70: Meximelt Casserole

Who doesn't love a good, easy Mexican dish especially on a Monday night after a long day at work.  That is just what I found with this recipe, or so I thought.  This really turned out as sort of a fail, but it ended up being pretty tasty anyway.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
shredded hot habanero cheese
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
some corn tortillas
salsa
pinch of the following for taco seasoning:
S&P
oregano 
cumin
red pepper
chili powder
onion powder
garlic powder

The How To:
Brown and drain the ground beef
Season with homemade taco seasoning
Put a layer of tortillas on the bottom of a pyrex dish
Layer cheddar cheese, meat, habanero cheese, salsa and another layer of tortillas.
Repeat layering process
Heat at 350 until cheese melts (about 15 minutes)

All my tortillas split in half, hence the reason to improvise and create more of a casserole version.  It still turned out pretty tasty.

This dish was Will approved! And yay for dinner outside!! 

69: Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

As I've mentioned before Will and I love spicy food (here, here, or here)  When I saw this recipe I knew we had to try it.

I was working late so I didn't take the time to take pictures of all the ingredients, so I'll have to update this post later (when I make a repeat dish)

Ingredients:
olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 
14.5 oz diced tomatoes, drained
8 oz tomato sauce
4 oz green chilies
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/4 tbsp butter
dash of worcestershire sauce
4 oz cream cheese
12 corn tortillas (warmed)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
dash of paprika, pepper, cayenne pepper

The How To:
Preheat oven to 405 
Line a pan with aluminum foil
Place chicken on foil, season with S&P
Cook for 45 minutes
While you are waiting - (start when chicken has about 10 minutes left)
Heat oil in large skillet
Add drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chilies 
Cook for about 5 minutes
Season with paprika, pepper, and cayenne pepper
Once chicken has cooked, shred it
In a small dish, mix butter, hot sauce and worcestershire sauce
Get a large baking dish (9x13) and put a layer of the tomato mixture on the bottom of the dish
Mix hot sauce mixture into the tomato sauce and stir
Add chicken and stir until evenly covered
Fill each tortilla with the chicken/tomato mixture and place in the dish (seam side down)
Top with remaining chicken mixture and top with shredded cheese
Bake in an oven around 350 for about 10 minutes, or until cheese melts
Top with blue cheese (if you wish) and serve!

I was working late so Will helped me make this one, so that might have made it taste even better.  Holy moly you gotta try this one.  Will and I both loved this dish so much.  This dish was Will approved!!  (Also forgot to take the double thumbs up picture)

68: Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

I try to eat a lot of seafood, which translates to Will and I eat a lot of seafood.  Fish is always fast to cook, it's great for you, and it's delicious! Triple whammy!  When I saw this recipe for broiled tilapia parmesan I knew I had to try it out.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter
4 tbsp olive oil mayo
4 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon
dash of basil
dash of black pepper
dash of onion powder
2 lbs tilapia fillets

The How To:
Turn your broiler on high and line a pan with foil - for easy clean up
In a small bowl, mix cheese, butter, mayo, lemon juice, basil, pepper, and onion powder
Mix well and set aside
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the foil
Place fillets on top rack of oven for two minutes and then flip, cook for two additional minutes
Remove fillets and top with the cheese mixture
Cook for an additional two minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork

This dish was very fast, easy and delicious.  Will and I both ate way too much.  This dish was Will approved with two thumbs up.  He also said that this was going to be his stupid face post... 

67: Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

I always ask Will for suggestions (believe it or not) but he never gives any input.  Tonight, Will requested spaghetti, so that's what he got.  

Ingredients:
1 cup spaghetti noodles
pinch red pepper
pinch cumin
pinch white pepper
pinch black pepper
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz) 
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 bell pepper, dicedpinch garlic salt
pinch italian seasoning 
pinch oregano
1/2 white onion, diced
The How To:

Cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions
Heat some olive oil in a medium sauce pan
Add onion and cook until translucent 
Add garlic and bell pepper and cook for about 5 minutes
Add crushed tomatoes and let it start to boil
Season with red pepper flakes, cumin, white pepper, black pepper, garlic salt, italian seasoning and oregano

Will was happy to have a "normal" meal and he loved it.  This dish was Will approved.

66: Chicken Florentine-ish Pasta

Generally pasta dishes are quick, easy and delicious.  When I saw this dish for chicken florentine pasta, I knew we had to try it.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a lot of the ingredients that this recipe called for hence the name "florentine-ish"

Ingredients:
olive oil
1/2 cup diced white onion
3 cloves diced garlic
1 bag baby spinach
1 boneless skinless chicken breast*
S&P 
~2 cups uncooked pasta of your choice
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese*
1/2 cup mushrooms

The How To:
Preheat oven to 405
Line a baking dish with foil (for easy clean up)
Add chicken and season with olive oil and S&P
Cook for 45 minutes
In the meantime, go ahead and dice your onion and garlic
And cook your pasta according to package directions
Cut chicken into bite sized chunks
In a sauce pot, heat some olive oil and add onion and cook until tender (about 5 minutes)
Heat oven to 350, and spray olive oil in a large baking dish
Add garlic and mushrooms and cook for about 3 more minutes
Add spinach and cook until wilted (about 3 more minutes)
Add chicken and let it cook for another couple of minutes
Add pasta into chicken mixture and place in baking dish
Top with cheese
Cook for about 20 minutes, until cheese melts

I put a little too much pasta and not enough sauce in this dish.  It still had a really good flavor, but next time I'd lay off the pasta.  This dish was Will approved and three-quarters... 

65: Baked Soy Salmon

I make Blackened Salmon all the time, but I wanted to try a new Salmon dish for the blog.  When I saw Martha's Soy-Glazed Salmon I knew we had to try it.

Ingredients:

1/6 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
*2 tbsp white wine
1 1/2 lb salmon fillets cut in 4 equal parts (skin left on)
*not pictured

The How To:
Preheat oven to 400
In a small bowl mix the sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and white wine until the sugar dissolves
Place the salmon fillets, skin down in a baking dish
Pour the mixture over the fish to coat
Bake until fish flakes with a fork - about 17 minutes

Full disclosure - this was supposed to be Soy Glazed Salmon, but I guess Martha out Martha-ed me.  My "glaze" was not so much a glaze, but more of a sauce.  I didn't use as much sugar as she did and I used a little soy sauce.  It still worked out.  
This was pretty good - but definitely not a house favorite.  Will gave it an ehh.

64: Cilantro Lime Chicken

I wanted to try a recipe that would make us forget about all this cold weather so I thought I'd try Cilantro Lime Chicken.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
S&P
2 chicken breasts -diced
1/4 bunch of cilantro - diced
red pepper
cumin
Juice from 2 limes
2 garlic cloves
1 avocado - cubed

The How To:
Heat some olive oil in a large skillet
Add the diced chicken and cook on medium until cooked through - about 15-20 minutes
Season with Red Pepper, S&P and Cumin
Add juice from 1 1/2 limes
Add cilantro and cook for about 5 minutes
Top with cubed avocado

I served this over rice and alongside a salad of cucumber, pineapple, cilantro, and tomatoes.  I ended up mixing all of mine together, but Will preferred to keep his separate.  We both agreed that the dish was pretty good - but it would be much better in the summer, and even better sitting by the beach.  Maybe next time.  Will gave this a double eh.

63: Mushroom Garlic Risotto

Some special days deserve a little more effort - today was one of those days.  Today is Will's birthday so I decided to go the extra step and make Mushroom Garlic Risotto.  

Ingredients:

1/2 package baby bella mushrooms - diced

3 tbsp butter

olive oil

1/4 white onion - finely diced

1 cup Arborio rice

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup parmesan 

S&P

3 garlic cloves - diced

The How To:

Melt about 2 tbsp butter in a large sauce pan, add a little olive oil

Add the diced onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes

Add the Arborio rice and let brown for about 2 minutes

Then pour in 1/4 cup of chicken broth to the rice, while stirring constantly

Keep adding 1/4 cup of broth to the rice waiting until the liquid almost is absorbed into the rice - until you have added all the rice (it should take about 25 minutes)

While you are stirring - grab a small pan and melt about 1 tbsp butter

Add the mushrooms and let them saute for about 5 minutes

Remove from heat until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid

At that time, add the mushrooms and parmesan cheese and stir 

Let it sit off the heat for about 5 minutes before serving (so it can thicken)

Your arm might get tired of stirring, but let me tell you it is so worth the effort.  This dish is so delicious - even when you warm up any leftovers (if you are lucky to have some).

Needless to say this dish is Will approved! 

If you are wondering what else Will had for his birthday dinner - this was served alongside a reverse seared Ribeye, and broiled asparagus with feta and soy sauce.