Panko Crumb Breaded Fish Filet

 

Sometimes I make things that are really so simple, they don't seem worth calling a 'recipe' and I have to tell myself that although I feel stupid posting it on the website, it may help someone, somewhere who didn't think about making that particular food.  So, that is what today is.  Today is the "think fish!" day and how simple it is to bread fish with either bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, crushed cereal like corn flakes, crushed pork rinds if you are doing low carb, flour, or as I did in these photos, Panko crumbs.   You can use almost any seasoning as well - even just plain old salt and pepper.  Another option is to bake them on a baking sheet in the oven, or skillet fry them.  So many choices, and every one of them is just as good as the other.

Panko Crumb Breaded Fish Filet

4 fish filets (cod, flounder, tilapia - all affordable options)

Panko crumbs - about 1 1/4 c (seasoned OR plain - and season your own, as I do)

1 t dried oregano

1 t garlic pepper seasoning (or lemon or whatever you wish)

1 - 2 T oil for frying

Bread both sides of moist, thawed fish with the crumbs.  Place in a pan of hot oil.  Fry until golden brown on both sides over medium high.  Serve as is or if you wish; tartar sauce or lemon.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Homemade Powdered Laundry Soap Detergent

Mine is a nice sherbet color as I make a double batch and use both Fels Naptha and Zote (orange and pink)

Quick and easy, and after the initial investment of about $9-$10 for supplies, you have wonderful and frugal laundry detergent that works as well as the commercial brands, but for far less money.  Essential oils are optional.  I used them, but it really does smell good even without.




Homemade Laundry Detergent

1 bar either Fels Naptha or Zote laundry soap (bar form)
1 c Arm & Hammer WASHING soda
1 c 20 Mule Team Borax
1 c Oxi-Clean
1 1/2 teaspoons essential oil in your favorite scent (optional)
1 container to store it


Grate the soap bar into a large bowl. Fels Naptha to be harder to grate and is worth using a food processor or salad shooter with the shred disc.  Zote is easily grated by hand.  When grated, add 1 cup each of the Oxi-clean, washing soda and Borax. Add oil to scent if you are using.  You can use the mixture as it is, I suggest making a fine powder of it to ensure it's mixed equally all the way through, and is quickly and easily disintegrated in the laundry. Put 1 cup at a time through your blender and blend smooth. Only do 1 cup as the soap particles might clog your blender. Place in a container and use about 1 tablespoon per normal sized load, or 2 if it's large or heavily soiled.

For the container - I found a simple "flour storage" container at a local retail store that works great for a double batch.  Any tightly sealed container will work to keep out moisture and keep it from spilling.

Homemade Candy Bars (similar to the 'crunch' of a KitKat but it's own amazing flavor)

I made our most recent version sugar free - and you would NEVER know it!

We have been making and enjoying these bars since around 1999 or 2000.  They actually are an annual tradition that I make without fail every Christmas holiday season, but then again about twice throughout the year because they are probably one of my favorite 'bar' cookies.  Ever.

This time around I decided to make them without guilt.  I made an almost sugar FREE version and although I thought it was fabulous and you couldn't tell from the bars we've enjoyed for over 12 years, the real test was when my 16 year old daughter tried them.  She saw my grin as she was eating it and telling me how delicious they were.  My grin however, gave it away.  "What?  Are they sugar free or something?"  "Yep!"  "Well, you can't tell.  They taste like normal!" 

PERFECT!  There are fewer grams of sugar in graham cracker crumbs than I thought and the peanut butter you use will vary on sugar grams.  So although there are a few grams, replacing the sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar as well as the chocolate chips - makes this a GREAT recipe that you will never, ever know does not contain mounds of sugar.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.  I don't care for sweets too much but I can eat 5 of these at one time (although admittedly I pull the top cracker off since I don't like chocolate all that much.)  These bars are gone by the next day in this house.  We never, ever, have leftovers.


Homemade Candy Bars 
(We call these Angel Bars - they are similar, sort of, to the crunch of a KitKat)

72 crackers (Keebler Butter, Club Crackers, Ritz Crackers - I've used them all!)
1 c butter
1/2 c cream, half and half or milk
2 c graham cracker crumbs (store bought or crush your own but make sure they are finely crushed)
1 c brown sugar or brown sugar substitute* see products I used below
1/3 c white sugar or white sugar substitute* (I used a mixture of both Erythiritol and Splenda)
2/3 c peanut butter - (I opted for natural, sugar free)
1 t vanilla extract or powder
1/2 c milk chocolate chips (I used sugar free by Hersheys)
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips (I did not mix, but used all Hershey's Sugar Free)

Line a 9X13 inch pan with foil. Spray the foil with Pam. Lay crackers down to cover the bottom of the pan, side by side, but don't overlap. In a saucepan melt the butter. Add the sugars and the milk. Bring to a boil, reduce and keep on a low boil for 5 minutes. Add the graham crackers, bring to a boil again and let boil for full minute, stirring.

Spread half of this mixture over the crackers. Layer another layer of crackers and pour the rest of the graham mixture over. Top with the third layer of crackers.

Melt together the peanut butter, vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread over the top and chill 4 hours.

Cuts beautifully into sharp, nice squares showing the layers. Enjoy!

Homemade Jalapeno Ravioli with Cream Cheese Filling

This is a continuation of yesterdays post but deserved an entry of its own.  It shows how easy and fast it is to make homemade ravioli and it's just such a good feeling to know that what you are eating not only tastes amazing, but you know exactly what went into it.  Flour, eggs, a little oil and jalapenos (I grew mine in my garden this summer and I keep them in a container in the freezer).

Here is the basic recipe I posted yesterday when I showed you the noodles I made and today I'm showing you the ravioli.  Some of the products I use are at the bottom of the post if you are interested in learning more about them.

 Jalapeno Pasta

2 1/4 c flour
1 t salt
1-2 t olive oil
3-4 eggs
2 - 5 small jalapenos (depending on how hot-spicy you want your pasta)

In a food processor bowl, place the salt and flour.  Put the top on and while pulsing or running on low, add a teaspoon-ish of oil and start adding eggs.  You probably only need 3 eggs so start with that.  Add your jalapenos.  I used 2 small jalapenos and the dough was so mild even children could eat it without spice.  If you know you like jalapeno's, use more.  Process until the dough forms a ball shape.  If it hasn't gathered itself in a ball by the 3rd egg, you can add another teaspoon of oil or water or use a 4th egg.  Water or additional flour by the teaspoon will give you the texture you need for it to be a ball.

Let it rest 10 minutes.  Then either roll very, very thin with a rolling pin or use a pasta machine.  I use a manual, hand crank pasta machine and starting with number 1, I run it through to a number 4.  You can then cut into thin noodles or use wide sheets to make homemade ravioli.

I roll my dough through a manual pasta machine

You don't need fancy fillings!  Cream cheese does just fine!

Rolling the pasta over the mold to seal the edges

Cooked in boiling water for about 5 minutes and drained

Serve with butter, an alfredo sauce or a marinara sauce - anything goes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You might also be interested in some of the products I use;

         

Homemade Jalapeno Pasta used for noodles and my Jalapeno and Cream Cheese Ravioli

Mmmm homemade pasta - I made half plain and half jalapeno

Yesterday I posted a recipe I have been making for years, for homemade pasta using either spinach or pureed butternut squash.  It was a chilly Autumn day and the perfect time to make pasta and after that post I couldn't get it out of my mind.  Yes, I was off to the kitchen!  I always tell my readers not to be afraid to play with ingredients and make recipes their own... and I follow my own advice.

Yesterday I decided to make half a recipe plain noodles and the other half into jalapeno flavored pasta in which I made some into noodles and the rest into long, thin sheets I used to make homemade Jalapeno Ravioli with Cream Cheese Filling.   It was so incredible I'm making it again today with the blessings and by request of my 16 year old daughter who loved it as much as I did.

 Jalapeno Pasta

2 1/4 c flour
1 t salt
1-2 t olive oil
3-4 eggs
2 - 5 small jalapeno's (depending on how hot-spicy you want your pasta)

In a food processor bowl, place the salt and flour.  Put the top on and while pulsing or running on low, add a teaspoon-ish of oil and start adding eggs.  You probably only need 3 eggs so start with that.  Add your jalapenos.  I used 2 small jalapenos and the dough was so mild even children could eat it without spice.  If you know you like jalapeno's, use more.  Process until the dough forms a ball shape.  If it hasn't gathered itself in a ball by the 3rd egg, you can add another teaspoon of oil or water or use a 4th egg.  Water or additional flour by the teaspoon will give you the texture you need for it to be a ball.

Let it rest 10 minutes.  Then either roll very, very thin with a rolling pin or use a pasta machine.  I use a manual, hand crank pasta machine and starting with number 1, I run it through to a number 4.  You can then cut into thin noodles or use wide sheets to make homemade ravioli.

Add the amount of jalapenos you wish

Let your dough rest 10 minutes

Run it through your pasta machine or roll thin

Cut into noodles or use for ravioli sheets (I did both!)

You might also be interested in some of the products I use;

         

Homemade Pasta (feature: Spinach and Butternut Squash Pasta)

I've been making pasta since... forever.  Homemade noodles and dumplings is something from my itty bitty childhood first memories (my father made them) and something I not only think of as a comfort food, but something I crave when the weather turns chilly.


I originally posted this recipe using cooked butternut squash after my Mom came to visit and snuck containers of pureed squash into my freezer.  I had been making plain and spinach pasta for years but that Fall I made squash pasta as well, and discovered how delicious and pretty it was.


Today is a beautiful Autumn day where I live - I hope it is where you live too!  What a great afternoon to whip up some homemade pasta.  Whether you make strips of pasta, shape it into other shapes (like bow ties) or roll it out to make lasagna noodles or homemade ravioli is up to you... as is adding spinach or other vegetables to give it color, nutrients and flavor or make it plain.  Have fun with it!


Homemade Spinach or Butternut Pasta

1 egg
1/2 t olive oil
4-5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and briefly cooked
or 1/2 - 3/4 c butternut squash puree - already baked and scraped from the shell

Place into the bowl of a food processor and whirl until smooth.

Add 1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt

Process just until it gathers to a ball. Let set 10 minutes before working with it.

Roll it out very thin on a lightly floured surface, or if you have an Italian pasta machine, roll it out in portions starting at 1 and thinning it down to a 3 or 4.

If you have rolled it thin by hand, now use a pizza cutter to slice it into 1/2 inch strips, or even 1 inch if you like your noodles wide. With the pasta machine, make it into noodles if you have the attachment or lay it out and use the pizza cutter as well.

This pasta is also perfect for making homemade ravioli with if you cut it into squares, fill and seal instead of slicing into pasta strips. Use right away by dropping in boiling water and boiling for about 8 minutes. Toss with butter, salt and pepper or your favorite sauce or use in a chicken noodle soup!

 If you want to let them dry, just let them dry on the counter overnight, flipping the next morning and continuing to dry or if you have a pasta drying rack, let hang over night or to the next day until dried. Store in a sealed ziplock in the freezer until use.

Stop processing when it forms a ball

Butternut Squash pasta, Spinach Pasta and a blended squash/spinach pasta dough

Putting the dough through the pasta rollers

You might also be interested in;

              

Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips

Our family loves Mexican food and has it at least once or twice a week in some form.  This week week we were preparing the last steps of dinner and realized we only had a handful of tortilla chips left to go with our guacamole.  No worries!  Tortilla chips are quick and easy to make.

The only thing is....  I didn't want to fry them.  Oh, to be honest, I think deep frying them in oil tastes the best and it's certainly the quickest, but I just didn't want my house to smell like hot oil.  True story.  So instead, I pre-heated the oven while I grabbed a handful of flour tortillas, and we baked them.  Some people want to bake them to be healthier.  Honestly?  I just didn't want to have to air out my house for 6 hours after cooking them!  Use your favorite tortilla's - even low carb - and although you can use spices on them if you wish, a little bit of salt is all you truly need to get started.

Homemade Tortillas

8 - 10 tortillas (any style, even low carb)  or as many as you wish
oil or spray Pam
salt

Preheat oven to 425.
Place your tortillas on a cutting board.  Spray or brush each one with a thin layer of oil.  Slice into triangles, the size and shape you want your chips to be. 
Lay single layered on a baking sheet (I line mine but it's not necessary).
Sprinkle with salt or other spices if you wish.
Bake about 5 or 6 minutes.  After the first 5 minutes they brown easily so keep an eye on them.  Flip them once or twice during this process to ensure they are cooking evenly.

Crab Stuffed Flounder

By 1994 this was a staple in our home.  A great way to serve fish - especially if someone says they don't really care for it, but is open to a new way to try it.  I love this recipe because it's so easy, so quick and so delicious but it's also so elegant and pretty that it's a great 'guest' meal to serve.  The trick is to coil the filets into greased muffin tins. 

Normally I serve these with a very simple Hollandaise sauce with lemon but this time I seasoned them with a sprinkle of lemon, pepper, garlic seasoning and served them sans white sauce.  I like them both ways.  Another difference this time was to use Flounder filets as I had a bag of them on hand from my visit to Sam's Club but I was very disappointed in how thin they were.  Useless to grill or pan fry as they were so very, very thin!  But this recipe was the perfect way to use them and the thin filets coiled beautifully into the muffin tins.

Crab Stuffed Flounder

6 fish filets  (sole, flounder)
1/2 lb. real crab meat
1 T onion, diced fine
1T red pepper, diced fine
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T celery, chopped fine
6 T butter
1/2 c cracker crumbs
1 egg
lemon pepper garlic seasoning


Preheat oven to 375. Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper. Coil each fillet into a buttered muffin tin. Sauce the onions, parsley and celery in 3 T butter. When tender, remove from heat. Add the crumbs, flaked crab meat and the egg. Mix and season to taste. Spoon into the center of each fish fillet. Brush with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake 20-30 minutes or until your fish is done.

White Bean Texas Chili

Although I've posted a couple similar recipes in the past, this time I tweaked it a little bit, and made a thick, delicious white chili this week for dinner.  The thing is, I blended part of it in the blender this time to give it a nice, thick, smoother texture and the end result gave it more of a chili color, verses the last time I made it, and left it liquid, it stayed white.  So although the photo looks darker, it's still a white chili as you use white beans as compared to kidney bean or pinto beans, and of course you use a few other spices to give it that Tex-Mex kick.    I also used a bit of Xantham Gum as a thickener (just about a teaspoon) but it's not necessary for the recipe so I'll leave that up to you.  Play with this recipe a little bit.  Adjust seasonings to your family's tastes.  You can even add the darker beans if you wish.


White Bean Texas Chili

1 pound cooked boneless chicken, diced
1 med. onion chopped
2 t minced garlic
1 T canola oil
2 cans white beans (like Great Northern Beans or Navy Beans (about 15 oz. each)
5-6 c chicken broth or water with 5-6 bouillon cubes or chicken soup base
2 cans (4oz) chopped green chili for mild or 2 jalapeno's, minced for more of a kick
1 t salt
1 t ground cumin
1 t oregano
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 c cream, half and half or milk
1 c shredded cheese
Sour Cream, Salsa or Guacamole to serve as a garnish

In saucepan, quickly saute the onion in the oil, add chicken and garlic, cook about 2 minutes more (don't burn the garlic) and add the beans, broth, chilies, seasonings. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer 30 minutes.  If you want a smoother, thicker soup, remove about 1/2 the batch and process briefly in a blender or food processor.  Return to the pan.  Do another batch if you want it even smoother. Rewarm though.  Remove from heat, stir in cream and cheese (or you can serve the cheese along side it for people to add their own). Serve.

Halloween Cookies! Bloody Witches Fingers!

Awesome 'witches fingers' cookies that taste as good as they look!

So many Halloween ideas this week!  All reposts that I've made before, as you can guess, most of these are 'tradition' around here!  These are not only cool looking, but taste really yummy!  I use almonds for the finger nails and some liquid red food color made them nice and bloody.  


Severed Fingers Cookies

1 tablespoon red food coloring
30 almonds
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter, at room tempature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 pinch salt
1 2/3 cups flour

Place food coloring in a shallow bowl. Toss the almonds into the bowl with the food coloring and stir them until the color is evenly distributed. leave them in the bowl and stir them every so often until the color is as dark as you like.

Separate 1 egg. Set aside the white.

In an electric mixer combine butter, confectioners' sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined. Add 1 whole egg, the extra yolk and the vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add the flour, and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic, and chill until firm, 20 to 30 minutes.

Divide the dough in half. Work with one piece at a time, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Divide the first half into fifteen pieces. Roll each piece into finger shapes, 3 to 4 inches long. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Score each knuckle lightly with the back of a small knife.

Transfer fingers to parchment lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
When all fingers are formed, brush lightly with egg white. Position almond nails; push into dough to attach.
Bake at 350 about 12 minutes.

Forming random finger shapes

After I colored the almonds with food color - it looked like a bloody mess!  ha ha.