Oriental Oven Omelet

Tonight's dinner was interesting...delicious, but interesting. When I saw the recipe, I knew this would be something Mr. Picky would love! I was never a huge Ramen Noodle fan, but Tony could live off them for the rest of his life! (To say he is a fan would be an understatement!) I am so glad I tried this recipe out, it was so different from our normal meals and it was so yummy! It was suprisingly really filling as well. I halved the recipe so the omelets turned out a bit thin, but still delicious. I made a broccoli salad as well, but it was not my favorite. Maybe the fact that I replaced every ingredient from the recipe and didn't let it sit in the refrigerater made a difference, eh? All in all, it was a great meal!

Oriental Oven Omelet
Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 2 packages Ramen Noodles
• 1/2 c. thinly sliced celery
• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 Tbsp. green onions, thinly sliced & divided
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger root
• 3 eggs
• 6 egg whites
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:

1. Cook Ramen Noodles according to package directions & discard seasoning packet. Drain and rinse in cold water; transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat, cook celery in canola oil for 1 minute. Stir in the mushrooms, 2 Tbsp. green onions and ginger; cook and stir for 7 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly browned. Stir into noodles.
3. Whisk the eggs, egg whites, sesame oil, sugar, and salt. Stir into noodle mixture; spread into an even layer in the skillet. Cook on medium for 2 minutes.
4. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until set. Cut into wedges. Sprinkle with remaining green onions. Drizzle with soy sauce.

Sunflower Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

• 6 c. fresh broccoli florets
• 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. sugar/sugar substitute
• 1/4 c. sunflower kernals

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, bring 8 c. water to a boil. Add broccoli; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place broccoli in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, soy suace, oil, and sugar. Pour over broccoli; toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (oops..skipped this step!)
3. Just before serving, stir in sunflower kernals.

***Next time I want to make this with roasted brocolli, I think it would taste better warm anyways.

Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup

Don't you just love it when you spend your entire day off running errands?! NOT! Well I had one of those days today, it was one thing after another! I did get to enjoy a lovely lunch out with my wonderful grandma, so that was a bonus! But other than that, I have been non-stop on my feet. So when I finally got home around 4:30 this afternoon, I just wanted to take a nap and tell Tony to grab a pizza! But I didn't--I was a trooper and still cooked the dinner I was planning on making, and I am sooo glad I did! I absolutely love spicy food, and this soup had the perfect blend of flavors! It was spicy, but not hot enough to ruin the taste. It is a super light soup (with only 285 calories per serving!) but you cannot tell! It is hearty and filling and completely satisfying!

Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup with Stoplight Peppers & Avocado Relish

adapted from: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

SPICE BLEND:

• 2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt

SOUP:

• 1 Tbsp. oil, divided
• 1 1/4 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
• 2 c. chopped onion
• 1 c. chopped red bell pepper
• 1 c. chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 c. chopped green bell pepper
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 c. corn
• 1 (32 oz) carton chicken broth
• 1 (28 oz) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

RELISH:

• 1/2 c. chopped cilantro
• 1/3 c. chopped green onions
• 1 tsp. grated lime rind
• 3 oz queso fresco, crumbled
• 1 diced, peeled avocado

Directions:

1. To prepare spice blend, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. To prepare soup, heat 2 tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle 1 1/2 Tbsp. spice blend over chicken. Saute 8 minutes or until done, cool. Chop chicken and set aside.
3. Heat remaining 1 tsp. oil in pan over medium-high heat; add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining spice blend; saute 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, corn, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes. Add lime juice.
4. To prepare relish, combine chopped cilantro and next 4 ingredients.
5. Ladle 1 1/4 c. soup into bowls; top with 1/4 c. relish

**I didn't make the relish, thats what happens when you don't read the whole directions! It was still delicious but next time I can't wait to try it with the relish!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!! (A day late!)

So normally I like to go all out for any type of holiday, give me an excuse to make lots of yummy fattening food and celebrate something, I'm all for it! Well I wasn't even planning on doing anything special for Cinco De Mayo since I do have an evening class that day, gasp! I asked Tony what he wanted to do for it, and he asked me when Cinco de Mayo is. UM hello?! You are the Hispanic one, yet I know this???! Gotta love him! ;) I was skeptical of this recipe at first, but I'm so glad I ended up trying it! I have a feeling this will end up on our kitchen table for many years to come!

Southwestern Egg & Bean Skillet

Cara's Cravings

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 c. frozen corn
• 1 c. drained, rinsed black beans
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• pinch of coriander
• 10 oz. can diced tomatoes w/ green chilis
• 2 eggs
• 2 oz. queso fresco, crumbled
• chopped cilantro and avocado, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat olive oil in an oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, corn, and beans and cook for about 2 more minutes, until garlic is fragrant. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and coriander.
3. Add the diced tomatoes with chilis and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Carefully break the eggs over the black bean mixture. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until eggs are soft-set. Sprinkle with queso fresco and garnish with cilantro and avocado. Serve hot.

My favorite fish!

I guess I've been on a fish kick lately, here is my second fish-related post in a row! I have to say, this is probably one of my new favorite fish recipes!! I think we can all agree that anything is better when encrusted with a crunchy layer of absolute goodness. Fried is always better, right? Well my friends-this fish is deceiving because although it tastes fried, its really grilled..so much healthier! Definitly a must-try! Even Mr. Picky loved this one!

Potato Flake Fish

Inspired by: RecipeZaar

Ingredients:

• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 c. instant potato flakes
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. parsley (I omitted)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 fish fillets (I used tilapia)

Directions:

1. Combine first 7 ingredients together in a shallow dish, set aside.
2. Dip each fish fillet into the beaten eggs, then coat with the potato flake mixture.
3. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or grill.**

**I used our George Forman and grilled the fillets, they turned out pefect!

Also, for extra crispy fish, repeat steps 1 and 2 twice.

Jalapeno-Baked Fish

So I haven't been whipping up as many delicacies in the kitchen the past couple of weeks, too much to do with all this home buying business!! I decided that there are NO excuses for becoming lazy in the kitchen, and that I will cook as many meals as I possibly can every week. So today, after my 9-11 meeting at work, I came home and whipped up the sauce for this dish. Headed back to work at 1, then on my break I cooked the potatoes, threw together the dish, and BAM! Instant, delicious dinner all ready to go! If I can prepare this meal during a day with a hectic schedule, I definitly condone this meal "weeknight" friendly! Definitly a keeper in this house, except next time I'll be cutting back on some of the jalapenos, it was a little too spicy for us!

Jalepeno-Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes & Potatoes

Dinner and Dessert

Ingredients:

• 4 medium (1 lb) potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• Salt
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and cut in half
• 1/3 c. coarsely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnishing
• 1/4 c. sliced canned pickled jalapenos
• 1 Tbsp. jalapeno pickling juice
• 4 fish fillets (I used tilapia)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the sliced potatoes in an 8x8 microwave safe baking dish. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle salt, toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and poke several holes in the top. Microwave on high until the potatoes are nearly tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the tomatoes (with juice), garlic, cilantro, jalapenos, and pickling juice. Process to a puree, leaving just a little texture.
3. Lay the fish fillets in a single layer over the potatoes. Pour the tomato mixture evenly over the fish and potatoes.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.