Garlic-Roasted Chicken Breasts + Happy New Year!

Um, what? When did we go through a whole 'nother year???

And two-thousand fourteen... doesn't that just seem so far in the future? Not like it is the end of today's date... yet it is. Weren't we just all stocking up on extra supplies just in case the Y2K bug destroyed life as we knew it?

However we got here, Happy New Year! I am glad we all made it through another year -- and hopefully thrived. 

I, for one, had a ridiculously busy and crazy (crazy-good) year. Work, travel, extra responsibilities that take extra time, precious moments spent with loved ones...

You may have noticed blog posts dwindling over time... it was not because I didn't care to keep up with it. Rather, it was because I was juggling many balls at a time, and sometimes you just have to let a ball drop here or there. It happens. But I miss blogging. My hope is that I will be able to pick that ball up more, but if it means another ball must drop, I cannot let that happen. We shall what this year has in store!

I hope you are looking forward to wonderful things ahead of you, and that you were able to leave 2013 behind with a smile. Here's to new adventures waiting for us... CHEERS!

GARLIC-ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS

WITH LEMONY BROCCOLI & PINE NUTS

Recipe slightly adapted from Everyday Food, September 2003

SERVES 6  •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES

ingredients:

• 4 heads garlic
• 8 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large head of broccoli, stalk removed
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 1/3 cup pine nuts

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the tops from garlic heads, reserving the bottoms; arrange the tops, cut sides down, in the center of an 11-by-17-inch roasting pan. Place 1 sprig of the rosemary over each garlic top, and arrange the chicken breasts over the garlic.
2. Place the reserved garlic bottoms, cut sides up, next to the chicken in the pan. Drizzle the chicken and garlic bottoms with the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; place the remaining 4 sprigs of rosemary on top.
3. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes; turn the garlic bottoms cut sides down, and rotate the pan. Continue roasting the chicken until the skin is browned, the juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more.
4. While chicken is roasting, prepare broccoli: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Add broccoli and pin nuts. Squeeze juice from lemon. Add salt. Cook until tender and remove from heat.
5. Pour the pan juices into a measuring cup; skim the fat from the top. Serve the juices with chicken and roasted garlic.

The roasted garlic makes an excellent topping for toast. Just squeeze cooked garlic cloves out of paper skin and use a fork to mash on top of sourdough or other rustic bread. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

COST: $14.42      COST PER SERVING (6): $2.40

Unprocessed    //    Gluten Free    //   Dairy Free

Give Thanks + Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Rosemary, and Lemon

When Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners come around, I am still one of the kids.  Nobody really expects me to roast a turkey or prepare something, because all of the 'real adults' do that.  And when I insist that I am perfectly capable of contributing, the reply is something like, "Well, you can bring a side of something if you want.  Or cookies."  While at work and among friends I am the go-to recipe girl, with family I am still just Tiffany, who is really good at peeling potatoes.

Which really, is fine. I don't mind peeling potatoes.  Honestly.

And for the turkey?  I am glad to not have that responsibility.

But this year is the year.  I am going to bust out real food and put it right in the middle of the amazing dishes that are always present and nobody wants to give up their hold on them.  Not something simple like cookies, but not stealing somebody's life-long claim to green bean casserole or stuffing.

Here is a good one: Brussels sprouts with turkey bacon (to keep it a little less fattening), cooked with rosemary and lemon juice. I know it is really a side, but we took this and served it for dinner with beans and rice (how we do) and it was fantastic. I know not many people like brussels spouts, but this is one of those dishes that nobody will deny.  Bacon?  Yum.  Rosemary?  Flavorful.  Lemon juice?  The perfect amount of zing.  Combined, this makes one tempting side, and those who have claim on the mashed potatoes or candied yams (yuck!) can keep their signature dish theirs ;)

And now, let me share some "thanks"...

Day 11:  It's not just my grandpa, my father, and my brother I am thankful for... I am thankful for ALL veterans and their families, who serve us by serving our country.

Day 12:  I am thankful for my girlfriends. Whether making plans to grab a bite to eat with girl talk, chatting on the phone, nights in jammies watching chick flicks with munchies, or laughing about this or that every day at work, life would be very lonesome with them. It doesn't matter if we have been friends for 20 years or 2, THANK YOU for all the joy and laughter you bring into my life!

Day 13: I am very grateful for my friend Alex, who really, truly "gets" me. We're both a little loud, like to talk, have crazy ideas, and have a habit of forgetting to call people back. It is a rare friend that you can carry on a 32 hour conversation with (with a 4 1/2 hour nap pause in the middle) and not get bored one bit. Like I said, she gets me, and I am thankful that I get to have a friend like that.

Day 14: I am grateful for all the 'unnamed' people in my life who do so much for me -- the one's whose names I might not ever know, but without them my life would be a whole lot harder: the garbage collectors, UPS delivery guys, Cal-Trans people who keep the roads clear... it may sound a little trite, but it's true. I am thankful for all that they do, without much glory or honor, but they do it and they do it well.

What/Who are YOU thankful for today??? 

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH BACON, ROSEMARY, AND LEMON

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food, Oct.2011

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES

ingredients:

• 8 slices of bacon of your choice (I used turkey)
• Extra-virgin olive oil, if needed
• 1 pound of brussels sprouts, shredded in food processor (use slicing blade)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• juice from ½ lemon
• salt and pepper, to taste

directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium until crisp.  If using turkey bacon, you will need to add some olive oil to fry the bacon well.  Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to cool.  Cut/break into small pieces.
2. Keeping the bacon drippings/oil in pan, add brussels sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.  Add rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Stir in bacon.  Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.

Can be served warm or at room temperature.

COST: $6.57        COST PER SERVING (4): $1.64
WITH BEANS & RICE (FULL MEAL): $1.89

Unprocessed    //    Gluten Free    //   Dairy Free

Give Thanks + Chicken Thighs over Roasted Vegetables

Apparently, I have a thing for chicken thighs. First the chicken thighs over butternut squash and cranberries, and now this. But I don't deny it. Here's why I like them: they are cheap and they taste better than the other parts. My personal preference, I know, but the money thing.. you can't argue with that!

But enough chicken-talk! Let's start giving thanks :)

Day 4:  I am grateful for my close friends who were there for me that day 11 years ago -- whether they grabbed the phone out of my hand as I started screaming or sat me down and got me the help I needed to process what I had just heard. I am grateful for one of my closest friends for holding my hand as I said goodbye to my mom one last time. And I am grateful for my one of my first childhood friends for being right there beside me during the funeral, the only person who could truly understand as she had lost her mom a few years before, and for saying the words I needed to hear: It's hard and it sucks, and it was going to suck even more before it was over, but one day it would get a little easier. Thank you.

Day 5:  I am grateful for Dang, the Hertz Rental Car employee who observed how much trouble I had getting a vehicle for a field trip in the morning -- 1 1/2 hours late and not cleaned -- and not only gave back a good portion of the money upon my return (before I could even ask), but then came around from behind the counter, sat down in the seat across from me, and listened while I explained why I was frustrated. He didn't make excuses, he didn't blame it on others (even though it was not his fault), he JUST LISTENED. 

Who/what are YOU thankful for today?

CHICKEN THIGHS OVER ROASTED VEGETABLES

Recipe inspired by Everyday Food’s PorkChops with Fennel and Carrots

SERVES 6 •  PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES

ingredients

• 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into ½-inch wedges
• 1 pound carrots, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges, root end left intact
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 6 boneless chicken thighs
• lemon wedges, for serving

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss fennel, carrots, onion, and garlic with 2 tablespoons rosemary and 4 tablespoons oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast until vegetables are tender and browned in spots, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.  Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and sprinkle with remaining rosemary.  In batches, cook until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes each side.  Check to make sure it is fully cooked.
3. Serve chicken on top of roasted vegetables.  Squeeze lemon juice on top, if desired.

                                                                                                         

COST: $14.81              COST PER SERVING (6): $2.47

Unprocessed    //    Gluten Free    //   Dairy Free

Give Thanks 1 + Chicken Thighs over Butternut Squash

Fall is a season of orange. Seriously. Look at the leaves, the pumpkins, the recipes on my page.  Today I have another orange-colored recipe for you.  I also have some "thanks" to give out.  Because Fall is also a season of thanksgiving.

This year, instead of finding something I am grateful for (a warm bed, a home to call my own, etc.), I am focusing on someone that I am grateful for.  Many posts this month will be include these mentions of gratitude.  And I hope you will join me and share your person that you are grateful for in the comments.

Day 1: I am grateful for the legacy of a pastor I had when I was 20 years old. He didn't get to see it play out because he (along with his life and son) were taken long before anyone expected, but I am thankful for him recognizing leadership ability in me when nobody else did, myself included. He sought me out to and gave me responsibility, and I grew in ways I never would have if he had not seen that potential in me.  Some day I will be able to say thank you to his face, but until then I will never forget that he was the one who started that area of growth in my life.

Day 2: I am grateful for my dad, whose words of pride started off my day.

Day 3 (today): I was going to wait until a specific date (one with great significance) to say this, but everyday it is the truth: I am grateful for my husband. BEYOND grateful. He loves me with a full love, truly is my best friend, my laughing buddy, my fellow adventure planner, and my shoulder to cry on. I am a blessed woman, and I am aware of that every day.

Who have YOU been grateful for these past three days?

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CRANBERRIES

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food,October 2011

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 45 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 5 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, halved, and seeded
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 chicken thighs
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 onion, cut into ½-inch wedges
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup dried cranberries

directions

1. Cut the squash into 1-inch pieces and set aside.
2. In a large pot with a heavy bottom, heat 1 T. of oil over medium-high.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and, in two batches, cook skin side down, until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate; pour off fat from pot.
3. Add 1 T. oil, squash, and onion to pot and cook until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add sage, flour, ginger, and nutmeg.  Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, 1 minute.  Nestle chicken, skin side up, in squash mixture.  Add cranberries and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

                                                                                                         

COST: $11.93              COST PER SERVING (4): $2.98

Unprocessed    //    Fall Food    //   Dairy Free

Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

Sometimes you need something fancy.  Risotto.  Yes, sometimes I need risotto.

Or bows on your clothes.  Or sexy shoes.  Maybe a night out on the town.

But sometimes you just need something cozy... jeans, warm socks, a comfy blanket.  Or sweet potatoes with bacon.  This is a cozy dish.  Like chicken noodle soup or mashed potatoes.  Cozy and easy.  Two adjectives that are perfect for these days that are getting shorter and energy levels that fall away as the sun goes down...

Pair it with chicken, eggs, or anything really.  It's one of those side dishes that might as well be the main dish. And honestly now, can you ever go wrong with bacon?  That's what I thought.

**Speaking of bacon, use any kind of bacon you want in this dish.  We are a turkey and beef bacon kind of family most of the time.  When using a lower-fat bacon, though, you will need to add some olive oil to the mix as there won't be as much fat to cook the potatoes.  Trader Joe's, as always, has a great selection of bacon.

SWEET POTATOES WITH BACON

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food, October 2011

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES

ingredients

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 4 sliced bacon (see note above) + olive oil, if using non-pork bacon
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped sage
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  On a rimmed baking sheet, combine sweet potatoes, bacon, and sage; season with salt and pepper. Roast until sweet potatoes are browned in spots and tender when pierced with a knife and bacon is crisp, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

                                                                                                         

COST: $4.99        COST PER SERVING (4): $2.25

Unprocessed    //    Gluten Free    //   Dairy Free

Roasted Acorn Squash Salad + Speaking Honestly

I am going to be completely honest with you.

There are very few things I like about Fall.

I know, know.  Your shock and dismay are not lost on me.  I know I am supposed to be a lover of the seasons changing, of the leaves going from green to reds and golds, of the thought of scarves being tied around my neck.

And in a way, I do like those things. Honestly.  I mean, I have never seen the Northeast during this time of the year, but I bet it is fantastic.  And yes, I do appreciate getting to pull a pair of boots out of the closet. The smells, oh... even I must admit the smells are great.  Cinnamon and apples baking, pumpkin soup cooking.

So I guess it is not that I dislike Fall, it is just that I like Spring and Summer better.

And Winter?  Except for Christmas, I could totally do without it.  (Now before you get all "but-you-live-in-california-so-you-don't-know-what-winter-really-is..." -- and you are totally right -- let me share what Winter means to me: rain and shortened days. That pretty much is the sum total of Winter after Christmas has passed. So no, I do not like Winter.  I really, truly don't.)

But despite all that, there is something that Fall totally takes the cake on: the produce.

I adore Fall produce.

Pumpkins.  Apples.  Brussels sprouts (yes, even brussels sprouts).

Pears, cranberries, sweet potatoes... my list can go on and on.  I love 'em.  They are full of flavor and full of color.

My favorite of all the Fall produce, though?  Squash.  I mean, I know it is technically "winter squash", but those butternut and acorn squashes that come out around this time of year?  I cannot get enough.

Summer is fantastic, but summer squash will never be able to compete with these guys.  Need proof?  It's right here:

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH SALAD

Recipe adapted from Gourmande in the Kitchen

SERVES 2 •  PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

ingredients

• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• small acorn squash
• tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• 5 oz. fresh greens, washed and dried
• 2 oz. goat cheese

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  While it is preheating, cut squash in half and scrape out seeds.  Cut the squash into quarters, leaving the skin on.
2. On a large baking sheet, place squash skin side down.  Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast until tender, about 40 minutes.
3. While squash is roasting, make reduced apple cider vinegar: pour the vinegar in to a heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium heat.  Add honey and stir, allowing to come to a simmer.  Cook until the vinegar is reduced to about half of the original volume.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Once cool, toss greens with about 1 tablespoon of the reduced vinegar.  Store the rest of the vinegar in a sealed container. 
5. When squash has finished roasting, remove from oven and let cool slightly.  Place on plate and top with greens, almonds, and goat cheese.  Drizzle more vinegar if desired.

COST: $3.49        COST PER SERVING (2): $1.75

Unprocessed    //    Gluten Free    //   Vegetarian

Edamame Hummus + Finding Balance

I have a life outside of food.  GASP!  I know.  I used to be better at showing it.  Sometimes I still am.  But most of the time I just share what I have been cooking, talk a little about the thoughts floating through my head, and then press "publish".

I think I am becoming compartmentalized.  School.  Home.  Blog.  Each fitting into their little boxes, only opened when it is the right time.

This is a good thing.  For example, nobody in my everyday life wants to hear about my students all day long (except my husband, who loves to hear all about them every single day and listens to me tirelessly... or maybe he is just a good pretender. Ha!) and so I am pretty sure you don't want to hear about them every day, either.

Nobody in my everyday life wants to hear about food all day long, either.  In fact, out of all of my friends of Facebook (all of whom are truly friends on varying degrees), only about 5% of them follow this blog.  I know it's not because they don't support me (because they truly do!), but because, well, blog reading isn't for everyone.

It is a different issue on this end.  While sharing details about life, about dreams, and so on are such an important part of blogging, you have to find a healthy, safe balance.  Those of you who read regularly feel like you know me, and I feel like I know you.  And you know what?  I do believe you can know somebody and be friends long before you meet in person.  But I am also aware that anybody can follow along. Anybody.  And so you have to find that balance -- share enough to keep up a connection with your fellow blog friends, but don't share so much that stalkers and serial killers could find you.  You know how it goes...

This has led me to a place where I have been having a hard time of thinking of things to write.  Just being honest.  Writing purely about food seems so boring, and so I don't do it.  Sharing all the details of my life, well, that isn't going to happen.  It has to be a balance.  Food, life, love, observations...  Food blogging is one of those things that isn't an exact science.  What works for some doesn't work for others.  I don't know the secret formula.  But maybe you do... and that is one of the many beautiful things about blogging.  I can ask you, whether or not I have ever met you in person.  So please, tell me, how do you find that balance?

PS -- Edamame hummus.  It's good, really good.  And easy.  Try it!

EDAMAME HUMMUS

SERVES 8  •  PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1 cup thawed edamame (not in the shell)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• sea salt, to taste
• "Unprocessed" pita bread, for serving  **I got my pita from Trader Joe's -- meaning it really came from the local bakery.  No preservatives, no colorings, unbleached flour... "safe" for October Unprocessed

directions

1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients.  Blend until creamy.  Add more olive oil, tahini, or lemon juice if needed. 
2. Serve with pita chips (pita bread cut into triangular eighths, brushed with olive oil and salt, baked for 12 minutes at 400 degrees).  

  

COST: $4.47        COST PER SERVING (6): $0.56

Unprocessed    //    30 Min or Less    //   Vegan

October #Unprocessed, Week 1

October Unprocessed?  I'm in.

Duh, right?  Well, maybe not.

The first year I did it I was all over it.  Why?  Because it was something new.  And hard.  Very hard.  Making me want to win, because I have a little bit (or a lot bit) of Monica Geller blood running through my veins.  Or something like that.  And so I dove in head first, and learned A LOT.  What an incredible challenge it was for me!

The second year for me, last year, I again jumped in.  I thought I would be all over it, and in a sense, I was.  We didn't eat unprocessed food, we followed the "rules".  But then, then... it just wasn't that hard, you know?  I realized that I had incorporated a lot of the things I learned from the first year into our daily routines, and the ones I hadn't... well... I really didn't want to go through the hassle of changing them.  So I became lazy with hit.  Phrases like, "I guess it won't matter if..." or "I counts, right?" came out of my mouth more and more regularly.  Sure, MOST of what we ate was unprocessed, but those times when we could budge -- like going over to someone's house and conveniently eating all the candy corn because we were allowed to be gracious guests -- quickly became a habit.  A bad habit.

So, for this year, I was feeling pretty blah about it.  Hey, I reasoned with myself, 90% of what you eat is unprocessed.  Really, does that extra 10% matter?  Honestly, I don't think it does.  That is my completely honest answer.  But that is not why I decided to do it.  I decided to do it because of two things: (1) my husband wanted us to try again and (2) I learned some new tricks and skills the last two years, and I don't want to lose out on that opportunity again.  So tomorrow, it's on.  October Unprocessed year 3 (for us) is about to commence.

Let's do this!

MENU FOR WEEK ONE

** I make a pot of beans and another of rice at the beginning of the week.  These recipes are based off of that fact.  You will need at least beans for one of these recipes, but you can substitute homemade bread and salad or other base for the meals that call for beans and rice.

Day 1: Sweet Potato Tacos  
(Trader Joe's has handmade, freshly cooked tortillas that are totally unprocessed.  Score!  Also, this is the recipe you will need the beans for.  You can get them out of the can if you need to, or you can make them in the pressure cooker.)

Day 2: Leek and Bacon Baked Eggs, with beans and rice

Day 3: Vegetable Frittata, with beans and rice

Day 4: Pasta with Fresh Pesto, with a side of tomato salad and bread/butter
(Here are a few secrets that can help you out: You can find unprocessed pasta at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.  Just look for the fresh packages and read the ingredients.  Also, any bread with a Trader Joe's label is baked at your local bakeries, and if you check the ingredients, you will find they are [most of them, at least] unprocessed.  Local bakeries = GOOD!)

Day 5: Carrot and Sweet Potato Bisque, with a side salad and bread/butter
(This is one of my favorite soups... both because of the flavor and because I made it up myself!  Since you need stock to make soup, why not make your own?  It is really simple and you already have the ingredients on hand, I am sure.  The recipe for the soup includes the directions for making vegetable stock.)

Day 6: Slow Cooker Roast Chicken, with mashed potatoes and a side salad

Day 7 (and maybe 8): LEFTOVERS!  You didn't just cook a whole chicken for nothing ;)


Looks like too much cooking?  Then make a bunch of a couple and spread it out.  No need for us to kill ourselves over this, just take a moment to enjoy real food for a bit :)

Memory Lane + Fish Tacos

One of my favorite memories:

Going to Ensenada with a bunch of friends for my 30th birthday on a cruise.  Getting off the boat, bypassing all the touristy attractions, finding a local person and asking him what he would do if he had one day in his city.

Eat fish tacos, he said, at the fish market.

So that's what we did.  No other foreigners around, just us, in an upstairs room filled with glass Coca-Cola and Fanta bottles, a rickety fan swirling overhead.  The only music was the Mariachi band wandering through the street below and the sounds of families chattering away in Spanish over their lunches in the many open-air restaurants that lined the street.

And those fish tacos, at $2 a person? Delicious, absolutely delicious.

It was a perfect moment.

I can't recreate that moment.  From the food to the company, I could put them all together in the same place, but that moment will probably never happen just like that again.  There is the feeling, you know, that can only happen once.  But I can replicate a part of that memory... they may not be the exact same, but I do make some great fish tacos.

I am pretty sure that whenever I have fish tacos, whether at home or out and about, I will always think back to that day, surrounded by friends and family in a place where simplicity and laughter went hand in hand.

FISH TACOS

Adapted from Everyday Food, January/February 2005

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 35 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

ingredients

• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
• coarse salt and pepper
• 1 small red cabbage, thinly shredded
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound snapper, cut into about 12 strips
• 8 flour tortillas, soft-taco size**
• fresh cilantro leaves, to top

directions

1. In a large bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Transfer half the mixture to another container; set aside for serving. Toss cabbage and half the scallions with remaining sour-cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and remaining scallions half over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. In two batches (starting with larger pieces), cook fish until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, warm tortillas according to package instructions.
4. To make tacos, fill tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro leaves. Drizzle with reserved sour-cream mixture. Serve immediately.

 ** Did you know Trader Joe's has these AMAZING, hand-made tortillas, totally fresh and delicious, for a great price?  They really have quite the tortilla selection, all made at local bakeries.  Go check them out!

COST: $14.24      COST PER SERVING (4): $3.56

Zucchini & Chicken Salad

I have had the worst luck with timing recently.  Well, maybe not the worst luck as I really don't believe in luck -- more like the worst list of scheduled appointments that I could do nothing about.  Between school starting again (and being a teacher that means a HUGE amount of work and life-style changes for a bit) and shooting the wedding of one of my friends (my first wedding gig EVER!), to finishing up other tasks that carried over from the summer, my time has worn thin quickly each day.  Meaning the end of my day has found me defrosting a lot of Trader Joe's boxes for dinner.

Until this week.  When life finally seemed to be back on track.  Wedding pictures were delivered, final projects from the summer were wrapped up, and my days at school didn't take an incredible amount of prepping for each day because, well, they get it.  (Ahh, sigh of relief.  I love when the routines and procedures click into place!)

Which meant I could finally schedule in time to share great recipes with you...

I took the pictures above NOT for the recipe I am sharing today.  No.  I took it for a recipe I had hoped to share last week.  A delicious fresh, summery garden salsa over grilled fish.  Perfect summer dish.  And it was going to help wrap up my summer meals that I have been holding onto so tightly (Don't steal one of my favorite seasons from me!!!).

But then the battery died.

And I couldn't find the charger.

Anywhere.

So I have no summer garden salsa over grilled fish to share with you.  Bummer for you, but it was pretty fabulous.  (Maybe I will have to sneak in a summery-dish out of season, or we will have to wait until next summer. Something to look forward to, I guess...)

Thank you, Amazon, for having great prices and quick shipping so I could get a replacement.  I may not have the rest of that recipe, but I do have a summer zucchini and chicken salad to share with you!

I know the calendar says that Autumn is just around the corner -- only three days away -- and I promise that I will jump on that pumpkin-laden band wagon at that point.  But with the weather at a nice upper 80's and the farmers' market still packed with summery produce, I am all about enjoying the good stuff while I can. Which means there is this nice zucchini and chicken salad in my belly, and I am looking forward to some fish tacos for dinner.

Viva la summer!  And then bring on the fall!

(This recipe calls for store-cooked chicken, I am not going to lie.  You don't have to do that if you don't want to, but I did want to do that, and so I did.  Do whatever you want, no judgement here!)

ZUCCHINI & CHICKEN SALAD

Adapted from Everyday Food, July/August 2003

SERVES 4  •  PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES

ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• coarse salt and pepper
• 3 zucchini, ends cut off, thinly sliced (slicing tool on food processor helps)
• 1 lb. cooked fresh chicken breasts from deli section of supermarket**
• 1 cup arugula, loosely packed
• ½ read onion, thinly sliced
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• ¼ cup grated Gruyere cheese

directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup oil and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.  Add zucchini; toss to coat, and marinade while you cut the chicken.
2. Slice the chicken breast into pieces with medium thickness.  Warm up in the microwave for 30 seconds so it is not cold from the refrigerator anymore.  Toss chicken with zucchini mixture.  Add arugula, onion, almonds, and Gruyere.  Serve.

**You can also cook the chicken breast yourself.  This will only add about 15 minutes to the process.

COST: $11.21        COST PER SERVING (4): $2.81

Gluten Free    //    30 Min or Less    //   Unprocessed 

Sausage & Rice Stuffed Peppers

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food, September 2011

(I know not all of the peppers shown were bell peppers.  I used some bell and some Italian.  Both were great.  Also, you can substitute any sausage or meat.  Just grind it and cook it.  Delicious.)

For quick use, here is an image to save with all you need.  It is as easy as 1-2-3...