Italian Style Halibut

I got this recipe on the back of a can of beans.

This is a great summer recipe when your hubby has returned from halibut fishing or when there is a great deal at Costco. A great recipe to use up those summer tomatoes and fresh basil too.


1 T EVOO
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6 oz)skinless halibut fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups of fresh tomatoes
1 can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced

Preheat oven to broil.
Season halibut with salt and pepper to taste.
Place on baking sheet or broiler pan.
Broil for 5-7 minutes or until fish is cooked.
Set your timer (so you don't forget about it)

Meanwhile heat oil in medium sauce pan over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic; cook stiring occasionally until soft but not brown.
Add tomatoes to the saucepan mixture and cook, stir occassionally.
Stir in beans, vinegar and basil.
Bring to a boil; simmer for one minute.
Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Serve fish over tomato and bean mixture.

I like to serve with a side salad or broccoli (green trees according to Hunter)

Game On!!!!!!!

Hey girls!
Time for a little jump start for this sleepy but fabulous blog.
Let's revitalize it and use it!
Who doesn't want to try something new at the dinner table?

So......
Game On!
It's a competition!

Here's how to play......

1. email Julie at juliedelamarter@yahoo.com She will add you to the blog and then POST RECIPES.

Here's how you win.....

1. For every recipe you post in January and February you will receive 1 point.
2. Whenever someone TRIES your recipe AND leaves you a comment telling they did so - you get 2 more points.

Here are the rules.......

1. The recipe must be something your family enjoys (at least most of your family :). So it has to be a recipe you've tried - not something you saw in a magazine that just LOOKS good :)

2. Please leave comments when you try something! What blogger doesn't love comments? As always, be kind......even if your family didn't love the meal I know you'll figure out a nice way to at least say you tried it.

Here's what you'll win.......

At the end of February we'll add up the points. The winner will receive a $20 gift card of their choice!

So come on!
Post those recipes!
Try something new!
And you can win!!!!!!

Tomatillo Salsa

1 lb tomatillos (10-12 med) soaked, husked, dried
2-3 fresh serrano chiles, stemmed
1 small white onion, peeled cut in 1/2" slices
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 T olive oil
Course salt and pepper to taste
1/3 c water
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime

Preheat oven to 475. Move rack 2nd closest from the top. Put tomatillos, chiles, onions and garlic in a bowl, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put on foil lined baking sheet. Roast 10-12 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Remove and cool.

Place all ingredients in food processor add seasonings and pinch of sugar to taste.

Delicious right away or you can can a bunch and enjoy all winter long.

Taco Casserole

I got this recipe out of the free cookbooks they hand out at Costco around the holidays. It's so easy and really yummy! I've made it as an appetizer, as well as for dinner. We may actually have it tonight...

1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef or turkey (I use ground turkey breast)
1/4 c. taco seasoning
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (11 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained (I thaw frozen corn)
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 c. coarsely crushed tortilla chips

Optional assorted toppings: sour cream, sliced green onions, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, avocado, guacamole...

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Brown meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain off the fat.
-Stir in seasoning mix, beans, tomato sauce, and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
-Spoon the mixture into a 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and tortilla chips.
-Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
-Serve with assorted toppings, if desired.

Banana Muffins

I got this recipe out of DK's Children's Baking Book. Super Easy. Not too banana--ee and the hint of chocolate not only makes the kids happy but also the PMS-ing momma a little happier too!

Makes 16-18 large muffins
48 minis

Prep 10 minutes
Cooking 12-14 minutes

Preheat Oven 400*

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 large ripe bananas (roughly chopped)
1 large egg
8 fl oz milk
3 oz butter (melted)
1 heaping cup of chocolate chips

Grease muffin pan or use baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the sugar with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

In a small mixing bowl, mash bananas with fork unil nearly smooth, but with a few lumps.

In a pitcher (or another bowl) whisk together the egg, milk and butter. Then gradually pour and stir into the banana bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Add the egg and banana mixture to the flour mixture, stiring with wood spoon and just until combined, then fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon mixture in pan and bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool and remove from pan. Indulge with a stick of butter per muffin!

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

You got zuchs coming out of your ears? Here's a hearty, family-friendly recipe that I just discovered. It seriously made enough for two meals for my family.

6-8 Servings
Oven 400*
Prep 20 minuutes
Bake 40 minutes

4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini (about three medium zuchs)
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs (not the salmonella, recalled ones)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound hamburger
1/2 cup onion (I used white)
1 can Italian tomato sauce
1 medium green pepper chopped (or any color your heart desires)

I added:
1/2 pound Italian sausage
sliced olives

Place shredded zucchini in strainer, sprinke with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze out moisture.

Combine zuchhini with eggs and half of all three cheeses. Press into greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook hamburger (and sausage if you choose) and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture.

Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green pepper and optional ingredients. We love our olives. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Zing! Dinner on the table baby!

Cheesecake

I bake.
A lot.
But, I had never tackled a cheesecake.
Until a very special someone deserved her favortie dessert.
So, I jumped in and gave it a shot.
And it worked!

Topped with some fresh raspberries.
It's a good thing I didn't bring home the left overs :)
So, here it is - straight off the good 'ol internet - with my changes noted.
(Because I rarely do anything exactly like I'm supposed to.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Gluten Free Nut Crust Supreme
2 cups Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking (or regular flour)
½ cup dark brown sugar (I used light)
2/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I used salted)
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Spray cheesecake pan lightly with vegetable oil spray. In a medium bowl stir together the flour mix and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until fine crumbs form. Stir in the nuts and pat into your pan. (I mixed all of this in the food processor) The crust will be “crumbly” but will hold together once pressed into the pan. This will be more than enough for one large cheesecake and perhaps for a second smaller pie. Though it tastes so good on it’s own you may just end up eating it!

Barbara’s Classic Gluten Free Cheesecake

4 – 8 oz bars of gluten free cream cheese, softened
1 cup of granulated sugar
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla

Mix all of the ingredients with a beater until smooth and pour into the unbaked crust. Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

While that is baking, prepare the topping.( I totally skipped this step!!!!! I didn't use the topping)

2 cups gluten free sour cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon of gluten free almond extract
Juice from ½ a lemon

Mix the topping ingredients in a bowl. After the first 30 minutes of baking, remove the cheesecake and spoon the topping onto the cheesecake. Be careful not to overfill the pan. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes. You may want to place a piece of foil under the cheesecake just to catch any drippings. Cooking times can vary dramatically depending upon the amount of topping you choose to use. Watch to see when it starts to solidify but don’t let it stay in so long that the crust begins to burn. (I baked it for 40 minutes without the topping. The middle should still look a little jiggly.)