as a result, but I loved it. Next time I'll definitely make it with fresh, granted I can get some. I just didn't have an interest in having to go somewhere else for 2 limes. Also, I cut this recipe in half, so that I would still have chicken for pizza later in the week. But I wish I hadn't cut it in half so I could have had seconds!

Simple Salad

I was going to make something else for dinner last night, but as my chicken was still mostly frozen I decided to do some menu shuffling. This is something I just sort of threw together, not taking too much thought or effort. I guess that makes it a great summer salad, since the heat around here can often fry any brain waves by noon. It's not even really hot here yet, but work can have the same effect on me. :)

Spinach & Cheese Tortellini Salad
Recipe by me; Serves 2.5
1 small package Buitoni Spinach & Cheese Tortellini
1 bag Dole Field Greens prepared salad
1 roma tomato
1 yellow bell pepper
1/4 large cucumber
1 celery stalk
Kraft Roasted Red Pepper & Parmesan Dressing
Parmesan Cheese, if desired.

• Prepare tortellini according to package instructions. While tortellini are cooking chop your vegetables to your desired size.
• Drain tortellini; toss with small amount of dressing. Put chopped vegetables and pasta in refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool/chill.
• Plate salad mix, top with veggies, then pasta. Top with dressing, as you like. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if you are so inclined.

My notes: We each had a good sized salad, as you might be able to tell from the above picture. There was approximately a half portion of salad and pasta leftover, which will be great for lunch today.

The rest of the week

I don't have any big plans for this weekend, as far as baking or cooking go that is. I'm most likely going to Mayfest with Stephanie and her family, and another friend & family. And I think we're hoping to party Cinco De Mayo style afterward. Did somebody say margaritas? Have no fears, I will still do a write-up on my Saturday morning shows though.

Anyway, I decided to just do a bit of a round up post of what else has been going on in my kitchen this week. Now, I know I mentioned that I served the Zucchini Lasagna with a salad, but what I neglected to tell you was that the carrot I used in it came from my father-in-laws garden. Isn't it perty? We've also made a salad with their romaine, and enjoyed many other fruits, er vegetables, of their labor. Hopefully I can get by and take a picture of the garden to share it all with you. They have the biggest rosemary bush! And I also hope to reap the rewards of their hard work more in the future!




Wednesday night dinner was delayed considerably due to inclement weather. There's nothing like a flash flood, to welcome you home, I've always said. Wait, no I haven't ever said that. But living in Texas, sometimes it happens. I guess plenty of places get flash floods, but with the tornado sirens going off once a week for the past month or so it's getting a bit old. The loverly view to the left is the view I was treated to while peering out my front window. Through luck, our apartment is placed just so, as to avoid getting flooded. When I did finally get around to making dinner, I made Kelly's Honey Mustard Chicken along with vegetable brown rice and red grapes. I had to seed the grapes, which was more of a hassle than a difficulty, but I thought it would compliment the chicken nicely, and I was quite right. At least I think I was, ha. Next time I use this marinade I think I'm going to do chicken cutlets, and make yummy sandwiches




And last but not least, Thursday's dinner, Roasted Pork with Black-Eyed Pea Salad. This is a recipe that I'd been meaning to try for quite sometime. But, I'm taking the easy way out on this one. I highly recommend that you click on that lovely little link and get this recipe for yourself. It was really delicious, and really easy. I've made the salad several times before, but this was the first time I'd done the pork tenderloin too. I had some difficulty getting it up to the right temperature, but I think the problem might lie in my thermometer actually. I'm also cheating and using Martha's pic, cause I just couldn't cut my pork that neatly. But really, don't take my not typing up the whole recipe a sign that it isn't delicious. Just take it as a sign that I'm excited because it's Chipotle Friday and the hubster just got home. I gotta get me some chips & guacamole, so I'll check you chicas later. Adios!

Fishy Delishy

Last week Josh informed me that we were the recipients of some fresh little trout fillets from his Dad's recent fishing trip. My brain was buzzing with ideas. It occurred to me that the best thing I could make would be something that had been haunting me since I learned of it on this episode of Mexico One Plate at a Time- Ceviche. I searched through several recipes online, and remembering what I also saw on the episode, I came up with a general recipe. Josh forgot the fish that night, which was quite depressing after juicing 7 limes, but when he brought it home the next night I cut it all up in preparation. It was amazing to see the fish actually cook in the lime juice! I'll post my recipe below, and after some comments about how I came around to my personal version of this delicious Latin appetizer salad.

Jessica's Trout Ceviche
Recipe from me!











1/2 to 1 lb. fresh trout fillets, cut to 1" pieces
Juice of 6 or 7 limes
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded & diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded & diced
1 small onion, diced
1 small avocado, diced
1 1/2 Roma tomatoes, seeded & diced
1 jalapeno, seeded & ribbed, minced
Plenty of cilantro, well torn or chopped
Coarse salt

• Cover trout in lime juice in a plastic container with lid or Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for up to 6 hours, allowing juice to cook fish.
• Drain and discard juice from fish. Toss all vegetables and cilantro together. Add fish and mix. Salt to taste. You can serve immediately, or refrigerate to allow flavors to mingle. Serve with tortilla chips, tortillas, or crackers.
  

My notes: A lot of the recipes I came across involved mixing a sort of dressing from olive oil & red wine vinegar. I did mix this dressing up, but I didn't like the taste of it, so I didn't use it. If you're interested in trying it that way, just mix equal parts oil & vinegar. The recipe I referenced the most used 1/4 cup of each. Also, the cilantro is a personal preference kind of thing. I love cilantro, so I used plenty of it. And I ended up using quite a bit of salt, because I over-soaked the fish a little bit and it helped temper the strong lime flavor that resulted. But overall I enjoyed this dish immensely. Josh liked it, but a big batch of fresh raw veggies, especially onions and peppers, really isn't his thing. It is however my thing, and thusly I ate the majority of it. I served this ceviche for dinner along with some tortilla chips, veggie quesadillas and Dos Equis with lime. Heaven.

Salads and Resolutions

So, one of my new year resolutions is to start this blog up. I set it up before the wedding, and then had absolutely no time to commit to it. Also, I can't seem to take good pictures, especially when it comes to my food, so I kept putting off really getting it going until I could some how master the art of photography. Without actually bothering to learn anything about it, mind you. My new solution is to use the recipe pictures for now, when available, and only use pics that I have taken when it is absolutely necessary. Because I really hate recipes that don't come with pictures. How am I supposed to know if I want to eat something if I don't know what it looks like? Do I purchase clothes blindly, hoping that they will not be missing a pant leg? Nope. Then why should I go blindly into a recipe with absolutely no idea what the end result might be? So, anyway, without further ado, the first recipe on my teeny, tiny food blog.

Bean, Corn and Tortilla Salad
Recipe from Everyday Food; Serves 4
1 15.5 oz. can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 10 oz. package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 bunch of scallions thinly sliced (appx. 1 cup)
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted & cubed
3 plum tomatoes, thickly sliced
1/4 cup prepared medium tomato salsa,
plus more for serving
1 12 oz. romaine hearts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups broken baked tortilla chips
3/4 cup coarsely grated Pepper Jack cheese
Coarse salt and ground pepper

• In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine beans, corn and salsa. Microwave just until warmed through, 1 minute. Stir in scallions, avocado, and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Set mixture aside.
• In a large bowl toss lettuce and chips together. Divide evenly among plates; top with bean mixture and cheese. Serve immediately, topped with additional salsa, if desired.

Per Serving: 368 calories; 14.2 grams fat; 13.9 grams protein; 52.9 grams carbohydrates; 11.4 grams fiber.

My thoughts on this recipe:
This salad usually takes me awhile to make, because there are quite a few things to prep. This is especially true if I do not buy ready to eat romaine lettuce. However, the more I make it the quicker the process seems to go. It is an incredibly hearty salad, which makes it a great vegetarian dinner.