29: Summer Salmon

Will and I both love seafood and I am always looking for new dishes to make.  I ran across this recipe and then modified it a bit.  This is a great summer dish and I just know I'll be making it again.

Ingredients: 

1 lb salmon
olive oil
S&P
1 diced cucumber 
1 tbsp diced jalapeno
few mint leaves, minced*
1/2 lime - squeezed
1 diced avocado*

*not pictured

The How To:

Preheat oven to 500.

Place fish skin down on a foil lined baking sheet
Rub fish with olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt
Reduce temp to 275 and cook fish on the lowest rack for about 9 minutes
For the topping - mix together cucumber, avocado, lime juice and serve over the top of the salmon

Needless to say this dish was awesome and it was Will approved.  I served it with a cucumber, avocado, lime orzo dish.

Quinoa with Corn and Jalapeno

Since it's been a while since I have posted, I figured I'd throw in a freebie. 
There are no pictures, since it's just a side - but it's still delicious.

Ingredients: 
1 cup cooked quinoa (2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa - let it start to boil, then cover and let it simmer 15 minutes)
Olive Oil
Corn kernals from about 2 ears of corn
1 avocado chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and diced
S&P (to taste)
Feta cheese

The How To:
Mix the quinoa, olive oil, corn kernals, avocado, jalapeno, feta and S&P.

Delicious.

28: Steak Burkechwan

Yep, you read that right, Steak Burkechwan.  That name won over Steak Bethechwan.  Either way - it's a total Beth creation.
We had some leftover steaks, and some rice noodles that I have been wanting to do something with so this dish was born.  I do want to be honest, I had no intentions of putting this on the blog, but after we tasted this delicious dish I need a record of how to make this again.  This really is a post more for me than you. With that being said, the pictures are lacking and I am hoping the "how to" section is worthy, I was really just smelling and tossing things in. Without further adieu... 



Ingredients:

*Cooked steak (I had about half of a big rib-eye left over) 
*Ka-Me Stir Fry Thai Rice Noodles (link)
1 jalapeno (seeded and diced)
1 green pepper (seeded and diced)
Olive oil
Soy Sauce
S&P
Hot sauce of some sort (I used Merrilily Gardens Five Pepper Barbecue Sauce) 
*Sriracha sauce
Chili sauce
Ginger 
Paprika
Sesame oil

*not pictured

The How To:
Cut the steak in cubes
Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan
Add jalapeno and green pepper and cook until tender (about 2 minutes)
Add the steak, some soy sauce, ginger, hot sauce, sriracha, paprika, and a tiny bit of sesame oil
Cook until boiling - about 7 minutes
Add noodles and cook for about 3 minutes

I know the measurements are lacking, but I really just added it until it smelled good.  It was so delicious that I know I'll be making this again.  Obviously, this dish (maybe not the name) is Will approved.

27: Tilapia with Quinoa, Feta and Avocados!

If you haven't noticed, I LOVE cooking seafood.  It's fast, easy, delicious AND great for you!  Today I told Will to pick up whatever meat (he knows I prefer seafood) and he came home with Tilapia.  After a few searches, I found this recipe and of course I modified it a little.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa (2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa - let it start to boil, then cover and let it simmer 15 minutes)
S&P
olive oil
1 lb tilapia fillets
paprika
1 avocado - chopped
~2 tbsp dill seasoning
~1/3 cup reduced fat feta
Juice from 1 lemon





The How To:

In a large skillet, heat some olive oil.
Season fish fillets with S&P; sprinkle with paprika and add to skillet
Cook for about 4 minutes on each side (until it flakes easily)
Stir avocado, dill, feta, about a tsp oil and lemon juice into the cooked quinoa 



Serve the fish on top of the quinoa mixture.

This is a great summer dish.  The quinoa mixture was amazing!  Will and I basically licked our plates.  Obviously, this one is Will approved.  

**Shout out! **
Today is my mom's bday.  I couldn't be more thankful for a loving, supporting mom.  I am very lucky to have you.  I love you!  Happy Birthday!! 

26: Mexican Chicken

Sometimes you just want a quick and easy dinner.  Tonight, that is totally what I was going for.  It's a total made up recipe, so no link today.  

Can you believe we are half way through the 52 meals?!  I can't.  I also can't believe I have only made 26 new meals.  It seems like so many more than that.  I look through so many recipes to figure out what I want to tweak to make it my own.  It's hard work!  Read below to see how Will feels.... 

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup salsa
juice from 1 lime
S&P



The How To:
Preheat oven to 405.
Season chicken with S&P.
In a bowl mix the black beans, lime juice, tomatoes, and salsa.
Place the chicken in a cooking dish and pour about half of the mixture over the top.
Cook for 45 minutes.
Serve with cheese and sour cream.
If you have some cilantro - throw that in there as well (I didn't have any on hand, but totally would go with this meal)

This meal might be fast, but it was delicious! Needless to say, this dish was Will approved! This might just become a Burke regular.

For some reason I can't embed this video.  But you must check it out.

25: Cheeseburger Casserole

I'm sure I've said before that Will's favorite food is a cheeseburger.  We even started to do a search for the perfect burger last year.  But we got pretty lazy and quit blogging about it.  Anyway, when I saw the link for cheeseburger casserole, I knew it was a must try.  

Ingredients: 
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup quinoa 
olive oil
2 tsp garlic
S&P
2 tbsp tomato paste
14 oz diced tomatoes
14 oz diced tomatoes with green chilis
2 tbsp mustard
2 cups shredded cheese
pickles!

The How To:
Cook the quinoa as usual (2 cups water/1 cup quinoa, when it starts boiling - cover and simmer for 15 minutes)
Preheat oven to 350.
Brown the beef in some olive oil and garlic. 
Season it with S&P.
Stir in tomato paste, tomatoes and mustard.
Leave the mixture on until it starts bubbling.
Mix the mixture with the quinoa and place in a medium dish. 
Top with cheese and bake about 15 minutes.
Place pickles on top if you so please

This is one of the easiest dishes I've ever made and Will loved it.  Needless to say this dish is fully Will approved! 

A song for your Monday.... 

24: Stuffed Flank Steak

I know you have been wondering.. the answer is yes, Will has been eating even though I haven't posted anything in a while.  But since it's been so long I figured I'd make steak, stuffed flank steak, to be exact.

Ingredients:

Flank steak - about 2 pounds
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 carton reduced fat feta cheese
7 oz diced roasted peppers
2 tbsp panko
1 egg
Garlic salt & Pepper
Olive oil

The How To:
Preheat oven to 425.
Slick steak in half, without cutting all the through - so that you can stuff the steak.
Drain all liquid from spinach.
Now, grab a bowl and mix the spinach, cheese, peppers, panko, egg, some garlic salt and pepper.
Cover the steak with the filling, leaving about an inch border on all sides
Roll the steak up - put a little olive oil, S&P on top.
Cook the steak for ~30 minutes
Immediately switch the heat to broil and broil for 5 minutes
Remove from heat and let it rest for 15 minutes.

I actually cooked mine 35 minutes, and broil for 8 minutes.  So the steak turned out a little chewier than Will and I prefer.  So, I have adjusted the times to what I think would be ideal.  With that being said, Will gave this dish a 45 degree thumbs up -- not quite yes, not quite no; but closer to yes than eh.

The star of this dinner was the side that I made up.  It was just broccoli, cheese and quinoa but man, oh man, was it tasty.  For that dish I just boiled some broccoli - made a cup of quinoa, and made a cheese roux.  Mixed it together - ta da! DELICIOUS.



So I guess this dish is 45 degrees Will approved? 

Did you notice that fancy new haircut?  Much better, don't you think... 

23: Honey Mustard Corned Beef Brisket

Will and I could not remember a time where either one of us had ever tried corned beef brisket so I figured why not try out Honey Mustard Corned Beef Brisket tonight.  Brace yourself for the easiest recipe ever, only three ingredients!











Ingredients:
2 lb corned beef brisket *not pictured
1/4 cup honey 
1/4 cup whole grain mustard

The How To:
Put the brisket in the crock-pot and cover about half way with water
Cook the brisket for 9 hours on the low setting
Trim off any fat and place the brisket in a broiler safe baking dish 
Mix the honey and mustard and pour directly over the brisket
Broil on high for about 6 minutes 
Enjoy!


Will and I both tried the brisket before I put it in the broiler and knew it was gonna be a good night.  This dish actually took me back in time.  I swear my Grandmommy or Pawpaw used to make this and I remember eating it with them. Man, I miss them.  

Will wasn't a huge fan of the glaze, but it still was Will approved.  
If only I had this recipe for St. Paddy's day... there's always next year.

22: Mexican Stacks and Corn Cakes

For Cinco de Mayo, I went loco and decided to do dos in uno! What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than making up a couple of Mexican dishes.  I decided on Mexican Stacks and Corn Cakes.  

I love to cook, but I am not big on baking.  These corn cakes come about as close to baking as I am comfortable with.  If you are looking for your next cake to bake, move along - you probably won't find it here.




Mexican Stacks
Ingredients:

1 cup Quinoa - I actually used the leftovers from Day 21. 
1 can black beans (drained) *not pictured
1 diced tomato *not pictured
1 lb lean ground beef
cilantro (to taste)
1 tbsp garlic powder
S&P
2 cups salsa
1 avocado - chopped
1 red pepper - chopped
1 mango - chopped
Sour cream *not pictured

The How To:
Cook quinoa according to package (2 cups water, 1 cup quinoa - Get it to boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes) 
Add 1 can (drained)black beans and 1 diced tomato into the quinoa 
Brown the ground beef(add water and pour off the extra fat) and season with garlic powder, and S&P
After the meat has browned (and you have poured off the water) add the salsa, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
Chop the cilantro, avocado, and mango and put them in little containers aside
Chop the pepper and saute it for about 5 minutes (I am not a huge raw red pepper fan) then add it to it's own little container
Once the meat has simmered add the cilantro 
Now the fun begins - the stacking.. 
Pack about 1 cup of quinoa and put it on the plate, then put about 1/2 cup meat on top, then add the pepper, avocado, and mango
We also topped our stacks with sour cream, cheese and extra salsa

Corn Cakes
Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced red pepper
olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornmeal
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp baking powder (NOT BAKING SODA)
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1 egg
1/4 cup milk (I used skim)
1 cup frozen corn
1 tbsp diced pimentos 

The How To:
Saute the pepper for about 5 minutes, then set it aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, oregano, baking powder, cumin, egg and milk until just combined. 
Fold in the corn, pimentos, and peppers.
Heat a large skillet and spray a little olive oil
Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into the skillet
Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown

Serve with sour cream and salsa.

This meal was a big hit and was muy deliciouso.  I absolutely think this will be a repeat in our house.  Este plato es Will aprobado.  

21: Jalapeno Lime Shrimp

I am always browsing pinterest for recipe ideas and that's where I ran across this gem and have been wanting to try it ever since.  Today was pretty yucky weather, but I decided that tonight was the night to try Jalapeno Lime Shrimp.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
2 tbsp butter
red cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
garlic
2 medium tomatoes (diced)
1 cup chicken broth
1 lb shrimp 
1 lime (for juice)
a few sprigs of Cilantro
S&P

The How To:
Add olive oil and butter to a large skillet over medium heat
Stir in cayenne pepper
Saute the jalapeno for about 3 minutes
Add the garlic and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute)
Add the tomatoes and cook for about 3 more minutes
Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer
Add shrimp to the skillet and season with S&P 
Cook until shrimp cooked through (about 5 minutes)
Add the lime juice and cilantro
Now you are ready to eat!

This dish turned out a little soupier (yes, that's a word) than I was hoping.  If I made this dish again (and I would) I would only use 1/2 cup of the chicken broth.  I served mine over quinoa with black beans and tomatoes.  This dish was Will approved!