Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Cilantro Lime Fish Tacos


        So it's clearly been a while since I posted. With finals, moving home, working two jobs and a summer class (and mainly just exercising my new 21 year old privileges), I've been very busy. I can't even say I've made a good home cooked meal in a few weeks! Shame on me!

         I wish I could say I'll have more time to cook and blog this summer, but with 50 hour work weeks, it's not looking like it. I promise to try, though, because I don't want to forget about my trusty blog that always reminds me of the good recipes I've made, and how much I love cooking.

         Before I get into a rant about how delicious these fish tacos were, I first want to talk a bit about Stonewall Kitchen, because that's where I am fortunate enough to have a marketing internship this summer. (Totally in my interest category, right?!) It's such a great company and the corporate culture is extremely friendly and welcoming, which definitely gives me some hope about my future in the business world! So because of this internship and my employee discount, when I do have time to blog, it's likely I will be featuring some great Stonewall Kitchen products I have come to love!

Which brings me to this.....



 Hellllooooo Cilantro Lime Dressing. 

(PS I didn't take that photo. Clearly it's too professional for my crappy iphone, so I hope they don't mind me stealing it from their website. I think it'll make up for it if I send you to this link to buy the product though :) So Click Here!)

     Anyways, it should've been nice out but instead it was 50 degrees and rainy and I was contemplating putting on wool socks and a winter jacket in my own house and/or moving out of Maine forever, so needless to say I needed something Summery (if that's a word?).....and QUICK. Luckily, a solution popped in my brain as I saw some tilapia in the fridge and thought of the Cilantro Lime Dressing I had brought home from work the other day. 

BOOM. Fish Tacos!



       My mom and I ate dinner together and completely loved this dish. She also was testing out a crunchy Asian cabbage salad recipe, which didn't necessarily "go" with the taco, but neither of us cared because they were both so good. 

       Of course we loaded on the avocado, (because God forbid I go a day without eating any), and I used Stonewall Kitchen Mango Lime Salsa. The zesty-ness of it paired so nicely with the cilantro and cumin in the fish, so I definitely recommend a citrus salsa. 

      This recipe is a great kickstart to summer, and writing another blog post reminded me of how much I enjoy doing it. You can expect to see more delicious recipes, and many Stonewall Kitchen products! 

We'll have to see how much of my paycheck I can actually keep......   ;) 




Cilantro Lime Fish Tacos

Ingredients: 
4-6 Tilapia filets
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
For tacos:
Taco shells
Shredded lettuce
Sliced avocado (squirt a lil lemon juice to prevent browning)
Stonewall Kitchen Mango Lime Salsa or other citrus salsa
Sour cream

Directions:
- Put fish in large resealable plastic bag, pour in dressing and marinate for a half hour to an hour. (You may whisk in cumin and chili powder to the dressing before marinating, but I prefer to season afterwards to get more of a blackened style)
- Remove fish from bag and remove excess marinade. Season both sides with cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper
- Heat olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Add fish and cook on both sides for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily with fork. 
- Serve fish in taco shell, topped with salsa, lettuce, avocado and sour cream.





(PS - If you get corn hard shell tacos, this recipe is gluten free!) 





Sunday, May 4, 2014

Cheese Steak Stuffed Peppers



    This recipe is a great way to curb a Philly cheesesteak craving while sticking to a gluten free diet. It's pretty healthy and low carb, and really doesn't lack any flavor without the bun. Not to mention it's really easy!

    Shaved steak can be fairly cheap, especially if you catch a good sale, and it tends to go a long way. I really liked this recipe because I made two stuffed peppers for myself, ate one for dinner and wrapped the other in foil to save it for later. All you do is stick it in the microwave or oven to warm it up, and it's just as good as the first!

     It's very filling so you don't feel like you're missing out on a bun or anything, but you could always add some rice or quinoa to the stuffing or serve it on the side.








    The melted cheese on the top is the best part :) And when you roast the peppers they get so soft and tender, which is really delicious. 






Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
Approx. 1 lb shaved steak
1 medium onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tsp garlic
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
Shredded cheddar (or other) cheese to top
2 large bell peppers, cut open at top and hollowed

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Heat Tbsp of oil over medium high heat in pan
- Add steak, onions, mushrooms and garlic, and cook until steak is cooked through
- Season with salt and pepper (etc)
- Stuff peppers full with steak mixture
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, remove from oven, top with cheese and bake for 20/30 minutes more