Red Pepper Tilapia

This is not a spicy dish. I just wanted to put that out there, so when you taste the dish you don't get mad and feel like I led you on. Although I suppose with a hot little title like that, who could blame you in thinking you were going to get a spicy little number of a recipe. Sorry to break your culinary hearts, but if you want to heat up the recipe, you'll have to do that on your own and in the privacy of your home.

5 fresh Tilapia fillets
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced
1 medium sweet white onion
Ground black peppercorns
Sea Salt
1 tbs of olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium heat in non-stick skillet. Slice your onion and bell pepper lengthwise and saute in skillet until tender. Using a grinder, grind peppercorns over the tilapia. Cover both sides. Remove onion and bell pepper from skillet and set aside. Place tilapia in skillet, cover with onion and bell pepper. Let cook for 5-7 minutes. (You will flip the tilapia ONLY once.) Scoot the onions and peppers aside and with a spatula gently flip the fish. The underside should be golden brown and the edges crispy. Cook for another 5-7 minutes. Plate the tilapia and veggies.  Serve with a fresh garden salad and seasoned Basmati rice. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Cheese Brownies

The best 2 pre-made brownie mixes that I have tried so far would have to be Bob's Red Mill GF Brownie Mix and Betty Crocker's GF Brownie Mix. However for this recipe to really have that moist gooey texture the Bob's Red Mill GF Brownie Mix is the way to go.

For the Cream Cheese Mix you need to prepare it first.

You will need:

- 8 oz room temperature cream cheese
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup sugar

Then in your mixer, blend these ingredients together on low. When well blended, increase speed and beat until it's frothy.

Follow the directions on the back of the package to mix up your brownie mix. (I do add 3 ounces shaved and melted Belgian Dark Chocolate to the mixture.)
Stop at instruction #3, you don't want to pour all of the batter in just yet.
Pour only half into your pan.
Then spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the brownie mix you already put in the pan.
Using the remaining brownie mix, spoon it on top of your cream cheese mixture and then carefully smooth over with a spatula.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clear.

These are so good. I hope you enjoy them!!

Paitence is Always Rewarded

I know you all have been extremely patient with me as I have not posted any new recipes at all lately. However, I have one that should make up for all the neglect. :)

Moroccan Braised Chicken with Carrots

1/2 tsp whole cumin seed
1/4 tsp coriander seed, crushed
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 chicken thighs,(about 1 lb) skin removed.
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 large carrots peeled and cut on the bias into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup quinoa (pronounced keen-wah)

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large oven proof pot over medium high heat. Toast spices for about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Add oil to the pan and heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Cook until golden, about 6 minutes and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and saute onion. Add wine , scraping up brown bits with a wooden (not metal) spoon. Add carrots, stock, chicken and accumulated juices, and spices. Bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to oven. Braise until meat is very tender, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring quinoa (after thoroughly rinsing), 2 cups water and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes covered. Fluff with fork.
Sprinkle chicken with cilantro when done and serve with quinoa.

Nature's Spaghetti

While I have finally found a gluten free pasta substitute, I decided to try the 'rarely heard of ' spaghetti squash. Turns out it's one of the easiest of the squash family to cook. Not to mention it's really neat to see the flesh turn into spaghetti, it's like a food experiment. Here is a quick recipe that you can make in addition to your favorite sauce.

Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms and Herbs

Makes 2 servings

1 - 2 to 2 1/2 lb spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise, (refrigerate other half for another time)
2 tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 tbs minced parsley
1 tbs minced chives
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Wrap the squash half in plastic wrap and microwave it, cut side up, at high power for 10 to 12 minutes. (Easy, huh?!?) Let it stand for 5 minutes. Combine the butter, onions,and mushrooms and microwave for 5 minutes stirring once or until the mushrooms are tender.  Scoop the squash seeds out of the squash. Then scrape the flesh with a fork into a bowl and toss with your mushroom mixture, parsley, chives and Parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

It's surprisingly good.

Artichoke and Potato Casserole

OK for the record, the only artichokes I have ever eaten were usually in a dip. I haven't used them much in cooking and I've never been too sure as to what to do with them as it takes so much work to get to the heart of an artichoke. In that respect I guess they are kind of like people. :) It was the day before grocery shopping day and I was trying to make do with what I had left in the freezer and the pantry. There in the back, behind last summers frozen blueberries was a box of artichoke hearts, and I had a red bell pepper and 3 potatoes left. This is what happened.

Artichoke and Potato Casserole

4 average size potatoes, scrubbed and sliced (to where they look like steak fries)
1 tsp salt (divided)
1 onion (sliced into rings)
1 red bell pepper (seeds removed and sliced)
1 package frozen artichoke hearts
Black Pepper
1 tbs thyme
1 tbs parsley
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk (You can use cows, almond, soy, whatever suits you.)
1 cup Swiss cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup GF cracker crumbs (Crunch master brand has a great gluten free cracker in a variety of flavors and they are now being sold at Wal-Mart and you can get a double pack at Sam's!! Score! I used the original flavor for this recipe. But feel free to experiment.)
1 tbs olive oil

2 quart casserole dish
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1.) Bring the potatoes, salt and water to a boil in a medium size pot. Turn heat to medium low after bringing to a boil and cook til they are almost done, but not quite. Remove and Drain. Arrange in your dish
2.) While your potatoes are cooking, saute onion, bell pepper, and artichoke hearts in olive oil. Pour over the potatoes and sprinkle with black pepper, the rest of the salt, your thyme and your parsley.
3.) In a small bowl mix your milk and sour cream together until well blended. When blended, pour over your vegetables.
4. ) Bake @ 425 for 20 minutes. Remove, and sprinkle with Swiss cheese and your cracker crumbs. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Even my anti-vegetable husband loved this dish, although he did suggest adding sliced chicken breast to the dish. So however you decide to use this dish, whether as an accent to the main meal, or as the main meal, it will leave you satisfied and happy.

Herb Roasted Chicken

I cannot help but love the combination of shallots, saffron, and rosemary. There is something about the incredible combination of these ingredients that seem to heighten the senses. At least the smell and taste ones. :)

Herb-Roasted Chicken

1 - 4 lb free-range hen
1/4 cup white wine
2 shallots coarsley chopped
kosher salt
1 tsp saffron
2 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp ground white pepper
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 tlbs extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Scrub hen with kosher salt inside and out, rinse, and pat dry. Place your saffron and shallots inside of the hen. Mix together the olive oil, ground white pepper, garlic, rosemary, and white wine. Rub onto hen. Place inside a foil lined pan. Cover hen with foil and bake for 3 hours at 300 degrees. Take out and remove foil from the hen. Place back into the over and let the top crisp for about 15 to 20 minutes. The chicken will be fall apart tender and incredibly moist, so don't worry about having to get a knife out. :)

Have a chocolate craving? Not after this you won't....

So who has NOT heard of the Neiman Marcus cookie? Well thanks to relishmag's Tamar Haspel and to Rowena for giving me the clipping, here is one better. Eat your heart out ya'll!

Chewy Flour less Chocolate Cookies

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted ( I am NOT a fan of either, so here is where i changed the recipe I used 1 1/2 cups of toasted sliced almonds....mm mm I cannot describe the wonderfulness that it was.)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add egg whites, stirring with a spoon until the mix forms a dough. It should be thick enough to form into balls, if not add more powdered sugar and cocoa. Add nuts, mix well.

Form dough into 15 balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 16 to 19 minutes, until glossy and crackled. Cool completely....though it will be very hard to resist snagging one while hot..trust me... oh and your going to want like a full half gallon of milk to go with these. :)

Makes 15 cookies
110 calories each
7 grams fat
0 grams cholesterol
1 gram protein
16 grams carbs
1 gram fiber
45 mg sodium