Easy Foil Baked Fish

I love white fish.  When I go home to see my mom, she always makes breaded sole and swiss chard.  It's one of my absolute favorite meals, and super easy to make.  I ran across this one, and realized it might be just a tad healthier.  Yes, the olive oil is still there, but the fish isn't breaded and its baked and not fried.   I served it with cous cous and spinach. 

Easy Foil Baked Fish

2 tilapia filets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, sliced
1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Rinse fish, and pat dry.

Baste fillets with olive oil, and season with garlic salt and black pepper. Place each fillet on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Top with jalapeno slices, and squeeze the lemon over fish. Arrange lemon slices on top of fillets. Carefully seal all edges of the foil to form enclosed packets. Place packets on baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of fish. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Healthy and delicious!

Cheesy Ham Breakfast Casserole

I made this on a whim since I was having some friends over for breakfast.  I don't do that usually, I am more of a dinner girl.  Never have been much of a breakfast person.  I was caught off guard by this one since it's extremely simple...doesn't call for eggs or anything like that.  However, it was fantastic. I totally believe in butchering this recipe too. It's a great base.  Possibly adding some sausage, mushroom and peppers would be good.

Cheesy Ham Breakfast Casserole


Cooking spray
1 (30 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes (I used shredded ones)
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (optional).


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish.  Add salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. Serve immediately.

Turned out yummy, and it was a big hit.  I served it with toast, orange juice and fresh strawberries.

Celebratory Country Ribs

I made these the other night to celebrate Tim's first full week at his new job.  I would have made them on the BBQ like I used to, but I decided to pop them in the oven to see how they turned out.  Take my advice- throw them on the grill.  They were still good, I mean how can you really mess up ribs?  Still, there is nothing that compares to that open BBQ flavor.

Celebratory Country Ribs  

2 1/2 pounds pork spareribs
2 (18 ounce) bottles barbeque sauce
1 onion, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Place spareribs in a large stock pot with barbeque sauce, onion, salt, and pepper. Pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a low boil, and cook approximately 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking dish with foil. Remove spareribs from the stock pot, and place on the foil.  Cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn once or twice, and baste with liquid from stockpot. 10 minutes before serving, remove foil and let ribs crisp up.

Like I said, I made these in the oven, but they would be much better on the grill.  Enjoy!

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine

I thought this was so good a couple of years ago, I submitted it to my family cookbook.  Yes, my Italian family has a cookbook.  It's the greatest thing.  Since I no longer have wireless in my house, it was very convenient to go old school and bust out the actual book, instead of putting my laptop on the kitchen counter. 

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine   


1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
salt to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cub fresh Parmesan cheese


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2. Add cornstarch to thicken sauce if necessary.

Mix shrimp, butter, parsley, and basil into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked linguine, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.  Top with additional fresh parsley and fresh Parmesan cheese.

I HATE deveining shrimp.  I think it actually ruins the meal for me since I am grossed out about an hour before I eat it.  It seriously makes me sick.  I hear a rumor that the guy behind the seafood counter can shell and devein shrimp for you....but I have yet to experience this.  I asked him, and he kind of looked at me like I was crazy and then handed me a package of cooked shrimp.  It didn't help that he looked like he was in high school.  I decided to purchase the raw shrimp and shell and devein on my own.  I vow to never do it again.

Very buttery and garlicky.  Delicious.

Greek Chicken

So here's the thing.  I made this as recipe as posted, but I have some very good suggestion in which I will input on this blog.  There is no way that I can post it exactly as I have seen it...which I never do anyways.  That would be plagerism.  I am not a plagerist...college is over right?

Greek Chicken

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups loosely packed torn fresh spinach leaves
1 ripe tomato, chopped

On large plate, combine 1 tablespoon flour, salt, and pepper. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine cheese, lemon juice, and oregano. Add some torn spinach to cheese mixture.  Set aside.

With a meat mallet, pound each chicken breast to 1/2 inch thickness. Spread cheese mixture on each chicken breast, leaving 1/2 inch border. Roll chicken and secure each with toothpicks.   Coat chicken breasts with flour mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden  Spray a glass casserole dish with cooking spray.  Add chicken to dish, and bake for 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, and remaining flour.  Add chicken broth mixture to the skillet.   Add spinach and tomato to skillet, and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.  Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

I served this with rice.  The original didn't call for baking the chicken.  They wanted me to cook everything in the skillet...which I started to do, but the chicken came out mushy.  Terrible.  I quickly threw it in a casserole dish and baked it, which crisped up the outside...and made it a lot better.  It was pretty good with my changes.

MGD

Pork Chops Marsala

I have been on the marsala kick lately, I'll be the first to admit.  Sadly I just used the last of my California Paul Masson Marsala wine that I carted all the way up here from California.  This is a truly beautiful dish.  The sauce is thinner than my previous marsala recipe...but I think it works. 

Pork Chops Marsala   


1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound bone in pork loin chops
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
1 cup Marsala wine


Mix flour, salt ,garlic salt, garlic powder, and oregano together in a medium bowl. Add pork chops, and toss until well coated.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place pork in skillet in a single layer, and cook, turning occasionally, until brown on both sides.  Remove pork chops from skillet.  Keep warm.

 Add mushrooms and minced garlic; cook and stir briefly. Add more olive oil if necessary.  Stir in wine, scraping the skillet to loosen any brown bits. Return pork chops to skillet.  Cover and simmer over medium heat until pork is tender and sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.

Of course I served this with spinach and mashed red potatoes.  I spooned the sauce over everything, and it was superb

MGD.