Tilapia with Lemon-Butter Sauce

I mentioned previously that one of our resolutions for this year was to focus on getting healthier.  They say that happiness can make you fat and it has!  I am extremely happy (happier than I've ever been) but I've also packed on a few extra pounds.  I have a little frame so it's very noticeable when I do gain a little weight.  I still fit into my clothes, but they're definitely getting tight and that is a sure sign that something needs to be done!

I didn't want to diet though.  I've tried zillions of diets over the years only to be left discouraged and giving up, ahem, after a couple of weeks.  I've heard time and time again that being healthy should be a lifestyle and not considered a "diet."  Let's face it, dieting doesn't work.  We needed to adopt a healthier approach to eating and staying fit.  And it needs to become a way of life, not a punishment that most "diets" feel like. 

I've always tried to take a somewhat healthy approach to my cooking....I don't use a lot of salt, I make a lot of my own seasonings, I try to avoid most processed foods, etc.  We always had fruit and veggies on-hand, but not enough to get the proper nutrition we needed.  So we decided that we're going to incorporate more healthy foods into our life...more fish, more poultry, more fruit, more veggies, more water, etc.  Since doing so, we've felt a noticeable difference in how we feel!

Yes, we do have the occasional bag of potato chips or homemade cookies, but we don't devour it's entire contents in 1 or 2 days!  We eat in moderation.  We still go out to dinner on the weekends and while sometimes we choose healthier options (as healthy as you can get going out), sometimes I just want a big, juicy cheeseburger!  Or a slice of pizza!  And that's okay, because I do it in moderation and I don't pig out until I'm miserable. 

I made this fish last night and it was unbelievably good!  The fish, alone, was really tasty but after adding the lemon-butter sauce, it was phenomenal!  And so simple to make!  It took, maybe, 15 minutes at the most to throw together.  The fish was light and flavorful and the sauce wasn't too heavy...just a nice balance of flavor.  The sauce would dually be good on chicken as well!  This little guy is definitely going to make it's way into our regular rotation of favorites!


Tilapia with Lemon-Butter Sauce

Ingredients
1 lb. Tilapia or any type of hearty, white fish
3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, divided
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 Tsp. Flour
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1/4 cup Chicken Stock
2 Tsp. Lemon Juice
1 Med. Tomato, diced


Directions
Pat dry the fillets and season both sides with salt and pepper.

In a large pan, heat 2 Tbsp. butter over med-high heat.  Add in the fillets and sear 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Remove the fillets from the pan and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter over med-high heat.  Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).  Stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute.  Gradually add in the chicken stock, followed by the lemon juice, stirring constantly until a smooth consistency forms.  If the sauce thickens, add in more stock to get the consistency you prefer.

Spoon the sauce over the fillets and top with the diced tomatoes.  Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 Servings
Source: Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

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Menu Madness - Week of 1.23.11

Happy Monday to y'all!  I hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready for another week.  As promised, I am going to start posting our menu for each week to not only give you an idea of what we'll be eating for dinner each night (maybe to help you plan) but also to give you a sneak peek at what types of new recipes you can expect to see here in the next couple of weeks to come!

You may notice that I don't cook dinner every single night.  Because it's just the two of us here, I find that the meals I make during the week, tend to hold us over into another night with leftovers.  I don't believe in being wasteful and sometimes the leftovers are the best part!  So I usually try to judge and plan accordingly to the meal(s) that I'm making.  It really saves on time and cuts down on our grocery bill, but I always have extra items on-hand to quickly throw something easy together if we do run out of leftovers.  For instance, this week I have the ingredients to make Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Beer Bread or I could do Spaghetti with Homemade Turkey Meatballs and a salad if needed.  It's always good to be prepared!

So without further ado, here is the menu we have planned for this week....

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Annnnd We're Back!

Remember that line?  No?  From SNL?  Jimmy Fallon?  Ben Affleck?  Well, if I'm still not jogging your memory, here is the video....HILLARIOUS!  Definitely an oldie, but most definitely a goodie!

I realize it's been a little over a month since I've posted anything.  I'm sorry.  In fact, I don't think I've posted anything since before Christmas!  Man, I'm waaaay behind!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to y'all...I hope everyone had a great holiday season!

Things have been pretty chaotic since then...I flew to MI for Christmas (it was a last-minute/unexpected trip, but one that was well overdue).  I was able to catch up and spend time with family and one of my best friends.  Overall, a successful trip and well worth the the crazy airport crowds!

Like everyone, one of our New Year's resolutions included getting healthy and taking better care of our bodies.  I know it's pretty cliche' and one that easily pushes you off the wagon after just a few weeks, but I must say that we're doing pretty darn good with it being almost a month in!  We never really ate really bad before (only sometimes) but we're just focusing more on incorporating more figure-friendly foods...things like more fish (eating it more than once a week), a lot more fruits and veggies, cutting back on bad starches and increasing our intake of good starches, drinking less soda and alcohol, etc.  We've also been really diligent on being more active and getting in more cardio each day just to better our health overall.

So....with all this healthy eating, I haven't had much to blog.  Plus, things were busy with work and now I'm going to be starting a new job in a week, so my schedule will be even more busy!

But I promise to be around more and I'm excited to be incorporating a few more features here!  I've slacked quite a bit on "Things I ♥" and need to start sharing with y'all more gadgets, tools and accessories that I love in the kitchen.  

I'm also going to be sharing our menu for each week with you, called "Menu Madness" and, of course, I'm going to continue participating in our What's Baking group!  Speaking of which, this month's theme is "Try something new for the new year" to challenge each of us to bake something utilizing a recipe, technique or ingredient that we've never used before.  I'm pretty excited to see what everyone comes up with!  I've also been chosen to host next month's group, so stick around to hear me announce the theme for February!


And last, but not least, I wanted to discuss something very near and dear to my heart....animals!  My friend, Branny, over at Branny Boils Over is hosting a Charity Souper Bowl in which she and her husband, The Omnivore, are going to donate $1 to the ASPCA for every soup recipe that is entered!  That's amazing and so kind of her!  That is actually their New Year's Resolution and it's a fantastic one and definitely something we can all contribute to.  Her goal is to reach a minimum of $100 and right now, she's 1/4 of the way there, so she needs all the help she can get!  I'm definitely going to be participating and you can too!  It's simple....all you have to do is make a new or favorite soup recipe.  If you're a fellow blogger, blog about it (and perhaps tribute the post to your pet or a past pet you've had) and share the link with Branny.  If you're not a blogger, email Branny with the recipe, a photo of the soup and the name of the animal you'd like to dedicate it to!  We've all seen those dreaded commercials with Sarah McLachlan songs playing in the background...the one that I always have to turn the channel because I just can't bear to look at those faces (it just breaks my heart).  So please help her out and let me know if you participate!


I'm signing off for now, but not for long!  Have a happy and relaxing Sunday and I'll see you soon!

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Zuppa Toscana

If one were to question whether Winter had arrived yet in Georgia, they need not question it any longer!  It was frigid and down-right freezing here over the weekend and we saw snow fly! 

Now, being a "Yankee" myself, snow and frigid temperatures are nothing out of the ordinary for me at this time of year (especially since my family has already seen blizzard-like conditions where they live).  But when you live in the South, especially getting down past Tennessee and Kentucky, you would expect that you've escaped that horrible weather!  Well let me assure you...that's a big fat NO!

But what is December without being a little cold and seeing Mother Nature's frozen little stars falling from the sky?!  And what better way to celebrate weather like that than to curl up to a nice bowl of homemade soup?!  I'll do you one better, how about a nice bowl of Zuppa Tuscana from Olive Garden?!  And even better than that...a bowl of Zuppa Toscana homemade from your own kitchen!

Olive Garden: home of the infamous soup, salad and breadsticks special.  One that I know I officially partook in plenty of times at lunch gatherings!  As always, I feasted on the yummy salad with homemade Italian dressing, buttery garlic breadsticks and piping hot Zuppa Toscana with chunks of potatoes, spicy sausage and fresh kale in a creamy broth....YUM!  Seriously, if you've never tried it, you must go and get some.  Now!  I really mean now!!!

Surprisingly, Chris had never had it, but that's because when he goes to Olive Garden, he orders pasta.  Hmmm...who would've thought?!  So to my delight, he was pleasantly surprised after trying this hearty soup and even took some for lunch today!  As one of my definite favorites, this soup will surely be greeted with big open arms in our house again (probably sooner than we think)!

Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients
1 lb. Italian Sausage
8 slices Bacon, chopped
4 cups Water
2 cups Chicken Broth
2 Lg. Potatoes (Yukon, Russet, Baking, etc.), cubed
1 Med. Onion, diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 cups Kale, chopped
1 cup Heavy Cream
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Directions
In a large pot, crumble the sausage and brown over medium heat.  Add in the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until browned; drain the grease from the pot.

Add in the water, chicken broth, potatoes, onion and garlic.  Cook over medium heat until simmering; let simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender (about 10-15 minutes).

Add in the kale, cream, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; stir until combined and cook until heated through.  Serve immediately.

Note: The red pepper flakes definitely add a bit of heat to the soup, so use sparingly if you prefer less or omit altogether.


Yield: 4-6 Servings
Source: Adapted from Joelen's Culinary Adventures, originally from America's Most Wanted Recipes

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Starbucks' Pumpkin Scones

Have y'all been to Starbucks and had their Pumpkin Scones?!  They're heavenly and with a Pumpkin Spice Latte (especially with Autumn's first sign of arrival), it's pumpkin overload, but in a good way!  A really good way!  I don't know if I've ever talked about my Starbucks craziness or my little method of how I choose my drinks from there, but I'll keep it short....

When it gets to be the time of year that Autumn is arriving, I always go for the Pumpkin Spice Latte (and sometimes treat myself to the decadent Pumpkin Scone or the low fat Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake, which is also scrumptious).  Then, as Fall moves out and Winter quickly approaches, my  mind goes directly to the Peppermint White Mocha, which is oh so good!  Any other time of the year, my go-to drink is just a regular White Mocha but when it's my favorite time(s) of the year, I splurge and get something special!

Sorry, I digress a little.  Back to the scones....I came across this recipe, I don't know, quite some time ago and had it bookmarked on my computer ever since.  I've made pumpkin scones before...remember these?  They were good, but nothing beats the ones from Starbucks.  There are so many copycat recipes out there (and I've tried a few), but they don't always meet your expectations of the real thing.  This recipe, however, was quite the opposite.  These scones turned out exactly like Starbucks' and the sugary white icing drizzled over them was the cherry on top...haha, get it?!

I actually made mini-scones because, along with the Cranberry Soda Bread with Lime Glaze and the Mini- Zucchini & Basil Quiches, I took these into work for Black Friday.  I figured it would be easy to grab a small one versus a much larger one and they went a lot further and saved me time from having to make duplicate batches of scones just to feed everyone!  They're great in the morning with coffee or tea and sometimes I even found myself snacking on them in the evening just to curb my sweet tooth!

Starbucks' Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients

2 cups Flour

7 Tbsp. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1/2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin

3 Tbsp. Heavy Cream

1 Egg

6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar

2 Tbsp. Milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, heavy cream, and egg.

Crumble the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse mixture.  Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. 

Using your hands, for the dough into a ball.  Pat the dough lightly onto a floured surface and form a 1-inch thick rectangle (9-inches long and 3-inches wide).  Using a large knife or pizza cutter, slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions.  Cut those pieces diagonally so that there are 6 triangles of dough (I took it even further to make smaller, mini-size pieces).

Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 14-16 minutes or until light brown; let cool completely.

To make the icing, combine the powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl; mix well until no lumps are present.  Using a spoon, carefully drizzle the icing over the scones and let sit for at least 1 hour.

Yield: 6 Servings (full size)/24 Servings (mini)
Source: Adapted from The Nest

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Cranberry Soda Bread with Lime Glaze

I'm not a big "bread" person in terms of actually baking bread.  I don't know, it sort of scares me!  I've made homemade bread before and it always just turns out alright.  It's never anything special, but it's certainly not horrible either.  I've just always envisioned homemade bread as being really, really good.  And the times that I've had it, it is!  This is definitely a cooking hurdle I need to get over and I'm working on it. 

I think, more than anything, it's working with yeast that scares me.  Making bread can be a delicate process; there are a lot of steps in between to let the bread rise (sometimes more than once) and kneading it just so.  For one reason or another, mine usually comes out dry.

This recipe I actually consider a "cheater" recipe in that it doesn't utilize yeast.  It's quite simple and ends up coming out as a cross between a scone and biscotti.  It has a hard shell on the outside, but is rather dense on the inside.  I made this recipe for work on Black Friday.  I thought it would be a nice little "something" to help fill us up but also kill our sweet cravings!

The bread itself was pretty good, although it did seem a little dry (not too bad), but I might've overbaked it as well (again, if you've followed any of my other Turkey Day/Black Friday posts, you'll know that I had lots going on in the oven and some things ended up staying in there too long)!  And I missed a step in the process to help vent it and let steam escape during baking.  It certainly didn't ruin the flavor and the best part of this recipe is the lime glaze!  Holy smokes, people, I'm telling you that I could not keep my hands off of the glaze once I was done using it on the bread.  It was so good and just that hint of lime was really refreshing and such a nice complement to the somewhat sweet, yet somewhat tart cranberries in the bread.  It was a really  nice combination and if I make it again, I will definitely be sure not to overbake it!  I think this bread would be great for a bridal or baby shower of some sort or perhaps a brunch!

Cranberry Soda Bread with Lime Glaze

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups plus 1 Tbsp. Milk

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

4 cups Flour

1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

1 Tsp. Salt

3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, chilled and cubed

1 cup Dried Cranberries

1 Egg

1 cup Powdered Sugar

1 Lime, zested and juiced

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/3 cups milk and the lemon juice; let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.  Rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form.  Stir in the cranberries.

Beat the egg into the milk mixture and then add to the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until it just comes together.  Form the dough into an 8-inch round and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Using a knife, score an "X" 1/2-inch deep in the center.  Bake until golden and crusty (about 25-30 minutes).  Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lime zest, lime juice and the remaining tablespoon of milk.  Drizzle over the cooled bread and slice for serving.

Yield: 8-12 Servings

Source: Every Day with Rachael Ray

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What's Baking Challenge - Thanksgiving

Well, it's that time again and I can hardly believe we're already rounding up recipes from last month's What's Baking Challenge (it seems like just about a week ago, we were doing our first round up for October).  Wow, how time flies!

This was an interesting month because it was about Thanksgiving and it was really nice to see everyone's interpretations of the theme and what reminded them of this special holiday.  It was also nice to see a wide variety of baked goods made and not just desserts! 

Below are the entries from most everyone (I know that some people stepped out for the month due to time commitments)...hopefully you'll find something that catches your eye and also some other blogs that may be of interest to you!

And before I go, our host chosen for December is Stephanie from Brownies and Blondies.  The theme she has chosen is Holiday Colors!  I think it will be really fun to see how everyone interprets it and whether they stick with the typical red and green for Christmas, blue and white for Hanukkah, red/green/black for Kwanzaa, black and gold for New Years Eve, a simple red and white combination or maybe even something Wintry in light blue/silver/white!  Stay tuned next month to find out....




Edible Cornucopia

Source: Our Italian Kitchen


Rustic Apple Crostata

Source: The Boys Made Me Do It


Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Upside Down Cake

Source: Beantown Baker


"The Pie That Won't Die"

Souce: The Tiny Tyrant's Kitchen


Cranberry Apple Mini Pies

Source: Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks


Sweet Potato Trifle

Source: Carrie's Sweet Life


Bacon and Cheddar Apple Pie

Source: The Jey of Cooking


Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Source: Our Share of the Harvest


Pilgrim Bread

Source: Pursuing Domestic Goddess-ness


**For what it's worth, please excuse the formatting above with the caption sourcing of the pictures.  Blogger isn't working with me the way I'd like and for some reason some of the captions are not properly placed under each picture.  I'll keep working on it to hopefully get it fixed!



                                                      

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