Spicy Blackened Tilapia Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Cream Sauce

If you know anything about me, or have looked through my blogs, I HATE, (yes that's a strong word) Hate, seafood!  I mean, I can't even to tuna fish.  No shrimp, no California roll, Nothing!  So don't ask me why I've been on a quest to get a good tilapia recipe.  I guess you can say it's the one fish, I could almost, kinda, sorta tolerate if I was forced to take a bite!  But I just know how healthy fish can be, so when I saw this recipe, I decided to give it a whirl, and seriously ate it 3 times in 1 week because I LOVED it that much!  So give it try!

 BLACKENED FISH TACOS WITH AVOCADO-CILANTRO SAUCE

 

hOST THE tOAST

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

10 mins

TOTAL TIME

25 mins

 

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

For the Blackened Fish:

• 1.5 lbs tilapia fillets
• 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar / I used organic coconut sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
• 6 corn tortillas

For the Slaw:

• ½ red cabbage, sliced thin
• ¼ green cabbage, sliced thin
• ½ medium-sized onion, diced
• ½ cup cilantro - chopped
• Juice of 1 lime

For the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce:

• ½ cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded
• Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried oregano, onion powder, cumin, salt, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of your tilapia fillets, and then rub the seasonings in.
2. Combine all of the Avocado-Cilantro Sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until well-combined.
3. Combine all of the Slaw ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
4. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the tilapia (a few at a time if you can't fit them all at once). Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the outside is blackened and the fish flakes apart easily.
5. Remove the fish from the heat, and warm the corn tortillas on a skillet over medium heat, cooking for about 30 seconds on each side.
6. Break up the tilapia into 2-3" pieces.  Distribute the fish evenly between the 6 tortillas, and top with Slaw and Avocado-Cilantro Sauce. Serve.

Recipe adapted from: Host the Toast Food Blog

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

 Ok, so I've been really wanting to try this whole cauliflower crust thing for a LONG time, and just haven't gotten around to it.  I've done the Zucchini crust thing and it was good.  Soft, but good.  So It was make your own pizza night with the kiddos, so I decided, I get to make my own pizza too!  Guiltless, and no grains in my crust!  I could call this Paleo'sh, if I wanted too.  It all depends on if you allow dairy into your paleo lifestyle, which I do.  I try to go light on dairy, so it has to be for a special dish.  And I think Pizza is a special dish that REQUIRES, cheese!  Am I right???

Even after getting the "weirdo" look from my Husband, after it was all said and done, cooked and cut, I got the approval from him saying it was good, and really not that different from a regular crust.  A tad softer, but the taste is not compromised at all!  It tastes awesome!  And I actually had it for lunch the next day with a cut up chicken breast for a tad more protein and it was fulfilling and yummy!

The biggest tip I can give you to get your crust to turn out firm and crusty, is after you "rice" your cauliflower, cook it in the microwave for 4 minutes, dump it onto a Tea Towel, wait for it to cool so you can handle it, then wring the heck out of it until you can't get anymore liquid out of it, and it looks like a ball of dough, like this!

 Grain-Free Cauliflower Crust Pizza

makes one approx. 10-12 inch pizza

1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower - should yield  3 cups once processed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush it even more between your fingers)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crush it even more between you fingers)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
optional a few shakes of crushed red pepper
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg

Then use your preference on pizza sauce and toppings!  You all know how you like to dress your pizza up!

Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil. 

Wash and thoroughly dry a small head of cauliflower.  Cut off the florets. Pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. You should end up with  3 cups cauliflower "snow". Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for 4 minutes. Dump cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for a bit before attempting the next step.

Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and wring the heck out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess. 

Dump cauliflower into a bowl. Now add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt), and a dash of red pepper if you want.  Now add your egg and mix away. Hands  or a a fork tend to work best. 

Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down thoroughly, you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either.

Using a cutting board slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10-14 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.

Add however much sauce, cheese, and toppings you want.  Slide parchment with topped pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden.

Test your patience and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Probably closer to two. Then using a pizza cutter and a spatula serve up your delicious grain-free cauliflower crust pizza!

*** Oven time may very!  Just make sure you cook the crust long enough that its not a crumbly soft mess.  Also make sure if you don't have a silicone pat, use parchment paper, not wax paper or tin foil!  

*** If you are  don't get enough "cauliflower snow out of your head of cauliflower, you can always add in a tablespoon or 2 of Almond meal to get the thickness you need.  

I got this recipe off of Pinterest from a wonderful blog called THE LUCKY PENNY BLOG

Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

So I know that I've mentioned this before, but the way I create my recipes, is by looking at at LEAST 3 recipes of the meal I want to prepare, and basically take what I want from each recipes, and make my own hand crafted version of the ingredients I love!  That's the way I work!  And it works good for me!  I actually have a recipe of lettuce wraps on my blog HERE, but this version hit the spot for me.  Much more flavorable, and much easier!  Can I get a woot woot for crockpot meals?!?!?!?

I made these for dinner earlier in the week and my husband loved them!  So when I informed him I was in charge of the Appetizer for a progressive dinner this past Friday, I asked him what appetizer I should make, and he said "Is that even a question?!"  Ha Ha!  So of course Lettuce wraps is what I made!  And they were a hit!  The first time I made these, I used Romaine Lettuce.  And the second time I used these live Butter Leaves.  They both have their Pros and Cons.  I actually liked eating these with the Romaine Leaves because it gives a better crunch and holds the juices in better.  But they aren't soo pretty and sometimes they crack.  The Butter Leaves are just pretty, now aren't they?  They take good pictures and they are presentable.  But they are soft, no crunch and juice gets everywhere.  So you get to pick and choose for yourself.

Slow Cooker Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Yield: About 12 wraps, about 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 2 lbs ground chicken 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1  Zucchini, chopped small
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil 
• Romaine Lettuce or Live Butter Leaves
• 1/4 chopped peanuts or Cashews

Directions

• Place oil and ground chicken in a large skillet and cook until browned.  Drain the fat and pour into a 5 - 7 quart slow cooker. Add zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and garlic back to the skillet and saute until softened, about 3-5 minutes.  Add to your crock pot and add in your hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and toss mixture. Cover and cook on low heat about  3 hours until chicken is tender.
• Stir in your green onions and cook until heated through 3 - 5 minutes.  Separate lettuce leaves and serve with chicken filling and add your peanuts.

Pico De Gallo

 I Love a good Pico De Gallo, Sometimes more than Salsa.  The texture and taste of a good Pico is soo much more.......  MORE!!!!  Super easy to make, and goes with soo many dishes!  This is the Pico I added to my Chicken Tortilla Soup I previously posted!  Enjoy!!!

Pico de Gallo

Print

Ingredients

• 4-5 vine-ripened tomatoes, finely diced
• ½ to 1 tsp. Sea salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped 
• 2 Tbsp. chopped jalapeno 
• juice of ½ lime

Instructions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, toss diced tomatoes with Kosher salt until salt is evenly distributed. Add remaining ingredients and stir together well. If you decide to refrigerate the salsa to allow flavors to combine, be sure to let it get to room temperature before serving (trust me-- it is better at room temp)!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This soup is fantastic!  Who doesn't love a good healthy filling soup?  I've been meaning to post this all season, and I'm just not soo good at getting my recipes up anymore!  This soup is super easy, with easy ingredients as well!  Go ahead and give it a try!  It's super good for the new waistline we are all looking for right now!!

If your looking to go Paleo, all you have to do is leave out the sour cream and tortilla chips if your super strict!  Oh and the Pico on top of this is amazing!  I will be posting that next!!

Serves 4-5

 Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• a dash (or two) cayenne
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 5 c. chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• juice of ½ lime
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• olive oil (to taste)
• pico de gallo - Recipe HERE
• 2-3 avocados, diced
• cheese (optional)
• tortilla strips (optional)
• cilantro (for garnish)
• lime wedges (for garnish)

Instructions

1. In a small skillet, saute onion in 1 Tbsp. oil until onions become slightly soft. Stir in cumin, cayenne, and chili powder and saute an additional minute or two.
2. Transfer seasoned onions to a small crock pot (or medium-sized saucepan). Add chicken broth, cliantro, lime juice, pepper and pinto beans to onions and simmer on low-heat for at least 2-3 hours.
3. In the meantime (when you are close to serving), combine taco seasoning and paprika. Brush chicken with oil and rub with taco seasoning/paprika mixture. Grill chicken over medium-heat until cooked through (try to turn only once during the grilling process). Remove from grill and shred.
4. In individual bowls layer chicken, about ⅓ c. pico de gallo, ⅓ c. diced avocado, and ⅓ c. pepper jack cheese. Ladle about 1 cup of chicken broth directly over the layers. Top with tortilla strips and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.  

**  If you are in a hurry, you can use already cooked chicken and throw it in the crockpot, or heat it up right before serving.

Hawaiin Popcorn

 Ok, so this isn't a special popcorn you have to purchase in Hawaii, but  the first time I've ever tasted this kind of popcorn, I was in Hawaii.  And FELL. IN. LOVE.  I have problems with anything salty as it is, popcorn, tortilla chips, peanut butter.  Oh wait, is Peanut Butter salty?  It doesn't matter, I have problems with it anyways!  Back to this popcorn, it has an ingredient in it called Nutritional Yeast.  Don't worry, it's not the kind of yeast that makes your bread rise, it's a seasoning or spice that gives this popcorn kind of a cheesy flavor.  But not really!  You know those cheetos that are covered in that white cheesy powder?  It's kind of like that.  But with loads of other flavors going on!  But super healthy for you!  Always!!  You can find it at any health food store.

 Here are the necessary ingredients to make this popcorn wowser!!!  You need Coconut Oil, Pam Coconut spray, Sea Salt, Nutritional Yeast, and of course your kernals!

Popcorn
2 Servings:

1/3 Cup Kernals
1/2 TBLSP Coconut Oil
2 Tblsp Nutrional Yeast
Coconut Oil Pam Spray (you could use butter if that's all you have)
Sea Salt - to your desired saltiness!

I have a popper.  So I just add my coconut oil to the popper with the kernals and let it do its thing.  When it's done I immediately spray it with the coconut spray, and then quickly add 1 tblsp of nutrional yeast and a good shake of the salt.  Then I stir it and repeat.  Spray with the coconut spray then quickly add your last tblsp of nutritional yeast and another good shake of salt.  I like salt.

Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cookies

Ok, So I shouldn't even be posting these right now, cuz I can't even eat them right now!  But my cord that transfers my pics from my camera to my computer is broken so I can't post any of my new recipes that are super yummy and healthy!  I actually made these months ago and just haven't posted them yet.  But now that fall is coming on strong right now, these cookies are perfect to post, and perfect to eat!  Peanut Butter, need I say more?  A peanut Butter cookie with  chocolate chips AND Reese's Pieces all in one..... Heaven!  I seriously died over these!  So please enjoy them for me while I am once again in a Diet Challenge trying to get my self back in check like I do just about quarterly!  

And to be honest, I usually play with recipes and make them healthier by using whole wheat flour, and coconut oil, and all that good stuff.  But these, I just left alone, and ate them with no guilt, just cuz....

YIELD: about 26-28 medium-small cookies
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 8 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 18 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 large egg
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use homemade or natural peanut butter; use Jif, Skippy, or similar)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup Reese's Pieces
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Cream together the first 5 ingredients (through vanilla) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
2.  Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute; don't overmix.
3.  Add the Reese's Pieces, chocolate chips, and blend until just incorporated.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
4.  Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Spoon 2 Tblsp mounds onto baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes because cookies will firm up as they cool. They have slightly chewy edges with soft, pillowy centers). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
5.  Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.