Tilapia Fish Curry and new Chai Tea

I was going to get the Pom Fret from Tan-A, but decided to just go with some Tilapia fillets that I already have and Chris loves Tilapia. This recipe looks particularly delicious. I have to admit that making this recipe scares me a little because I am afraid that I will overcook the fish. Otherwise the recipe sounds fairly easy to make and it sounds very flavorful. Chris and I have been wanting to make a fish curry since we saw it on Bizarre Foods, of  all places. I was not impressed with this recipe and I followed it exactly. Chris liked it though.

I found cinnamon sticks in the spice aisle at the local Dollar Tree and if you are lucky, you will have an Indian Grocer nearby. I went to Laxmi Palace, which is on Old Parham Road in the West End of Richmond near the Tropical Smoothie. I found cheap spices like Garam Masala, Cloves, Fenugreek Seeds, etc. I got some Paneer (low-fat too so this means Saag Paneer soon :o)), dried Kokams, they had some popped Sorghum which I saw on Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, tons of rice, lots of fresh veggies (a lot of the same vegetables that Tan-A has), ready to eat foods, dal, chick peas, flat breads....If you get the chance to go by there, check it out. The clerks in the store are very polite and helpful. In the same strip mall there is Indian Pastry House with the best samosas I have ever had and a delicious melt in your mouth Irish Cake (they also have other flavors and they can make wedding and birthday cakes). Chris tried the popped Sorghum and he did not like it, but I thought that it tasted like popcorn, but nuttier.

Here is a picture of the Chai Tea I picked up from Laxmi Palace and quite a deal at $3.79 a package.I am making some Chai Tea today and I will let you know how I like this tea. Here is a link to purchase it if you don't have an Indian Grocer near you and you would like to try it. As I have stated before, I love Stash Chai, Bigelow Vanilla Chai and Celestial Seasoning Bengal Spice and Chai and those are usually available at most stores, but use your favorite. Chris and I both liked the tea, it isn't quite as strong as Stash, but still good and definitely the better deal.

Below are pictures of my fraidycat, Kimmie.

Veggie Potstickers

Chris and I love Veggie Potstickers. I was looking online for some dim sum recipes and I found this recipe, by  The Vegan Mouse which sounds simple and as an added bonus I have all of the ingredients on hand except for the Dark Mushroom Soy Sauce, which if you are on my Facebook you will know broke because the stupid bar that holds condiments in the door of the refrigerator came loose and the dark soy sauce shattered and oops-a-daisy, soy sauce all over the floor XD......And celery which I hate anyway and I am going to leave out. I am going to make this sauce recipe to go with them. I will be steaming my potstickers for about 10-12 minutes in my bamboo steamer. Below are the dumpling wrappers and the mixture before it went into the dumplings. I am getting Chris to help me with making these. LOL, I ended up making them. Make sure to line your steamer with cabbage leaves or spray with no-stick cooking spray so these don't stick. Bring a soup pot of water to a boil and sit your steamer filled with dumplings on top. The smell of the bamboo will be amazing! Chris was washing dishes (in the background). The verdict: delicious! They went great with the sauce.

Spicy Eggplant (with Rice)

I made this recipe, and this is such a good recipe. It comes from The Catskill Kiwi. Simple to make, not a lot of ingredients and delicious. Chris doesn't even really like eggplants so the first time I made this I kept putting it off. I happen to love eggplants, not just because they happen to be purple (my favorite color),  but also because they are meaty and filling. I finally made it and he sat down to eat it and I was expecting him to say that he hated it. He loved it and said that he wished there was more of it! The only thing I do different is to make it with about 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. I also double the sauce and serve it over cooked long grain rice. My local grocery store does not carry Japanese Eggplant so I get them at the Asian Grocer (Tan-A) along with the five spice powder. Make sure you take the time to properly brown the eggplant on both sides. I like serving it with rice to absorb the sauce, I like it better with long grain white rice. I served this today with brown rice.

Swordfish with Avocado Butter

Oh Em Gee this is the best ever recipe for Swordfish. I get the Swordfish from Kroger and they get it frozen therefore it is cheaper per pound than if you bought it fresh from your fishmonger (compare $7.99 a pound to $16.99 a pound). I like the thinner cut steaks personally. I cook my fish on grill and not in the broiler. I am sure that it is better this way because to me, everything tastes better grilled. Chris loves to cook on the grill for me so he will take any chance that he can to cook on the grill. We like to use the Mesquite Briquettes, but use your favorite. The Avocado Butter goes perfectly with the Swordfish. If you are thinking about not making the Avocado Butter, please do. The fish tastes so much better with it. Make sure not to overcook your fish, or undercook it. Keep in mind that Swordfish does not flake when done, you have to go by the color of the fish to tell if it is done or not. I don't think that the meat of the fish tastes "fishy", but the skin does so you may want to remove it or give it to the cat. I usually serve this with some grilled vegetable kebabs, however today I will be serving them with leftover macaroni and cheese....I meant to get some artichokes but I didn't get around to it, I know I am a punk :P

Refried Black Bean Burritos

I decided to make these since I was cleaning out the cabinets and found a bag of black beans that I had bought a few months ago. I decided to cook them in the crock pot and it is super simple to do. I like using the crock pot because you just add your ingredients, and it cooks it for you. No supervision required except timing it. If you don't have a crock pot feel free to make these the old fashioned way on the stove top or use a couple of cans of black beans. I used this recipe to make my beans. For the refried beans, I pureed the beans with a few dashes each of Chipotle Hot Sauce, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cumin, and Southwest Seasoning, which is Emeril's recipe....BAM! XD....LOL. Anyways, use about 1/3 cup refried beans per burrito,  a little salsa (your favorite or leave this out), and cheese of choice, about 1-2 tbsp. or a half of a cheese slice (it is what I had). Roll up. I made 8 burritos and I have a little bit of beans left over. Bake for about 10 minutes if you like your burritos crispy or microwave to warm. These are great for lunches. This is the recipe that I based these burritos off of.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

My baked macaroni and cheese is known throughout both families and loved. I usually will leave out the tomatoes since not everyone likes them but I like to add them for Chris and I, or add them anyway and people that don't like them can pick them out, up to you. Today I will be making a half recipe because it is just the two of us. I always add onion and garlic powder to mine (maybe 1/2 to 1 tsp., each), to taste. Make sure you are tasting your sauce because you need to make sure the seasoning is right. I use skim milk and 2% cheese but rest assured, this is caloric, LOL! I also add about 1/4-1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese to the sauce. Here is the recipe that I use. Make the whole recipe for family get-togethers and watch it disappear.

So here is that recipe written out for you, the way that I make it.


Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes
1/2 pound of elbow macaroni or shell macaroni
1& 1/2 cups milk (I use skim, but use your favorite)
1/8 pound of butter or 1/2 stick or 4 tbsp. (you can use tub margarine)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. or to taste garlic powder
1/2 tsp. or to taste onion powder
2 tbsp. cornstarch
12 ounces 2% sharp or mild cheddar cheese, divided use
1/4-1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup part skim Mozzarella cheese (if you have it, I didn't)
1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Set aside some cheddar cheese for top of casserole.

Cook your macaroni in large soup pot according to package directions, drain, cool with cold water. Set aside.

In the same pot, over medium heat, melt your butter along with your 1 cup of milk, salt and pepper.

Mix the remaining 1/2 cup milk with the cornstarch, mix until dissolved and set aside.

Slowly add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.

When your mixture has thickened, pull off heat and add your cheeses.

Add the onion and garlic powder, please make sure to taste to make sure the flavor is the way you want it.

When your cheese is melted add your tomatoes, if using.

Add macaroni and mix until well coated with sauce.

Pour into casserole (usually an 8x8) and top with remaining cheese.

Cook for about 30-45 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

Here is a bonus picture of my cat, Durn sleeping in the sun.

Veggie Fajitas and Chocolate Banana Bread

Hi kids, today's recipe is Veggie Fajitas....I know, I know....I don't even need a recipe for this recipe, LOL. This does however give me the chance to break out the cast iron skillet and saute` up some veggies, like tomatoes, onions and peppers. I was going to use some squash/zucchini, but they are out of season and too d*mn expensive and I don't live in Richmond anymore so I can't go to Tan-A and get it GRRR. I can't wait for summer! But I digress.......I may go out to the store and get some cactus, I am undecided. Chris says that he likes cactus so I might go out. A lot of these recipes that I did look at call for Monterey Jack cheese, but I like them without the cheese. You can serve the fajitas with some sour cream and salsa...fresh or bought. I ended up getting zucchini since the store I went to had them on sale and they also had artichokes on sale so I may go back and get some of those for another meal later in the week ;O) Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand, for 2 people I used 1&1/2 quartered smallish tomatoes, 1 medium onion (sliced), 1/2 medium sized zucchini (sliced), and 1/2 green bell pepper (sliced). Cook all veggies (except tomatoes) with a bit of oil over medium-medium high heat until veggies soften and during the last bit of cooking add your tomatoes. These were delicious and I will make them again.

I also decided to make some chocolate banana bread since I have two very ripe bananas sitting on the table that neither Chris or I will eat. Our bunnies would love them though, they love really ripe bananas. That is my male Netherland Dwarf, Stitch, above. Isn't he a cutie? This recipe is from Good Food, Good Wine and A Bad Girl's Isabelle Boucher. You should check out her blog, nicely written and lots of beautiful photos and delicious recipes. This recipe is pretty much foolproof, want to make it with less fat or maybe you only have 1/2 stick butter? Use applesauce in place of the remaining butter that you are missing. Making this but you are a vegan? Use margarine instead of the butter and for the eggs use applesauce (1/2 cup). She calls for high quality cocoa, but if you only have regular cocoa it still tastes awesome. I actually use the store brand. Here is the recipe, but don't miss out on her Chai Banana Bread, which is also very delicious. I would be making that but I am saving the rest of the Chai tea bags I have for Dee's (my MIL) birthday cake. I will post that recipe again next month.

                            Banana Bread Batter.....

                         Cooked Banana Bread.........