Eating fish at least once a week is a healthy habit. To make it work, I need a variety of recipes to keep fish interesting. I found this recipe in my October issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. Tilapia is not only very affordable, it is also sustainable. According to the magazine, "it's the world's second most successfully farmed fish." This yummy taco recipe includes an easy pineapple-black bean salsa that was so good, I might even make it just with tortilla chips!
Ingredients
3 pineapple rings
1 lb tilapia fillets
1.5 T olive oil
2 T lime juice
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped red onion (I substituted sweet onion)
2 T finely chopped jalapeno
8 corn tortillas, warmed (note that these are flimsier than flour tortillas)
Salt and Pepper
Directions
1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange the pineapple slices on it. Broil 12-15 min until lightly browned.
3. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Rub with half a tablespoon of olive oil and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon lime juice.
4. Broil fish until flaky, 8-10 minutes.
5. Chop the onion and cilantro and place in medium mixing bowl. Cut pineapple rings into chunks and add to bowl with black beans, 2 T lime juice, jalapenos and 1 T olive oil.
6. Use a fork to flake the fish and divide among tortillas.
7. Top with the black bean salsa.
Plums are cheap and juicy at the end of summer in Michigan and this easy Rachael Ray recipe is a great way to use them. You can serve it with vanilla ice cream, or use it as a topping for cheesecake as a few of my friends did.
Ingredients
6 plums, sliced
½ cup cherry preserves
5 T chilled, unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups oatmeal cookie mix (you can buy this or just make your own. I made it using the dry ingredients from the oatmeal cookie recipe on the back of a rolled oats container.)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice plums.
3. Grease a 7 by 11 inch baking dish, toss in plums and preserves.
4. In a bowl, mix oatmeal cookie mix with butter.
5. Scatter the oatmeal mix over the plum-cherry mix, bake for 30 minutes.
I have a weakness for creamy artichoke dip appetizers and was delighted to find an easy recipe for making them at home. This was a hit with my friends, served with tortilla chips. Like many dips, it looks odd but tastes great!
Ingredients
6 oz jar of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
¼ cup mayo
¼ cup sour cream
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T finely minced red onion (I substituted white)
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Slice artichokes and onions, mix in medium-size mixing bowl with all ingredients.
3. Transfer to a small casserole and bake until bubbling hot, about 15 minutes.
4. Serve immediately.
From Party Dips by Sally Sampson.
