Tortilla-Topped Tilapia for Two (or more)

Tortilla Tilapia for Two

Let me start off by saying, I do NOT like touching, cooking, or eating raw fish!  (See how I capitalized, bolded, and italicized that font?  I don’t just throw that “I don’t like that” sh#@ around, freaks!)  Take this blog post as a lesson that anybody can grow to love (or at least tolerate) a fish dish. 

Growing up in a rural, lake-filled, Midwestern household, we ate fresh-caught bluegill or walleye that was oh-so-carefully pan fried, or battered and deep fried, at a minimum of once a week.  It was freshly caught, and yet for my Barbie-doll-loving, encompassing-all-that-is-pink, girly-girl self, participation in anything past catching and reeling it in came to a screaming halt.  No brutally ripping the day’s catch off the hook, gutting, or filleting for this gal, oh no oh no oh no…*Sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.*  As an adult, I have come to the eventual realization that my “fishing with daddy” excursions were not so much to enrich my life experiences, but more to increase his daily catch limit. He will neither deny, nor confirm this theory of mine, but I know it’s true… To this day, my perfect fillet o’fish consists of a heavily beer-battered fillet, doused in malt vinegar, and covered with a thick blanket of tartar sauce; and served with a loaded baked potato on the side…not a very healthy adaptation of the food, but one I love nonetheless.  If I have the opportunity taste a fillet that has been freshly dusted in cornmeal and flour, then pan fried to crispy perfection by my Daddy-O, I am all over it.  That man can prepare a venison tenderloin or a fish fillet for me that defies all taste odds…I just cannot do it.  I have tried, and have come to the conclusion that there are some things better left to the elders for posterity’s sake.  

In what seems like a never-ending quest to find a somewhat healthy, non-fried, non-battered, but still tasty, fish dish for me and the SOB, I created this Tortilla Tilapia for Two recipe.  I was given the challenge by Alyssa JoJo, so what could I do?!?!?  I will say, though, I quite liked this recipe, and with an extra squeeze of lime or lemon on top (or the below-mentioned lemon-lime beer salt), I did not need to douse it in tartar sauce, and that is saying something from my perspective.  Please try, enjoy (or not), and send us some feedback.  We love our freaks and aim to please <3

Ingredients for Two

Double or triple recipe accordingly for number of servings made

2 tilapia fillets

1 cup crushed corn tortilla chips (for an extra splash of white trash, use Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch Doritos and omit other spices)

2 fresh limes, juiced

1 tablespoon dried cilantro, or ¼ cup fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt; lemon or lime flavored if you can find it (which I HAVE, but found somewhere in Texas in a gas station between San Antonio and Corpus Christi next to a cooler full of beer—they dress their beer bottles, similar to salting the rim of a margarita glass)

1 egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a shallow bowl, mix together tortilla crumbs, lime juice from 1 lime, cilantro, and spices.  For maximum mixture, place ingredients into a food processer and pulse until combined.  If anybody who is going to eat this does not like cilantro, use parsley instead.  (Trust me, cilantro haters can detect one single leaf of cilantro in an entire dish, so don’t waste your time thinking, “oh, they won’t notice that if I don’t tell them it’s in it”.  It doesn’t work, and it’s just not worth it.)

In a separate bowl, beat egg.  BAM!  That’s it…easy enough, right?!?!?

Dip tilapia fillet in egg, then in tortilla crumb mixture, pressing crumbs to adhere.  Repeat with remaining fillet(s).  Yes, it is icky, but if you use tongs, it ain’t so bad.

Carefully place tilapia fillets onto a baking sheet.  Press more tortilla crumb mixture on top if needed (not too much or it won’t get crispy, but you want a nice even layer and not be able to see the fish through the breading).  Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  If fillets are thick (more than ½ inch) check after 15 minutes.  If fillets easily flake with a fork, they are done.  If not, bake another couple minutes or so.

After removing from oven, and immediately before serving, squeeze juice from one lime over fish fillets.  I served this with a salad of arugula and segmented grapefruit, but oranges would work just as well and probably be a little sweeter.  I then drizzled olive oil and orange champagne vinegar (from TJ’s, yo) over the salad, and sprinkled with a liberal dose of salt and pepper.  That is all it takes to make a salad, freaks!  Stop whining that you can’t get your veggies in.  I know you’re just not trying…  It was a nice, refreshing combination during the SAD season that has so cruelly and predominately raised its evil head and invaded this late winter in the Midwest, as it always does…

Truly, though…this was an incredibly easy recipe to prepare, and I highly suggest making it if you find yourself in a fish rut and would like to try something different.

Next week, Freaks!
 <3 Mama Lanette

Lime Tilapia!

Hey everyone! Sorry that this late but we've been busy busy in JoJo land. It was tax return time so we bought a lot of stuff that was needed for the house, and a lot of stuff that was not so needed. Now this recipe doesn't have pictures, but that doesn't mean it's not good.

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets
Juice and Zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 cup of flour
Olive oil for frying

Combine lime juice and zest, olive oil, honey, pepper, garlic, and chili powder in a larger zip-lock bag. Add tilapia fillets and let marinate for at least 1 hour. You can let this sit for a day but with it being fish I would not do it any longer than that.

When fish is ready combine flour with some salt and pepper (if wanted) and lightly cover tilapia with flour on both sides. Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil, and cook about 4 minutes on each side; until the flour becomes and nice brown. You don't want to flip or move around too much.

See?! Look at that easy recipe. And very tasty. We served with some brown rice and some asparagas on the side. Yum!!!!


xoxo
Alyssa JoJo

Lasagna ala Lanette

If you are a true lover of the cheesy, saucy, and pastalisicious dish called lasagna, then this is a recipe for you, my Freaks!  In this instance, Mama Lanette and the SOB made their very own homemade fresh lasagna noodles; however, regular dried pasta ala’ Creamette or Barilla works just as well.  We just felt like being fancy pants this week, not to mention making that new pasta attachment for the Kitchen Aid work off its cost.  As an FYI:  Mama Lanette has not made homemade lasagna for a good 8 years.  Why go to the effort when the SOB has an affinity for Stouffers?  Well, Alyssa JoJo brought up the challenge for this week, and as with most things food related, Mama Lanette grabbed that challenge and took off running…

Mama Lanette did a lot of research on lasagna recipes, and she thinks a very lovely combination is to be had by preparing her special concoction.  Is it truly authentic Italian lasagna?  How the f*#@ would she know?  She doesn’t personally know any “sweating in the kitchen making sauce and pasta all day” Italian folk, so she doesn’t have that baseline to build from.  She does, however, know a few “hanging in the backyard slamming wine” Italians.  That doesn’t help much when it comes to cooking, though, does it?  ;-)  However, as any freak does, she has the power of THE INTERNET at her fingertips and, with her own personal powers of deduction and culinary skills, is able to tweak what she feels is acceptable into a wonderfully delicious dish…as verified by the SOB (It may be the Summit Extra Pale Ale speaking for him, but Mama Lanette takes what she can get in the positive affirmation area).  Besides, whether it is a meal constructed by two or ten household members, what tastes better than a dish prepared by family?  Part of the deliciousness is knowing that you all joined in and contributed to the meal. 

 

Please don’t let the fact that we made fresh pasta scare you off.  Lasagna made with regular store-bought dried pasta works just as well, and takes much less time.  Also, lasagna is a perfect freezer food, so if there are only two or three of you, a regular size pan makes a nice two to three meals, depending on how you split it up.   It is also a wonderful make-ahead meal for those of you who have company coming on a Friday night, but want to do prep on Thursday night.  This is a recipe based off the original  lasagna recipe printed on the back of Creamette Lasagna boxes back in the day before jarred spaghetti sauce was popular…and I am going to say right now…I have had MANY a fine lasagna made with jarred sauce (heart you ML!).  There is nothing wrong with jarred sauce, I just wanted to explore a little bit and discover if the homemade sauce was that much more work.  Honestly, I do not think it was, so do whatever is most convenient for you.  Creamette has an updated recipe on their lasagna noodle boxes that calls for jarred sauce and does not require cooking the noodles beforehand, so get to it Freaks!!!  There is no reason whatsoever why you cannot pull this off!

Ingredients

8 ounces dried lasagna noodles, cooked to package instructions.  If using fresh made pasta, do not cook.

1-1/2 pound ground Italian sausage

1 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained.  If using whole canned tomatoes, chop into pieces.

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

1 bunch fresh basil, chopped (2 tablespoons dried)

4 cups fresh spinach, chopped (5 ounce bag of prewashed)

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 (15 ounce) containers ricotta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped (1 tablespoon dried)

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (2 pounds)

1 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese (8 ounce bag)

Assembly Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large skillet, brown sausage with onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink and onions are tender.  Add tomatoes and tomato paste, basil, spinach, sugar, salt and pepper.  Stir together and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer approximately 20 minutes.  Add about ½ cup water if getting too thick.   

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, salt and parsley.  Shred mozzarella and parmesan if in block form.

In a 13x9 cake pan, spoon 1-1/2 cups sauce and spread evenly over bottom of pan.  Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, 1/3 of remaining sauce, 1/3 ricotta cheese, and 1/3 parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.  Repeat two more times.  Top with any remaining cheese. 

Cover pan and bake 45 minutes.  Remove cover and bake additional 15-30 minutes, depending on how browned you like your lasagna.  Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.  Makes 8-10 servings.

As an aside:  I am very saddened by the fact that Alyssa JoJo’s zucchini  lasagna recipe did not turn out as planned.  In theory, I believe it was an excellent (and tasty) idea, and the concept will be revisited again in the summer when the farmer’s markets and gardens are abundant with the tasty summer squash!  Kudos to her for turning an upside down frown into a smile, but me thinks Mama Lanette won the flying freak flag this week!

TTY next week my fellow freaks!  Alyssa JoJo has deemed it tilapia week, something that Mama Lanette has not been very successful with in the past, so it shall be intriguing to say the least.  The SOB is already bracing himself for whatever disaster is ever so carefully plated before him.

A few pics from the pasta making process...

 Gotta love a boy who can make his gal some noodles!

<3 Mama Lanette

JoJo's Lasagna

Hello everyone! This week we are making lasagna and let me say – mine turned out to be a fail. Not taste wise, it was very tasty, but all together structure wise it didn’t turn out. I’m still posting it though, if only to show that you can always work with the food that turns out in a way that you completely didn’t want. First I’m going to start with the recipe for the lasagna alone. I tried doing something that I’ve been seeing online a lot, where you replace the noodles with zucchini. Here we go!

Ingredients:

1lb lean ground beef (Can use turkey if you’d like)

45 oz jar of spaghetti sauce

2 cloves of garlic, minced

32 oz of cottage cheese

4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 eggs

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons dried parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 medium to large zucchinis

 

First we will start with the zucchini! Now if you have a tool like a mandolin this is where your job gets easy. I personally don’t have one so I used a simple knife to cut it up into decent sized slices. You might have to come back and do this – I at first only cut up two and found that I needed to use four for mine.

 

Next we will put the ground beef into a decent sized pot and brown it. I added a little bit of salt and pepper in when I did this part. Once it’s fully cooked drain all the grease and put back into pot.

Now add the spaghetti sauce and the minced garlic in with the ground beef. Mix the ingredients well while bringing to a slight boil. Once it hits the boil bring down to a simmer and let cook for five minutes.

 

While the beef mixture cooks preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Grab cottage cheese, half of the mozzarella cheese, both eggs, half of the parmesan cheese, the parsley, and the salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside until the beef mixture is done.

Take enough of the beef mixture to have a thin layer covering fully a 9X13 pan. Then layer some of the sliced zucchini to cover the bottom as best as you can.

 

 

Now layer some of the cottage cheese mixture and then some of the beef mixture. To figure out how much you should use figure out how many layers you want. I did two layers so I did half and half. You will then put on another zucchini layer and continue until you run out of both mixtures. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Now look at that finished product… yup it pretty much looks like soup. The BBB (aka Big Burley Boy aka the bf) and his pop still ate it up. Seconds and all – but it just was NOT right. It bugged me so I plotted how to fix it and after much thought I figured out how to. I boiled a pot of macaroni noodles that I had left over from the mac n cheese night. As those were boiling I pulled all the zucchini slices from the lasagna and chopped them up to smaller chunks. I put them, the lasagna mixture, added about a tablespoon of chili powder, some garlic powder, salt and pepper, and heated it up. By the time the noodles were done the lasagna soup was fully heated up. Mixed it all together and voila! We ate that with a side of ghetto cheesy garlic bread and it was an amazing dinner.

So, keep in mind, Freaks....every meal is not going to be a win-win situation.  There will always be instances in which a new recipe just FAILS for some reason or another.  It is the truly adaptable cook who can take a fail and turn it into a WIN.  Sometimes the conversion becomes a new family favorite, so go for it...you never know what is awaiting you!  

Easy Peasy Mac-N-Cheesy

Easy Peasy Mac-N-Cheesy

Mama Lanette loves macaroni and cheese!  Alyssa JoJo loves macaroni and cheese! Being the homegrown Midwestern foodie freaks they are, the cheesier, the better.  Everybody loves a good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and this one is super easy!  Well, actually, Grandma JoyJoy doesn’t care for macaroni and cheese.  I guess it has something to do with growing up in the days when Catholics never ate meat on Fridays, (blah blah, Catholic guilt, blah, blah) not just during Lent as we are apt to do in modern times…if even then (sorry Baby Jesus!).  Even so, Mama Lanette and Alyssa JoJo did not let Grandma JoyJoy’s dislike deter them from an intense love of the Mac-N-Cheese.   Oh no!  We moved far beyond the blue box blues, with its artificial neon orange powder, and into a world of naturally-hued tangerine dreams. 

 Once you realize how easy homemade Mac-N-Cheese can be, you might just never look back.  Soon you will be adding green chilies and salsa, making it Mexican style, or adding tuna and some mushrooms to create the perfect cheesy tuna mac.  Adding a little ham, green peppers and onions is another blissful concoction that is a perfect use for leftover Easter or Christmas ham.   And, true to Mama Lanette style…it freezes beautifully!  You don’t think the SOB and I eat an entire pan of this, do you?  Oh no, my little freaks!  Mama Lanette cannot be trusted to let leftover Mac-N-Cheese sit in the fridge, the compulsive overeating disordered little gal she is.  As soon as that pan cools off, poof!  Off she goes, cutting it into “perfect for two” sized pieces, wrapping it in foil, labeling it with her hot pink Sharpie, and popping it into the freezer.  It is as delightful thawed and reheated in the oven as it is the first time around.   So here we go freaks!  Try them and let us know what you think!

Ingredients

1 pound box dried pasta.  Once again, Mama Lanette likes the fun shaped stuff, much like a small child.

1 can cheddar cheese soup

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese.  I prefer sharp cheddar, but use whatever you have on hand or prefer.  You can even go with something other than cheddar if you want to get crazy!

1-1/2 cups milk or half-and-half

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add pasta.  Cook according to package instructions.  Drain.

 

While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, combine milk and the can of cheddar cheese soup.  Stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper if desired.  Mix in shredded cheese. 

Add drained, cooked pasta and combine gently until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Spoon mixture into a baking dish; 4 quart or cake pan size.  Top with Panko bread crumbs.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Turn oven on broil for a couple minutes if you want a nice brown top. 

Bam!  Ain’t that a nice looking pan of mac?  And YOU made it, so you can control what goes into it, and even better, what is going into the little tots’ bellies.  Use skim milk instead of whole or half-and-half if you want to cut the calories a bit.   I’m not saying this is a healthy dish, but sometimes food just tastes and feels better when you made it yourself and can attest to the ingredients.

Next week, freaks!  <3 Mama Lanette

Alyssa JoJo's Mac-N-Cheese

 I think we can all agree that mac n cheese is one of the most amazing things around. Once you walk away from the chalky version that comes in a blue box, a completely new world of what macaroni and cheese IS MEANT TO BE opens up in front of you, and yes, golden gates and singing angels are included.

This week Mama Lanette and I both attack mac n cheese.  This is a recipe I've been making for a couple of years now and has made me a total Mac N Cheese snob. Everyone I have fed this to has drooled over it, and I personally think that it's super super easy to make. (Mama Lanette thinks that her's is easier but I think she's starting to get old and senile) So bring out your noodles and find what version you like most!

 Ingredients: 
8 oz elbow macaroni
8 oz cheddar cheese (shredded) 
12 oz small curd cottage cheese 
8 oz sour cream 
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese 
1 c dry panko crumbs 
1/4 c butter, melted 
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water with a little bit of salt to a boil and then add macaroni. Stir occasionally until noodles are fully cooked. Drain and put back into large pot.








Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream with noodles. Put into any pan that you would like. I did a large muffin pan with a mini bread pans. Before that, all I used was a 9X18 cake pan. Just do whatever makes sense to you.












Melt butter and mix with panko crumbs. Sprinkle over the mac n cheese for a nice crispy crust.

Bake at the 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Bring out a big bowl and eat as much as you can. Goes well with a nice green side. (We did broccoli bites.) And if you make this, please tell us what you think! xoxo Alyssa JoJo

Chicken Chili

Chicken Chili

Alyssa JoJo and I picked chili as our food subject this week because:  a) it is really frigging cold here in Minnesota and Wisconsin this week, and what feels better in your belly on a -20 degree day than a hot, spicy bowl of chili? b) the Super bowl is this weekend, and up here in the Midwest, chili is a Super bowl must-have dish, c) chili is yummy! It is the perfect accompaniment to beer and brats; another Midwest Super bowl tradition on Super bowl Sunday.  Every year on Super bowl Sunday, thousands of burley Midwestern men bitterly trudge out into the frozen tundra wearing their Packer/Vikings/Bears jerseys, sweatpants (or the occasional unfortunate sighting of a pair of Zubas or ass crack), and trapper hats, only to lovingly grill the bratwurst for their Super bowl gathering.  We will discuss proper bratwurst preparation more when spring nears, as it is an art, trust you me!

If you do not like chili, then you just haven’t tried the right kind, or you’re weird.  I don’t care which one it is, just fix it, and start loving chili because it can be an extraordinarily filling and healthful food when made properly.  Unbeknownst to many people, chili does not need to be the tomato/beef/bean mixture with a splash of McCormick chili powder that most of us Midwesterners grew up with. Many of us even grew up with macaroni in our chili!!! Oh the horror!  There is a multitude of chili alternatives out there, and sampling a new, out-of-the-box chili recipe will warm your tummy and enliven your taste buds to no end. It is a perfect dish for vegetarians, as beans, as far as Mama Lanette is concerned, are a super food.  They are fat free, high in fiber, high in protein, last forever, and are cheap as heck.  I cannot say enough good things about beans of any sort.  As always, we here at Feeding the Freaks encourage creativity when trying one of our recipes.  If you don’t like hot peppers, use mild.  If you really love a certain spice or flavor, go ahead and add a little extra.  We want you to make these recipes YOURS and learn to really love eating your own homemade food. 

I chose chicken chili this week because, to be honest, I read Alyssa JoJo’s chili recipe and it was almost identical to mine.  My little freaks don’t need copy cats!  You need originality!  You want options!  I have never made chicken chili before, but I have eaten it and liked it, so it was the perfect opportunity for me to try something new and spread the word.  I hope you enjoy it, but if not, go ahead and try another version.  Like I said, there are so many variations of chili; you are bound to find one you like, if not love. 

Ingredients:

3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cans white kidney or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (reserve 1 cup of beans and put aside)

1 32 oz carton chicken broth (reserve ½ cup broth and put aside)

1-2 cans diced green chilies (if you have access to get fire-roasted, do so, the flavor is nicer)

½ cup canned jalapenos, diced (can use more if you prefer spicier)

2/3 cup salsa

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon – Sounds strange but I love a dash of cinnamon in Mexican food.  It lends a mellowness to it that I cannot explain.

1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tobasco)

2 teaspoons dried oregano (I highly recommend Mexican oregano for all your oregano needs)

½ tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and shredded cheddar cheese for accompaniments.  

Instructions:

In a small sauté pan, heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic.  Sauté until cooked through and tender.   

Mashed Beans

In a separate bowl, place 1 cup reserved beans and mash with fork.  Add ½ cup chicken broth and blend together.  The reason for this is because pureeing the beans gives the chili a thicker and creamier looking texture without using cream, butter, or flour, which also makes it waist friendly.  FYI:  This is a perfect use for that immersion blender you may have sitting around!!

In a crock pot, combine chicken, onion/garlic mixture, jalapenos, chilies, pureed beans, remaining broth, salsa, spices, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir to combine evenly.  Add remaining beans and stir gently.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours. 

Serve in bowls with sprinkling of chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, and a lime wedge.  If you have access to some cornbread or can fry up some corn tortillas...all I can say is YUM!  The SOB's personal favorite chili mopper is Fritos Scoops, and I have to say, I cannot disagree with him on this one.  

FYI:  Chili, no matter what kind you make, is an excellent candidate for freezing.  You know how Mama Lanette loves dishes she can make and freeze for future meals!  In reality, rarely is a pot of chili ever eaten in one sitting.   Why not scoop some into containers and store in your freezer for the following week/month when you are cold and tired and just want something warm and filling with minimal effort?