Broiled Tilapia

Baked Tilapia
6-8 tilapia fillets
2-3 tablespoons butter
Cajun seasonings
coarse salt

Turn the oven broiler on medium high. Place butter in a 9x13 inch pan and put in the oven until butter is melted. Swirl the pan around until butter covers the bottom of the pan. Dip one side of tilapia in butter and then flip it over; repeat with remaining pieces. Sprinkle lightly with salt and Cajun seasoning (you can always add more later if you want it spicier). Return pan to oven and broil 5-10 minutes or until flakes easily with a fork.

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ****
Eli: ***
Phoebe: **** (She did think it was a little spicy.)
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Chicken Cacciatore

I got this recipe years ago from my aunt. She uses a different kind of sauce, but I like Ragu Roasted Garlic better! Usually I make a huge batch and freeze the leftover sauce.

Chicken Cacciatore
2-3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I like Ragu Roasted Garlic)
a couple of good glugs of red wine
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
a palmful of dried Italian seasonings
1-2 teaspoons sugar
coarse salt
a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
black pepper
1 lb. linguine

Salt and pepper the chicken thighs and brown in evoo over medium heat in a large skillet. Remove from pan. Deglaze pan with red wine and add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, and seasonings. Taste to see if needs more sugar or salt. Return chicken to pan and reduce heat to simmer while pasta cooks. Serve sauce over pasta topped with Parmesan cheese.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: *****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ***** (She liked this so much, she was licking the sauce off the plate!)
Overall Family Rating: 18/20

Herbed Pork Loin

Herb Marinated Pork Loin
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
2 tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon Ziploc bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferable overnight.

When you are ready to cook the pork, heat a charcoal or gas grill. Brush the grate of the grill with oil to prevent the pork from sticking. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15-25 minutes (depending on the temperature of the grill) until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve warm with the juices that collect on the platter.

Or preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place pork in a 9x13 inch baking pan and pour marinade over the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 135-145 degrees.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: *** (I've tried several pork loin recipes and I've decided that maybe I'm just not that thrilled about pork loin.)
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Pizza Bites

A kid and grown-up favorite!

Pizza Bites
1 frozen pizza dough, thawed
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed into 20 pieces
Sliced pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni)

Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese
warmed spaghetti sauce, optional

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan. Divide the pizza dough into fourths. Divide each fourth into five pieces. Take one of the dough pieces, top with two slices of pepperoni and a piece of cheese. Pull the edges of the dough around the fillings and pinch closed. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.

Lightly brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm with spaghetti sauce for dipping.

Family Rating:
Brad: *****
Jordan: *****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 20/20

Recipe from ANNIE'S EATS

Beach Shrimp

Photo by Ralph Anderson

Beach Shrimp
3 pounds unpeeled, large raw shrimp
1 (16-oz.) bottle Italian dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 lemons, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup butter, cut up

Place first 4 ingredients in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, tossing to coat. Squeeze juice from lemons over shrimp mixture, and stir. Add lemon halves to pan. Sprinkle evenly with parsley; dot with butter. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Serve in pan.

Recipe from SOUTHERN LIVING

Family Rating:
Brad: *****
Jordan: *****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 20/20

Orange Thai Skewers with Fried Rice

Picture from Our Best Bites

Orange Thai Skewers
1 orange
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T honey
1T sesame oil
1 t ground ginger
1 t coriander
4 cloves garlic
3 t Sriracha chili sauce

1 1/2 lb flank steak


Stick the flank steak in the freezer for about 20 minutes while you prepare marinade. Grab a bowl for your marinade. Zest your orange and add all of the zest to the bowl. Then cut the orange in half and add all of the juice as well. You should have at least 1/4 C orange juice and anything more than that is just fine. To the orange mixture, add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, coriander, and garlic. Then add Sriracha. Whisk the marinade so everything is combined. Take the flank steak and slice it across the grain into about 1/4" slices.

When you're ready to get cookin' preheat your grill. Then take your skewers(pre-soaked if you're using wood/bamboo ones) and thread on the strips of meat, just like you're stitching.Place them on the grill. These cook really fast. Overcooked flank steak will be tough and chewy, so don't over do it! They should only take about 3-4 minutes on each side. Flip half way through.

Now these don't only cook fast, they cool fast. So get the rest of your meal all ready, set the table, gather the kids, etc. Grill these up at the last minute so you can serve them hot off the grill, literally.

Adapted from OUR BEST BITES

Fried Rice
3-4 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
soy sauce (I don't measure, just dump from the bottom)
cut-up zucchini, squash, mushrooms, or whatever veggies you like in your fried rice
1 cup white or brown rice, prepared from packaged directions, placed in a ziplock, and stuck in the fridge (I usually do this in the morning so it'll sit all day.)
a handful of frozen peas
sesame seeds

Turn the heat on a heavy skillet on as high as it'll go. Melt butter and sesame oil together and then throw in the veggies. If using mushrooms, don't throw these in yet because they cook faster. Drizzle with a good drizzle of soy sauce and stir around until cooked. Taste and add salt if needed. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Transfer to a bowl. Do the same with the mushrooms. Repeat with the cold rice, adding soy sauce a little at a time until tasty. Pour the veggies back in, stir, and serve.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: *** (he liked the meat better than the rice)
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Chicken Chimichangas

Photo from Southern Living

Chicken Chimichangas
1 (16-ounce) jar picante sauce or salsa, divided
3-4 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 of a small onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups (12 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
Toppings: guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato

Combine 3/4 cups picante sauce and next 5 ingredients in a Dutch oven; cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, 25 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Spoon 1/3 cup mixture below center of each tortilla; top with 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold in 2 sides of tortillas to enclose filling. Fold over top and bottom edges of tortillas, making rectangles. Secure with wooden picks. Place, folded side down, on greased baking sheets. Coat chimichangas with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 8 minutes; turn and bake 5 more minutes. Remove picks; top with remaining picante sauce and desired toppings.

Recipe adapted from MY RECIPES.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: ***
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 14/20