Seared Halibut with Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce

www.lisasdinnertimedish.com

I found this recipe on the website above. Really good recipe. My family likes it saucier so I added some more liquid and used tilapia instead of halibut. I served it over quinoa.

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 large roma tomatoes or 4 medium size, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons basil, chopped
4 (6 oz) pieces halibut
Hot cooked spaghetti

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; saute for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes; saute for about 3-5 minutes until tomatoes start to break down.

Stir in wine, add salt and pepper and increase heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until tomatoes have broken down enough to form a sauce. Stir occasionally. Stir in basil.

Once sauce is ready, heat remaining olive oil in a separate large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. You want the pan to get very hot.

Season both sides of the fish with a little salt and pepper. Add fish to hot oil. Sear on both sides for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add sauce to fish.

Simmer fish in the sauce for about 5 minutes until fish is cooked through.

Serve over hot cooked spaghetti if desired.

Makes 4 servings


Note: I added 1/2 cup water to the sauce before simmering for 30 minutes.

My optional ingredients: chopped green onions.

Apple Peach and Banana Smoothie

2 cups cold fat-free milk
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, chopped and frozen
1 big ripe peach, unpeeled, cored, chopped and frozen
1 big very ripe banana, chopped and frozen
1/2 cup ice cubes
1/4 cup lemon juice
Honey to taste

Optional:

1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
2 tablespoons wheat germ, wheat bran, oat bran or ground flax seed

Pour the milk in the blender. Add the honey and blend well. Stir in the frozen fruit and lemon juice and press the "crush ice" setting until the mixture is very smooth. Add the ice and press the "crush ice" bottom again.

If adding some of the optional ingredients, just add them and blend or liquefy. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Strawberry Pie

www.allrecipes.com

Special thanks to Joyce Anderson who made this pie and shared the recipe with me.

1 (9-inch) pastry shell, unbaked
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 (3 oz) package strawberry gelatin
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double-thickness of heavy -duty foil. Bake at 450 F for 8 minutes. Remove foil, Bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

In a saucepan combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until slightly cooled.

Meanwhile, arrange strawberries in the crust. Pour gelatin mixture over berries. Refrigerate until set.


Makes 6-8 servings

Dutch Baby with Lemon blueberry Sauce

Dutch Baby:

1/2 cup milk at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, grated (juice reserved)
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, beaten

Place the butter in a 9-inch pie plate and melt in the microwave for a few seconds. Using a brush or tilting the pie pan, cover the sides of the pan as well.

Mix the milk and the flour and salt until no lumps remain. Add the eggs and grated lemon zest and mix.

Pour the mixture in the pie plate. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powder sugar (use a small strainer).


Blueberry-Lemon Sauce:

1/4 cup water
1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
Lemon juice of half a fresh lemon
1/4 cup extra fresh of frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Sugar to taste

In a saucepan, mix the water with 1/2 cup blueberries and lemon juice. Cook for 2-4 minutes. Add sugar to taste and mix. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and add to the mixture stirring constantly until it thickens.

Finally, add the extra 1/4 cup blueberries and cook for 1 more minute, DO NOT MASH.

Makes 3/4 cup sauce

Blueberry-Banana Bliss

2 cups cold milk
2 medium bananas, very ripe, cut in chunks and frozen
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1/3 cup lemon juice
Honey to taste

Pour the milk in the blender, add some honey and blend well.

Stir in the lemon juice and the  frozen fruit little by little pressing the "crush ice" or "frappe" option. When the mixture is smooth and icy, serve immediately.

Cilantro Ranch Dressing

I had this salad dressing at a church activity. It was so good that I had to ask for the recipe.

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (not buttermilk)
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
3 tomatillos (remove husk)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
Garlic to taste
 Juice of 1 large lime
1 jalapeno (leave seeds if you like it spicy)

Place everything in the blender or food processor and process until the mixture is smooth.

Note: It makes a lot of dressing

Chicken and Veggie Pizza

Bisquick

www.bettycrocker.com

2 cups Original Bisquick Mix
1/3 cup very hot water
3/4 cup spinach dip
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped (3/4 cup)
1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)

Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 450 F. Spray a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, stir Bisquick Mix, very hot water and 1/4 cup of the spinach dip with fork until soft dough forms. Beat vigorously 20 strokes. Press dough in pizza pan, using fingers dipped in Bisquick Mix; pinch edge to form 1/2-inch rim. Bake 7 minutes.

Spread remaining 1/2 cup spinach dip over partially baked crust. Sprinkle with chicken, tomato and mushrooms. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is melted.

Note: I sauteed the mushrooms in hot skillet with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil for about 3-4 minutes.

I also think that the oven temperature was too high considering that the oven rack was moved to the lowest position so the crust baked completely and it was brown at the bottom. If I baked it for 12-15 minutes, the pizza would have burned but every oven is different. I did baked it for 7 minutes as the recipe said and then, added the remaining ingredients on top and baked it at 325 F until the cheese was melted. No need to bake longer since the crust was completely cooked.