Pan seared Tilapia w/ Shallots & Bacon

As of late I've been on a serious bacon kick!  I had forgotten just how much I love it, so for tonight I utilized it for the first time with fish.  It was awesome, the shallots and bacon really balanced one another out.

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 4 strips of bacon, chopped
• 1-2 shallots, half rings
• 2 tilapia fillets
• 1/4 cup water or stock
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar (or more, to taste)
• 1 tsp honey (or more, to taste)
• kosher salt

Begin by heating a pan to medium heat; add bacon and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once bacon has rendered its fat add your shallots to pan, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes (until shallots begin to carmelize). 

Scoop out bacon/shallot mixture once bacon has rendered most of its fat.

Place fillets in the same pan and cook 2 minutes per side, until fish flakes and has nice crust.  Remove fillets from pan.

Add water/stock to deglaze pan; while stirring, add honey and balsamic vinegar.  Reduce heat to low for 2-3 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.


Enjoy, I topped mine with a little grated parmasan cheese as well!

Best Hot Chocolate!

This could not have hit the spot more!  Days of snow call for hot chocolate in my mind, coming across this recipe could not have come at a better time.  It was simple to make, try it out.

Ingredients (Per serving)
-1 Cup Milk (I used skim)
-1/2 Tb- 1Tb Cocoa Powder
-2 Tb Nutella
-Pinch of Salt

1.  Combine using whisk; milk, nutella, cocoa powder and salt in medium saucepan
2.  Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until heated through, you don't want to boil mixture.

Simple as that, pour into cup and add whatever toppings you like!!  Mine being marshmallows and chocolate syrup.

Sauteed Shrimp w/ Bacon, Shallot Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts:

1 lb brussels sprouts cut in half 

3 slices bacon cut into small pieces
2 Tb minced Shallots

1 Tb Soy Sauce
1/4 C Chicken broth

1. Heat pan on medium heat then add bacon. Fry until bacn has rendered a good amount of the fat, about 5-10 minutes. Add shallots and stir into the bacon, fry shallots till they become soft, but not burnt.

2. Add brussels sprouts to the pan then add soy sauce and broth. Stir evenly.

3. Cover, and turn heat to low and allow brussels spouts to slowly braise in the liquid for about 15-20 minutes, or until the brussels sprouts are tender.

Sauteed Shrimp:

2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced

1lb Shrimp, washed/deveined, peeled

2.5Tb Olive Oil

Salt + Pepper

1Tsp Cumin

2Tsp Paprika

1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add garlic and sauteed until golden.

2. Add shrimp, s/p, cumin and paprika and stir to combine

3. Saute 5 or so minutes, until shrimp turn pink and curl.

SUPER easy recipes that turned out great!

First Attempts at Brussel Sprouts

Roasted Brussel Sprouts w/ Maple Balsamic Glaze:

• 1 Lb Brussel Sprouts-trimmed and halved
• 1 Tb Olive Oil
• 1 TB Maple Syrup
• 1 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar 
• S/P to taste

-Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat
-Roast 400 degree for 25-35 minutes stirring occasionally

Bacon Wrapped and Stuffed Dates w/Almonds

Garlic Bread

• French Bread (1/2 loaf)
• 1 Tb olive oil
• 1 Tb butter
• 1 Clove Garlic (minced)

-Combine ingredients and spread on bread
-Bake 375 degree for 10-15 minutes

 

Nom Nom Nom

Egg Sandwich w/ mozzerella cheese and paprika (looks like blood but tasty!)

Spice Rubbed Pork Chops w/ Sauteed Snow Peas and Cheesy Garlic Bread

Nom Nom Nom

Healthy Banana Bread, Yum!!

Recipe:  I doubled the recipe and made 2 loaves.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/2 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

-Preheat oven to 350°.

-Sift together into a bowl; flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

-Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended.
-Add flour mixture into wet ingredients; beat at low speed just until moist. 

-Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. 

-Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

My First Post

Due to boredom and a growing love for cooking I thought I'd start a blog! I've been following blogs for sometime now, primarily ones that have to do with food, so I thought why not try one myself. My goals for the blog, none, other than documenting some pictures of things I make and recipes I enjoy. We'll see how it goes!!