Tilapia with White Wine Caper Sauce

My cooking isn't exactly what it used to be, especially since we typically eat dinner after we've put Theo to bed, so quick and easy is definitely the top priority.  This dinner was both quick and easy, while also being pretty healthy and really, really delicious.  Seriously, Colin couldn't stop raving about it and said it's the best dinner I've made in a while--I totally agree!


1 lb. tilapia filets

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Season tilapia with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.   Cook the tilapia in batches, 2-3 minutes per side, adding more oil to the pan if necessary.  Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.  Add the wine to the skillet and cook on medium-high heat until it has reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining butter, plus the capers and parsley.  Serve the tilapia with the sauce over top.

Source: Real Simple (slightly modified)



I served the tilapia with this super easy side dish.  I kind of just threw together a few things that we had on hand and it ended up so good!  This was also insanely easy and healthy--win win!


Chickpea, Veggie and Feta Saute


1 can chickpeas, drained
6 oz. baby spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled feta
Salt and pepper to taste


Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chickpeas to the pan and stir occasionally, until they start to slightly brown.  Add in spinach and tomatoes, continue stirring occasionally until the spinach wilts and the tomatoes soften.  Season with salt and pepper, stir in feta and serve.

Smoothies

I've been on a major smoothie kick lately and although they almost always turn out tasting good, there have been a few that really stood out as being extra delicious.  Theo loves smoothies and I'm always happy for the opportunity to get a few more fruits and/or veggies into my little growing boy!  Here are the best of the best, so far:

Pink Smoothie


1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen mango
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup almond milk

Green Smoothie

1 pear sliced
Handful of spinach
Handful of kale with ribs removed
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup orange juice (increase as needed for desired consistency)

Orange Smoothie

1 cup frozen mango
2 bananas (preferably one of the bananas is frozen)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup almond milk

The One: "Healthy" Cookies

That little devil Pinterest has managed to convince me that there is such a thing as a "healthy" cookie.  I've tried several recipes that have made this claim, but haven't been much of a fan so far.  Today we had two bananas sitting around that were about to be overripe, so I decided to mush them up and add in a few other ingredients and hope for the best.  These actually turned out really good (they even got Colin's seal of approval!) and I'll definitely be making them again.

1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional, or could be substituted with raisins)
1-2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.  Peel and mash bananas in a large bowl.  Add in all other ingredients and mix.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. 

Pancetta, Goat Cheese and Arugula Pizza

One day I'll actually post a picture of food again, but for now, I'm sure you're pretty darn familiar with what a pizza looks like so no biggie, right?  This was inspired by the Bacon, Brussels Sprouts and Goat Cheese Pizza I saw on another food blog, but when I saw the pre-diced pancetta at Trader Joe's (love, love, love that Fort Worth is now lucky enough to have a TJs!), I decided that would be a slightly yummier and easier way to go.  Then when I mentioned what I was making to Colin, he was not thrilled with the idea of brussels sprouts on a pizza, so I skipped that (I roasted them and we had them as a side dish instead--yum!) and subbed in a little arugula instead.  This ended up being so freaking good and I'm really glad I made the changes to the recipe.

Pizza dough (I went the store bought route and used the whole wheat crust from Trader Joe's)
3 oz. diced pancetta
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing on the edges
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
About 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 cup arugula

Place a pizza stone or sheet pan in the oven and preheat to 500 for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile cook the pancetta in a medium skillet until just browned and crispy, making sure to stir often.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper towel lined plate.  Discard the grease.  In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, balsamic, garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.  On a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly floured, stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle.  Brush the perimeter with a little olive oil.  Sprinkle the dough with the cheddar and Parmesan, leaving a small border around the edge.  Spread the shallots mixture and then top with the pancetta and goat cheese.  Carefully transfer the pizza and parchment to the pan in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned.  Remove from the oven, let rest for about 5 minutes, then top with the arugula, slice and serve. 

The One: Banana Bread

I love trying different recipes and am always on the hunt for new ones that I'd like to try, but Colin feels very strongly that I need to have some "standards" that I always use.  He has memories of his favorites that his mom always made as he was growing up and he wants Theo to have the same thing, which I totally get. I'd love for Theo to be able to say "I love my mom's ______" fill in the blank, and if I'm constantly changing it up and trying a new recipe every time I make anything, he won't be able to have that "my mom makes the best ______" feeling.  So, Colin says it's time to just call it on a few recipes and say these are "the ones".  So, after combining a few elements from the many versions I've tried over the years, here it is, The Official Alison Sanburg Banana Bread Recipe:

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  With a wooden spoon, mix most of the butter (leaving maybe 1/3 of it out)into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.  Add the flour last, mix.  Pour mixture into a greased 4x8 inch loaf pan.  Mix the cinnamon (I'm kind of cinnamon obsessed and often add more than a teaspoon to get a really cinnamon-y flavor in the bread) and brown sugar into the remaining melted butter, then drizzle the mixture over the top of the bread.  Bake for 1 hour.  Cool on a rack, then remove from the pan and slice to serve.  

Easy Summer Sides

I'm apparently so obsessed with taking pictures of my sweet baby boy that my iPhone is totally maxed out on storage, so no photos of these--you'll just have to use your imagination!  Both of these are super easy, healthy, fresh and light, which makes them perfect summer side dishes.

Cannellini Bean Salad

1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 zucchini, sliced
10-15 basil leaves, chiffonade
1/4 cup Parmesan
Lemon zest
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Toss all ingredients together.  Serve.

Inspired by a recipe on theglitterguide.com

Pita Bread Salad

2 pitas, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 heart of Romaine, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
Mint, chopped (my grocery store was all out of mint, so I skipped it, which was fine but I think it would be tasty and will use some next time)
6 oz. crumbled feta
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.  Toss pita pieces with a little bit of olive oil, then put in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Toast in the oven for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy and browned.  Meanwhile, put lettuce, cucumber, celery, mint and feta in a large bowl.  Pour vinegar into a small bowl, then slowly stream in olive oil while whisking to mix.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Top salad with warm pita, add dressing, toss and serve.

Inspired by a recipe on thewiegands.com

Roasted Two Potato Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Today was pretty much a big pile of suck. So sucky in fact, that the only reason I didn't bail on cooking dinner altogether was because I had already hard boiled the eggs. I didn't want to waste my efforts on the eggs, so I went ahead and started roasting the potatoes. Once I got to the "chop the hard boiled eggs" step (original recipe found here), I realized that these lovely eggs were most certainly not hard boiled--who knew it was even possible to screw up hard boiling eggs??! Par for the course on this particular day, apparently. I checked the fridge for anything else I could add to jazz up this salad and came upon some feta. The feta actually worked out perfectly and I'll probably skip the eggs next time I make this anyway--finally a success today!

1 lb. red potatoes
1 large sweet potato
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/2 red onion
1/4 cup feta
Salad greens (I used spinach)

Preheat oven to 450. Chop red potatoes into bite sized pieces. Peel sweet potato and then chop into bite sized pieces. Put all potatoes onto rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the red onion, then make the dressing. Put spinach, onion and feta in a large bowl. Top with warm potatoes and dressing, then toss and serve.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine honey, mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Stream in olive oil while whisking to combine. Taste and adjust as necessary.

Source: acouplecooks.com