Tilapia Tinfoil dinners

For the first time ever, I have a garden.  And not one of those fake plastic aquarium gardens... a garden that actually produces things that you can eat!  And even though I mistakenly cared for a weed for awhile because I thought it was a basil plant, the plants that I intended to grow have grown abundantly.  So yesterday I harvested my first zucchini (a big baseball bat of a thing that created a huge dinner and enough shredded stuff for zucchini muffins).  We also have some great cherry tomato plants.  And I had bought some tilapia earlier in the week.  And Richard had given me a challenge to only spend $60 on groceries that week. Naturally, I was looking for a recipe that would incorporate what I already had on hand.  I found this recipe and was really happy with the results.  So was Richard.  We had almost no leftovers.  We baked it in the oven, but this could easily be a grill or campfire dinner.  The original recipe had each tilapia filet in its own individual tinfoil packet, but I decided to bake the whole thing together and conserve foil. I served the tilapia and roasted vegetables over a simple pasta that was tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and parmesan cheese.

Tinfoil tilapia with roasted vegetables (adapted from cooksillustrated.com)

1 lb zucchini sliced crossways into 1/4 inch rounds (cut rounds into quarters if your zucchini is huge)

8 oz mushrooms, sliced and lightly sauteed (in frying pan for about 5 minutes) and set aside

8 oz of tomatoes, chopped (about a cup) (any kind will do)

2 TBSP olive oil

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

4 TBSP dried white wine or lemon juice (I used lemon juice)

1 lb tilapia filets (I had about 5 filets in mine)

Toss zucchini with salt and place in colander for 30 minutes to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients and while the oven preheats to 450 degrees.  The zucchini will release a few TBSP of liquid-- just drain and blot dry with paper towels.

Toss the tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp of pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic together in a bowl.  Sprinkle the tilapia filets with a little additional salt and pepper.

Tear off a large sheet of aluminum foil and place on the counter, spread your zucchini slices evenly in the middle of the foil, leaving a sizeable edge of foil around the zucchini so that you have room to fold.  Drizzle the lemon juice or white wine evenly among the zucchini.  Top with the tilapia filets, the mushrooms and the tomato mixture.  Place another equally large piece of foil on the top and gently fold each side of the foil to form a large, sealed packet.  Or you can do 4 smaller packets with equal parts of each of the ingredients, layered in the same manner.

Place the packet on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes for the large packet.  Remove from the oven, cut a slit in the top and let the steam escape.  Serve on its own, over pasta, or with rice or potatoes.  Its a winner no matter how you look at it.

Crockpot refried beans

This is perhaps the most used recipe in our house.  I make a huge pot of these beans at least every other week, if not more.  We eat it throughout the week and it never gets old.  It is also the recipe that requires the least effort (about two minutes of prep total).  It only takes slightly more effort than opening a can of refried beans, but tastes infinitely better.  It also ends up being fat free!  And if you are wondering how to get enough protein in your diet without meat, you need look no further than beans.  I LOVE BEANS!  And they love me, and like that little black dress in your closet, they go with everything!  This recipe makes a lot, so feel free to half it!

Refried beans
1 onion peeled and halved
2 lbs of dry pinto beans (no need to rinse or sort or soak)
1 jalapeno, halved
2 TBSP minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 TBSP chili powder
9 cups chicken broth (or 9 cups water with 9 chicken flavored bouillion cubes)
3 cups water

Directions:
Basically, dump everything into a crockpot and cook on high for about 6-8 hours and then puree with an immersion blender (onion, jalapeno, and all).  You can add more water if needed.  Easy, right?

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

I have been out of town with my family for the past week.  On our vacation, we had the opportunity to eat at a real vegetarian restaurant in Victoria, BC called "Rebar" and it was awesome!!  The funny thing is that as we were considering where we should eat, I found myself thinking the same stereotypical anti-vegetarian thoughts that I usually make fun of: "Will I feel satisfied?," "Will the food be weird?,"and "I think there is a Fatburger down the street..."  Richard and I ordered an amazing curry dish and an almond burger with sweet potato fries.  We left feeling full and awesome!
This recipe is not from that restaurant. I picked this recipe because I had some leftover rice and this is my go-to recipe for leftover rice. I combine rice, beans, tomatoes, corn, cheese and some awesome spices and bake them in bell peppers.  And when I feel like it, I smother them in enchilada sauce before baking.  Did you know that rice and beans together make a complete protein? I am not sure WHY that is good, but I have been told that it is, so I repeat that rice and beans together make a complete protein.  And this is a versatile recipe because you could put pretty much any combination of ingredients inside that pepper and it will probably taste good.

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers (adapted from Our Best Bites)

4 large bell peppers (whatever is cheapest, but red tastes best)
1-2 cups rice or quinoa (I just add however much I want proportionately in the mixture)
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 onion diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 jalapeno (or a whole one, if you like more heat)
4 oz canned mild green chilies (or 1 canned chipotle chili, if you like more heat)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I sometimes add two cans)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup of grated cheese (cheddar, jack, colby...whatever)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice of half a lime
salt and pepper to taste
red enchilada sauce (optional)

 Preheat oven to 350. Slice the tops off of your bell peppers and remove the insides.  Boil the whole peppers in a large amount of water for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from water, drain, and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, and any chilies and cook until softened (about 5 minutes).  Add corn, beans, green onions, chili powder, and salt and pepper.  Cook for another 5 minutes and then remove from heat.  Add in rice, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese.  Stir to combine, and then add in the lime juice.  Adjust the seasoning to taste, adding in more salt or spices if you want.  Divide the mixture between the bell peppers.  At this point, you can put a little more cheese on top, or you can smother the peppers with enchilada sauce and then add more cheese on top-- however you like it.

Bake for 25 minutes in prepared oven.  Tonight we had them with a dollop of sour cream and some fresh pineapple on the side.  Yummm.

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My favorite soup: crock pot split pea

This is the best soup I have ever made.  I crave it, and it is split pea soup for goodness sake.  And seriously, when I make it for other people, they always want the recipe.  That shows how much confidence I have in it, that I will make it for company.  It is that good.  But I almost feel like its cheating to take credit because it requires almost no effort-- so it is a really good soup for any family where you don't have a lot of time and want a good, comforting soup to serve.  And it is chalk (chock, chaulk?) full of protein and fiber, and requires absolutely no ham, hamhocks, or pigs of any kind.

1 lb dried split peas (I don't sort or rinse or anything...kind of lazy that way)
1/2 onion diced
2 potatoes diced (I don't peel potatoes)
3-4 carrots sliced (or really as many as you want)
2-3 stalks of celery sliced (or diced, depending on the kind of chunks you want)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika (or more if you like it)
2 bay leaves
6-8 cups of hot chicken stock (I just use boiling water and bouillon)
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice, and olive oil (optional)

Just layer in a crockpot, in the order listed, and cook on high for 4-5 hours.  You don't even need to stir until after it is all done cooking, at which point the peas have softened so much that it is has turned into an almost creamy mixture.  I like to drizzle a little olive oil onto the raw vegetables because I generally don't trust fat free concoctions and I think a little olive oil is healthy.  Also, I like to squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the soup after it is all done cooking because I think it gives it a nice bright flavor!  Again, you can follow the directions according to taste, making modifications as necessary (or adding more water if it is too thick).  It is fool proof!