Sweet Smokey Talapia

This is a super fast meal, and easy to serve a bunch. Great with a nice crusty bread to sop up yummy pan juices! If you've not yet tried smoked paprika, do yourself a favor and add it to your spice collection. The smell is amazing, the taste delicious. You'll find yourself using it often!


Sweet Smokey Talapia

8 small to medium sized pieces talapia, lightly rinsed and patted dry.
1 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
Smoked Paprika (must be the smoked variety for the best flavor) (about 4 teaspoons)
Salt & Pepper
Juice of one lemon
Brown Sugar (about 4 teaspoons)
4 fresh garlic cloves, pressed or mashed to paste

Heat oven to 350. In a large oven-proof pan (I used the broiler pan bottom) Melt the butter and olive oil. Coat fish in oil/butter mixture on both sides, and lay side by side in same pan. Sprinkle each slice with about 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and brown sugar, then lightly salt and pepper. Top each slice of fish with a small smear of garlic paste. Squeeze juice of one lemon over all.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until fish is white and flakey. Then turn your oven to broil and broil until the spices and brown sugar on top darken a bit.

Nice served with crusty bread, a green salad with avocado, and a fresh ear of corn.

Blueberry Pie for Lunch

Tis the season for fresh blueberries and I bought 13 pints of organic blueberries last week at $1.99, which for those of you who shop for produce --especially organic produce - know is a steal. Greg loves blueberry pie, and so I made two of them in honor of Father's Day -- and the fact that I can afford to make a fresh blueberry pie this week, without having to get a second job.

It was so good, and the day so gorgeous here in Colorado, that I had the pie pictured above for lunch today, with spoon of Blue Bell ice cream, savoring every bite in my back yard full of flowers.

There are days when nothing but pie will do for lunch, and this perfect day was one of them.

Here's the recipe, which turned out, like this day, absolutely perfect! Not too runny, not too thick, not too sweet, not too tart.

Becky's Blueberry "Lunch" Pie

For a 9 inch pie (clear, plain Pyrex pans with a nice "lip" are my favorites...)

4 c. fresh blueberries

1 c. sugar

1 T. fresh lemon juice (add a little zest if you like the lemon flavor) OR 1/2 t. cinnamon, which ever flavoring you prefer. I like lemon, Greg likes cinnamon. So I had no choice but to make a pie for each of us.

4 T. corn starch

(If your pan is a deep dish: add 1 more c. of blueberries and 1 more T. cornstarch, and 1/4 c. more sugar)

Toss together in a big bowl, gently, then pour into an unbaked pie shell. Cover with another pie crust with decorative "holes" cut into it, any shape you like. Or make a lattice top if you prefer. Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe below is for Homemade Pie Crust if you decide to make your own. It had been so long since I made my own pie crust (since Pillsbury refrigerated ones appeared in the stores!) that I really enjoyed getting my hands on pie dough and rolling it out again. Very Betty Crocker.

Pie Crust for Double Crust Pie (or two shells)

2 c. unbleached flour

2/3 c. Crisco shortening (Best if this is chilled. I just store shortening in the fridge. I seldom use it, because too much shortening in your diet will "shorten" your life -- but as I said, there are days when you have to have pie. Preferably for lunch. And Crisco makes great tasting crusts. I like the butter flavor. )

1 t. salt

7 T. ice water

In a food processor pulse flour and salt with shortening until shortening looks like little peas. Add the ice water and pulse again just until it begins to stick together like dough. Secret to good pie crust: keep every thing cold and don't handle it any more than you have to.

Dampen your kitchen counter and put a big rectangle of wax or parchment paper on top of this... it will keep the paper in place. Sprinkle with about a T. of flour and put the lump of dough in the middle. Divide it in half, put one half in the fridge to keep it chilled. Create a ball with the other half, and then flatten with your hand. Sprinkle dough with a light dusting of flour and roll out with a rolling pin, radiating from the middle of the lump until you have a rustic looking circle. Fold pie dough (without creasing) into fourths. (You can lift it with the edges of the waxed paper to fold, to make it easier.) Then put the point of the "dough triangle"in the middle of the pan and unfold, then press to the sides. Fill with berry mixture.

Repeat the process with the second half of the dough to the "rustic circle stage." Lay on top of berries, press the sides of the dough together and flute.

(I got this cute little retro dessert plate at a Dollar Store.... in Holland!)

Hotel Survivor "Trail Mix Toast"

I was in a hotel room this week without a car or restaurant nearby. And I was hungry. Thankfully, I could forage from the snacks I astutely brought in my suitcase (The Johnson Family Creed is "Always Bring Snacks.") It was like being on Survivor, The Hotel Version. I felt like McGyver, as I took out a thin bagel, peanut butter, sunflower seeds and dried cherries and cranberries.

Carefully cleaning the iron in the hotel room, I then "ironed" the bagel to a toasty crunch.

Next, I rather awkwardly smeared the bagel with peanut butter, using a plastic coffee stirrer, and sprinkled on the remaining ingredients.

Ta-dum! Trail Mix Toast was born.

To my surprise, I really loved it.

Now that I'm home I toast the thin bagel or Ezekiel bread cut side down in a little butter and olive oil on a hot skillet and leave the iron to... well, sit on the top shelf in the laundry room. Because at home I don't even iron clothes, much less bagels.

And I've also taken to sprinkling my trail mix toast with flax or hemp seeds or wheatgerm. I sometimes use almond butter.

It's fun, it's easy, it's healthy and a great snack breakfast to make on the run for yourself or the kiddos.

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. And it looks like I've given birth to what I can must humbly admit is destined to become ... a whole new breakfast classic. :)

Energy Green "Shots"

I was telling a friend today about the "energy shots" I serve to myself and Greg, my husband every day. She asked me to share the recipe, so I thought I'd use my blog to do that visually, in case others might be interested as well!

My homemade "green energy shots" provide a quick boost of energy and when you use l-carnitine and fish oil in liquid form, you got a lot of milligrams for your money. (You'd have to take several expensive pills to equal what these liquid forms give you.) And the good news is that both this brand of l-carnitine (Now Brand, 1000 mg., citrus flavor) and fish oil (Barleans, citrus) actually taste great. (No fishy taste or aftertaste at all.)

KyoGreen Brand green food mixes really well, as opposed to some of the "green powders" I've tried that glop up when you try to stir them into liquids. Superfood powders like this keep your body more alkaline than acidic, which helps prevent cancer. It also has anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties, alongside providing natural energy. In addition it is great for skin, hair and nails and is great blood purifier.

L-Carnitine provides natural energy at a cellular level and is excellent for heart health and blood pressure.

Fish oil helps with mood, brain nourishment, heart health and is a source of balanced energy.

I mix 1 T. of the Now brand L-carnitine, with 1 t. of the Barleans fish oil and 1 T. of Kyo green powder. Stir well. Then add 1/4 to 1/3 c. juice -- we like orange juice.

Then bottoms up! You'll be surprised that it tastes pleasant. Follow this shot with a drink of water or green tea and you should feel great soon. My son Gabe and his girlfriend Aleks love these "green shots" and ask for one whenever they come over because it gives them nice, calm energy for their busy days.

I take one "shot" in the morning and one in the afternoon when my energy begins to dip again.

Cheers!

Balsamic Roasted Carrots, Potatoes and Garlic Bulbs

It is getting sad in my fridge at the end of the groceries. Still, I managed to find some carrots and a few small golden potatoes and a several bulbs of garlic. Cha-ching! Roasted balsamic vegies are one of my favorite side dishes. The balsamic vinegar and olive oil mingles with the vegies to form a sweet-savory crispy coating. Transforms the lowly carrot and potato into something to "ooh and ahh" about, and with almost no effort and very little time.

Preheat oven to 400.

First peel about 6 carrots and then cut them into sticks or think slices. Then quarter several about 6 new,red or golden potatoes. You will use 2 full garlic bulbs...no need for any prep.

On a big thick sheet pan, squiggle a generous amount of olive oil. (About 1/8 cup.) Plop carrots and potatoes and garlic bulbs on the sheet and spread apart into one even layer. Sprinkle all, lightly, with Steak or Grill Seasoning (or salt and pepper and cayenne and garlic). Then generously sprinkle with Balsamic Vinegar. Toss or roll the vegies around until coated with oil, vinegar and seasonings.

(You can also add herbs or other vegies,for a variation on this basic technique.)

Roast for 10 -15 minutes until the bottoms of the vegies are golden and caramelized. Then turn with a spatula, turn heat down to 350 and roast another 10-15 minutes until done. Carefully lift garlic bulbs off of the pan (I use a paper towel) and cut off the ends, then squeeze the sweet roasted cloves into and among the carrots and potatoes.

These vegies are fabulous as they are, but you can also serve with a little Ranch Dressing or sour cream or onion dip to make them even more delectable.

Chicken Lime-Coconut Rice Bowls

I love the combination of fresh lime, coconut milk and spice! Hope you enjoy this creamy, easy one-bowl wonder. It can easily be doubled or tripled for a group.

I begin by making jasmine rice (1 3/4 cups of rice, 3 cups water, dash salt). If you have a rice maker, all the better as it takes less than 15 minutes. ($13.00 at Walmart.:) When it is done, stir in 1/2 can of coconut milk, reserve the rest for the chicken and sauce. (I like the organic lite coconut milk, Whole Foods brand. You want a little fat in there for creaminess and this one is perfect.)

In a large skillet, saute 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic in a T. of coconut or olive oil and a T. of sesame oil.

To this add any vegies you like and stir fry until tender crisp. (I use whatever I have on hand --- onions, mushrooms, sliced asparagus, frozen green peas, edemame, fresh pineapple, chunks of cooked sweet potato or carrots, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts and on and on! I had some fresh brussel sprouts left over so I removed the outer leaves and threw them in the pot,then sliced the little "cabbage core" in "coins" and stir fried them. They were amazing! Fresh grated ginger is also nice. )

Toss in about 1 to 2 cups of diced or shredded cooked chicken, depending on how many you are serving, allowing 1/2 c. per person. (I love rotisserie chicken for this.)

Over the hot chicken and vegies pour about 1/4 c. good teriyaki sauce, 1/8. c. sweet thai chili sauce, and the other 1/2 can coconut milk. Lightly stir. for seasoning and add soy sauce if it needs more saltiness. Squeeze juice of one fresh lime over all.

Let guests serve themselves a portion of hot jasmine coconut rice, and chicken vegie sauce.

Then let everyone add condiments as they like, such as:

Chopped nuts, sesame seeds, crisp fried Chinese noodles, fresh chopped cilantro or basil; extra Oriental sauces such as soy, teriyaki, hoison, thai red sweet chili sauce (I buy this in large bottles at World Market), Sriracha HOT chili sauce (pictured above), grated coconut and fresh lime slices.

Serves 3-4

Halibut with Lemon & Capers

I must confess that I borrowed this picture of someone else's halibut, because we ate ours up so fast tonight and I was too hungry to search for my camera! (I promise to replace it with my own picture next time I make this recipe, which I hope will be soon. In all honesty, it looked even better:)

However, the fish turned out so great that I wanted to write down the recipe before I forgot what I did!

First I began with a thick piece (about 1/2 lb each person) of fresh halibut from Whole Foods. It is in season right now and the catch is so mild and fresh!

I sprinkled each side of the halibut with a light sprinkling of salt, pepper, and fresh grated lemon peel. Then I pan grilled (in a screamin' hot pan) the two pieces in about 2. T olive oil, 1 t. of butter and a couple of smashed garlic cloves.

After both sides had a nice golden caramel color, I poured in about 1/2 cup water (I was out of white wine, or I would have used that), the juice of one lemon, and about 1 T. of agave nectar (you could also use organic brown sugar) and 2 T. capers. Covered this with a lid and steamed just until fish was flaky and done.

Served the fish over brown and wild rice, pouring pan juices with capers evenly over both pieces.

Fish, Deelish!