Ginger Soy Sesame Fish in a Pouch

Ingredients:

• 2 fresh white fish filets (cod, halibut, your favorite)
• 4 tsp. sesame oil, divided
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 20 thin slices of ginger root
• 1 scallion, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Have ready two pieces of aluminum foil, each big enough to fit the fish filet in the middle with about 5 inches of foil on either side.
2. Place one fish filet in the middle of one sheet of foil.
3. Drizzle 2 tsp. of sesame oil on top of each filet and gently rub it all over the fish with your fingertips then flip the filet over to coat the other side with the excess sesame oil that has dripped onto the foil. Drizzle 1 tbsp. of soy sauce on top (I found this too be a bit too much soy, so next time I would reduce it to about 1/2 tablespoon) then add 10 slices of ginger to each, half the chopped scallions, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring up the two long sides of the aluminum foil to a tent then together, roll them down while bringing the two other sides up so the liquid doesn't drip out. You should get a nice little pouch/packet.
5. Repeat with the other filet.
6. Place both foil packets on a baking sheet and bake fish for 10-15 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flaky. (I had to cook mine for almost 20.)
7. Carefully unwrap the fish from the package. There is HOT liquid that may come out from either side so be careful!
8. Serve hot over a bed of rice, veggies, or a salad.

Notes:

Depending on the size of your filets, you may not need to cook them as long as 15 minutes, or you may need to cook them longer. To check up on the fish after 10 minutes, gently open the pouch from the top and use a fork to prick into the middle of the filet to see if it's still raw.

*www.tablefortwoblog.com

Meatball Burgers

Ingredients:  
1 cup bread crumbs (coarsely ground) (If not coarse, use a scant cup.)
1/2 pound ground lamb
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4  teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg (beaten)
        
For Assembly:
4 Kaiser rolls
4 slices fresh mozzarella (Deli slices of mozzarella work just fine too!)
1 cup fresh ricotta, optional
Marinara sauce (for the homemade version, see this link.)


Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, being sure not to overwork the mixture.  Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions (about 6 ounces each) and form into patties. (I was able to make four regular sized burgers along with an additional two slider sized burgers.)


Place the patties on the grill (medium-high heat) and allow to cook for about 4-5 minutes per side. Top each patty with a slice of fresh (or deli slice) Mozzarella and allow to melt.


Toast the rolls on the grill.


To build the sandwiches, spread about 1/4 cup of fresh ricotta on the bottoms of the rolls. Place a patty on top of the ricotta and finish with the marinara. 


*www.thechew.com

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Teriyaki Chicken and Broccoli

delicious.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh broccoli 
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch cubes (I used 2 regular-sized chicken breasts.)
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• For the sauce:
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I used three.)
• ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add the broccoli. Blanch the broccoli for 5 minutes, then immediately transfer the broccoli to an ice bath (a large bowl of water with ice in it) to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
3. In a skillet, brown chicken on both sides with vegetable oil over medium high heat. (I added a pinch of salt and pepper to the chicken once I placed chicken on skillet.)  Add the broccoli (excess water drained well) then turn the heat down to medium. Gently pour in the sauce and let thicken, about 5 minutes. Gently toss the ingredients in the sauce until everything is coated well.
4. Serve over rice.

*www.tablefortwoblog.com

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick salted butter (1/2 cup, very soft)
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 18.9 ounce brownie mix (preferred is Ghirardelli Double Chocolate)

• eggs, oil, and water for brownie mix

Directions:

1. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars in a small mixing bowl.  Add vanilla and egg; cream again until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir gently until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare brownie batter as directed. Pour batter into a greased glass 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish. Scatter pieces of cookie dough over the top of the brownie batter. In an 8×8 square pan, you're able to get about ⅔ of the cookie dough to fit over the brownies...then just save the rest for regular cookies! Press gently on the dough just until it starts to sink down into the batter a little bit.  Be sure to place cookie dough in corners and closely around perimeter of dish.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes (35 for gooey, 40 or more for fully baked), covering with foil if you need to keep the cookies from getting too brown on top (see notes below).  Let stand for 15-20 minutes before cutting into pieces for serving.

NOTES:

Beware of taking these out too early just because the cookies look brown – usually when I do that, the brownies are still underdone and they sink down in the middle. I found that it was easiest to alternate baking them covered and uncovered. I did the first 20 minutes uncovered, the next 10 minutes covered, and the last 5 minutes uncovered. This allows the brownies to bake without the cookies getting too brown. I’ve also taken foil and just made a cover around the edges so the middle can bake without burning the tops of the edges.

*www.pinchofyum.com

Southwestern Chicken & Barley Chili

With all of the leftover barley you'll have from making this, you'll need another easy recipe with barley in it!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup medium barley (not quick cooking)
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• dash cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
• 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
• Garnishes: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cube chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot (about 6-quarts), combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, barley, water, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne (if using). Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and add the (seasoned) chicken. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the chili for 40 minutes, until the barley is tender and chewy and the chicken is no longer pink. Stir occasionally, while it simmers to prevent sticking and to make sure it stays at a steady simmer. After 40 minutes, add the beans and corn. Stir to combine and simmer for five more minutes. Serve the chili with optional garnishes, if desired.
3. The chili will thicken considerably upon cooling. Add salt and pepper if needed.  In addition, more chicken broth or water may be needed to achieve a desirable consistency (especially if reheating the leftovers).

*www.melskitchencafe.com

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup

phenomenal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 1/2 pounds chuck roast, cubed
• salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup 1/4-inch sliced carrots, about 3-4 medium carrots peeled
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean and diced
• 1 cup chopped onion, about 1 medium yellow or white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2/3 cup pearled barley (not quick-cooking)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil until rippling and hot over medium heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add to the skillet in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches), cooking for 1-2 minutes, browning on all sides. Repeat with the remaining meat if needed.
2. Scoop the meat into the slow cooker, leaving as much oil/liquid behind in the skillet as possible. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the carrots, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the carrots and mushrooms start to soften. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Whisk in the chicken broth and simmer for a minute or so. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Add the beef broth, soy sauce, and barley. Give the soup a good stir and then cover the slow cooker and cook on low 7-9 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed, before serving.

*www.melskitchencafe.com

Frozen Strawberry Crunch Cake

oh wow, thank you very much.  

Ingredients:

1 

box Nature Valley Granola Bars (Oats 'n Honey)

1/3 

cup brown sugar

1/2 

cup flour

6 

tablespoons melted butter

2 

egg whites

1/2 

cup sugar

1 

cup heavy whipping cream

1 

lemon

4 

ounces cream cheese

1 1/2 

cups freshly chopped strawberries

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the Nature Valley granola bars in a food processor and process until you achieve a course crumb.
• In a large bowl, add the crumbs, brown sugar, flour, and melted butter and mix together.  Spread into an 8x8-inch pan that has been covered with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool. Then divide granola in half and set aside.  Wash the 8x8 pan...you'll need it again.
• In a mixing bowl, combine eggs whites and sugar and mix on high. Add the heavy cream and continue mixing for about 5 minutes.
• To the mixture, add the fresh squeezed lemon juice and softened cream cheese. Mix on low speed until incorporated, then fold in the fresh strawberries.
• In a buttered 8x8-inch pan, press half of the crumb crust mixture on the bottom. Top with strawberry mix and then add the remaining crumbs to the top.
• Cover and freeze for three hours or more and enjoy!

*www.tablespoon.com