Tilapia Dump

SEE BELOW FOR RECIPES

Melissa

Entree Tilapia and Vegetable Packets
Source: Woman's Day Magazine April 17, 2010

Comments: Wow, this one was definitely fun to make because it involved so many different ingredients. Many that I had never heard of or worked with. You should see us at the grocery store, the three of us, looking for these (what we think are odd) ingredients. We finally asked the manager of Stater Brotherswhere to find the capers. HaHa! But this really wasn't a difficult recipe and it turned out deeeelicious!! The fish was sooo moist and tender. We all agreed though that it might have too much salt with the salt on top and the capers as well. I recommend just a dash of salt on top before it cooks and then adding more to taste afterwards. Definitely a dish I will be making for years to come. The fish was so yummy and the presentation was beautiful! I was proud of myself. Thank you Sis for finding this recipe for me =)

Janice: Wow Lissa, I am so proud of you. I am not sure I would have attempted this as of yet. It seemed liked this recipe took a long time to make, but I know it wasn't. I love the idea that this was really a meal in itself. We had a lot of fun watching Lissa make these. This was a very delicious meal. I really will try it someday, ha ha!

Tammy: I have to say that I loved watching Lissa make this one. There was so much to it and it just looked like fun. I can't wait to make this one for the family. Impress your guests with this one for sure :) The fish was fabulous! Beautiful andso healthy!! Lissa had to use a shallot (just fun to say), capers and thyme for the first time with this recipe. We learned a lot about the ingredients. For one, shallots are not any fun to cut. They sting your eyes just as an onion does! Maybe I shouldn't laugh at one's pain, but it was quite entertaining to wat

ch Lissa cut these. Also, this recipe called for asparagus and Mom doesn't like them. Well, really, Mom doesn't really like many things. And my husband thinks I'm picky? Shhhh! Don't tell her that I said that :) Ha, ha!!!!

Janice

Side Dish:Grant Street Pilaf

Source:

Comments: I liked the rice dish, although it did not go over so very well. It was very different and that is what we are trying in endeavours for our cooking trials. I made a mistake because the recipe called for the can of chunks of pineapple, but it was supposed to

be in heavy syrup. I bought the one that was in pineapple juice so I think it made the rice a little too sweet. I am not sure I would try this recipe again. Oh well!!!!!

Tammy: This recipe was a little weird for me. Not really in a bad way. Just very different. I can't decide if I really liked it or not. I think I might have liked it better without the big chunks of pineapple in it. Just the rice with the sweet syrup. Yeah, that would work better for me. The rice on it's own was good. Have I said yet that Mom is picky? She doesn't like green onions either. However, she picked a recipe that called for green onions. She is trying things though. I have to giver her that :) Love Ya Mom!

Lissa: First of all, mom bought the pineapple chunks in juice rather than in syrup like the recipe calls for. In the end, I thought this rice was very different, in a good way. I love pineapple and I really like brown rice so I loved the combination - however I don't think it would be for everyone. The pineapple made the rice sweet and might not satisfy all tastebuds. But, I really thought it was tasty and I'm curious to see how it would have turned out if mom had bought the pineapple chunks in syrup rather than in juice. It is so hillarious to watch mom cook because she really doesn't prepare and doesn't measure precisely, she just goes with it. LOL

Tammy

Dessert: Easy Dump Cake

Source: Easy Everyday Recipes Cookbook

Comments: Yay!!!! I have finally used my bundt cake pan. What an accomplishment. It has sat in my cupboard collecting dust for years, never used. What a shame. Especially when you see how pretty a cake looks when it comes out of this pan. I am a fan of the bundt :) It looked like a cake bought at the store. Not only was it pretty, but it was delicious too. I loved this recipe. So easy and the Chocolate Glaze for the top was to die for. It stayed shiny and hardened up a little. Perfect presentation. Lissa said that she could have done more of the frosting. That is a call of preference. If the glaze is too much for you you can leave it off and just put powdered sugar on it. I am no longer afraid of the bundt !!!!!!

Janice: This dump cake was very very good. I am not sure why they call it a dump cake because it was a real cake. I am a very very big chocolate person and the fact that it had chocolate chips in it made it even better. Tammy added the drizzle of chocolate to the top which was great too. I think you could add several types of toppings to this cake although it did not call for it in the recipe. Great job.

Lissa: Seems like the theme for us saying, "I'm really not a ______ person." But I truly am not a cold cake or just really cake person, in general. However, I love love sweet desserts and chocolate so I liked this dessert very much. Sis served the cake warm with the chocolate sauce on top and it was delicious. The chocolate chips in the middle were supper yummy too! I would like to try it myself with a few variations...yup peanut butter =) I was thinking either peanut butter chips in the cake or adding peanut butter to the melted sauce on top. Yum Yum!!

Recipes

Tilapia and Vegetable Packets

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ready in: 25 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 cups baby spinach

4 tilapia fillets (6 to 7 oz each)

8 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

8 oz thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into lengths about 2 in. long

4 tsp each capers and shallots

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

8 to 12 thin slices of lemon

Directions:

1. Place oven rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees. You'll need a rimmed baking pan and 4 pieces of parchment paper or nonstick foil (each about 16 in. long).

2. To make each packet: Place 1 cup spinach in center of parchment paper. Top with a tilapia fillet. Brush fish with 1 tsp of olive oil. Scatter 1/2 cup of the asparagus on and around fish. Scatter 1 tsp each of the shallots and capers, and 1/2 tsp of the thyme over top. Drizzle with another tsp of oil; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the salt and 1/8 tsp of the pepper. Top fish with 2 or 3 slices of the lemon.

3. Bring long ends of paper together and fold down 3 times to make a seam. Place on baking pan and tuck ends underneath. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 packets.

4. Bake 15 minutes until packets are puffed. Open 1 packet to test doneness. If fish isn't opaque at center, reseal packet and return to oven. Check again after 5 minutes.

Grant Street Pilaf

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

20 oz can Dole pineapple chunks, in syrup

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp grated ginger root

2 cups water

1 cup long-grain brown rice

1/2 tsp rosemary

2 tbs butter

2 tbs chopped green onion

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Drain pineapple syrup into sauce pan. Add water and bring to a boil

2. Stir in rice and rosemary. Cover and simmer 35 to 45 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

3. Mix in pineapple chunks and remaining ingredients and heat through.

Dump Cake

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Ready In: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 (5.9 ounce)package instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup water

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flower Bundt pan

2. In a bowl, mix yellow cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, vegetable oil, sugar and water. Gently fold in the sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.

3. Bake for 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Chocolate Glaze for Cake:

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.
2. Spread warm glaze over top of cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.

Stir Fry Explosion!

ENTREE:
Tammy
Shrimp Stir Fry
Food Network Magazine
(Recipe Below)

Comments: Shrimp Stir-fry  . . . sounds so easy right?  That is exactly what I thought!  In fact, it was really easy until it came to putting the ginger in the oil.  As soon as I did that, my pan exploded! No exageration!!   Oil splattered everywhere!  It was splattering so much, I had a hard time getting close to it to turn the heat down.  What is up with that?  I followed the recipe to a tee.  No one said anything about ginger becoming explosive once it hits the oil!  That would have been really nice to know!  DON'T  have it on high heat, I warn you :) For me, the term "main dish" is synonymous with disaster.  Good thing it still tasted great.  Other than the mess left on my floor, stove, wall, and microwave ...  I loved this recipe :)  It was delicious and very healthy.  I paired it with some steamed rice to give the meal a little more substance.  My husband would have liked more of the sauce for the rice.  I could double the sauce next time.  YUM!!  However, I do look forward to the first time my main dish night goes off without a hitch :)  By the way, I was so totally NOT freaking out as my mother and sister would have you believe.

Janice:  This was a great recipe.  And it looked so easy to make that even I think I can make it on my own.  I love shrimp anyway and this could be made with chicken or beef etc.  There was an exciting moment in the preparing of the stir fry when the pan was too hot and the ginger ended up all over the counter, stove etc.  Tammy was freaking out, but in the end it turned out great.  I think the recipe was a little off for that one incident because it called for a very HOT pan before ingredients were put in.  I am very proud of Tammy and Melissa for all their efforts to make this time as fun as possible and a learning experience at the same time.

Melissa: Stir fry is one of my favorite entrees and I love shrimp so it was a perfect dish for my tastebuds! I loved the flavor, paired with white rice and it was perfect! Easy and quick (even though the shrimp marinades for 1 hour). The mushrooms were very tasty paired with the shrimp and snap peas, although any vegetables would be great. Loved loved this meal and it was so great watching sis freak when the hot oil started squirting the garlic and ginger all over her stove and microwave hahaha sorry sis but that was classic!!! So something I would have done - cuz I'm usually the one making the huge mess. Can't wait to watch that back on the video!!


SIDE DISH
Melissa
Cauliflower Gratin
Food Network Magazine


Comments: Yum Yum! If I must say so myself. I added extra cheese and so they were super cheesy and so good! This is a great way to add flavor to bland cauliflower, although not the healthiest haha (but we aren't going for that anyways). I think this side dish would be great with any entree and the kids like it too! Although, maybe this was a little too easy (shh!! don't tell mom and sis...otherwise they will challenge me next time. Ahh!!!)

Tammy: I hated this recipe,  YUCK!    Just kidding.  It really was delicious.  I mean really delicious! But it was WAY too easy!  I mean really Lis, who do you think you are?  You think you can just get away with making something sooooo easy??  Oh no girl ....  you better watch out!  I'm on to you.  Ok, but I will give you credit for cutting the cauliflower.  Truly, Lissa, had never cut a cauliflower before.  Really!  She had to ponder it for a little bit to get the courage for the first cut.  Cheers to Lissa!  Her first head of cauliflower, conquered!!!!!

Janice:  Sooooooooooo proud of Melissa.  This was a yummy dish.  I am not a real fan of cauliflower, but this was yummy with all of the ingredients added to make it great.  It was funny though because the dessert I was making had to be baked at a temperature of 375 degrees and this dish at 350 degrees.  We had two ovens working at the same time and the dessert was put into the 350 oven causing it to not cook as solid as it should have been.  It was still good.  So, in turn, the cheese on this dish was starting to burn before it was close to being done.  We placed tin foil over it to keep it from getting any browner before it was done, but that is part of learning to be a cook.

DESSERT:
Janice
Bake Sale Lemon Bars
allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 36 small bars

Comment:  We were very short on time deciding what to cook this time, so I was charged with making lemon bars.  I have never made a dessert like this before.  It was super easy.  The filling was not as lemony as other lemon bars that I have had.  I liked them very much and would try them again, but maybe adding a tad more lemon juice.  The dough had to be spread evenly over the bottom of the pan, but it wasn't an easy task.  It was hard to tell whether all areas were even.  I don't know how you get around that trick!!!  Also, there was the problem of switching the temperatures between this and the cauliflower dish.  I don't think the filling cooked enough due to this.  Overall, goooooooooood job.

Melissa: I was expecting these to be like the lemon bars that I've eaten before, very tart. However, these were not - although they were yummy, they weren't tart and didn't have much of a lemon flavor. Maybe if we hadn't switched up the oven temperatures, the middle would have cooked longer and the crust would have tasted less like dough. I was happy that mom tried another dough that had to be spread in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan and made it work =)


Tammy:Watching Mom cook is so much fun.  I mean, she is truly out of her comfort zone much of the time.  She makes Lissa and I laugh constantly.  One thing we have learned about Mom is that exact measurements and following the directions to a tee, is not always what she does.  Sometimes she just makes her own judgement and goes with it.  That may or may not always work out :)  It sure is fun to watch though!  Another thing, Mom is picky!  But she is broadening herself by trying some of the things we make that she would not normally eat.  You go Mom!  As for the Lemon Bars ...  they were good.  Not amazing, but good.  They weren't really lemon bars like I know them.  The lemon flavor was very mild.  Due to your preference, that could be good or bad.  Overall, pretty good recipe :)

Recipes:

Shrimp Stir Fry

Ingredients:
3/4 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 egg white
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon cornstarch
whole snap peas
quartered mushroom caps
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons minced ginger ( used only one thank goodness :)


Directions:
1)Whisk egg white, Chinese rice wine and cornstarch. Toss with shrimp, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2)Drain excess marinade from shrimp.
3)Heat 1/4 peanut oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, slowly stir until almost opaque (30 seconds to 1 minute). Transfer to a plate, discard the oil and wipe out the pan.
To Make Sauce Mix: chicken broth, sesame oil, 1tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp corn starch.
4)Heat the pan over medium heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, pinch of salt and sugar. Stir fry about 30 seconds. Add the vegetables, starting with the ones that take the longest to cook (peas about 3 minutes, mushrooms about 1 1/2 minutes). Stir fry until crisp-tender.
5)Add the shrimp and sauce and stir until the sauce is thick and the vegetables and shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Thin with chicken broth if needed.

Cauliflower Gratin

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower florets
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded gruyere
1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Directions:
1)Place cauliflower in 2 quart baking dish
2)Whisk cream, mustard, salt. Then pour over the cauliflower.
3)Sprinkle gruyere and breadcrumbs on top.
4)Bake at 350 for until tender, about 45 minutes.

Bake Sale Lemon Bars

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioners sugar for decoration

Directions:
1)Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9x13 inch baking pan
2)Combine the flour, 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, and butter. Pat dough into prepared pan.
3)Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly golden. While crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, and lemon juice until frothy. Pour this lemon mixture over the hot crust.
4)Return to oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust top with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares.

Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers

Janice: Main Dish
Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers
Source: Allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Servings: 12

Ingredients:
3 pounds ground turkey
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely diced onions
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Form into 12 patties.
2. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

Comment Wow!!! I was so proud of myself.  I am not bragging..........but I thought that these were just great.  I loved the flavor that the ingredients gave them.  I would have to cut the recipe in half to make them for two people.  The patties would complement almost any side dishes.  GREAT JOB if I don't say so myself!!!!!!!!!

Comments by Melissa: These were actually turkey burgers and .... they WERE delicious!!  I loved them.  Usually when you substitute turkey for beef the meat turns out bland.  But, these were very tasty.  We only added a slice of cheese, no other condiments necessary.  These looked easy to make and I would definitely make them when I have company over.  It was so funny to watch mom get her hands in the mix and get all dirty haha.  I am so proud of Mom.

Comments by Tammy:Lissa is right.  These were fabulous!  I have given up the red meat, so I was thrilled to try this one.  Oh my gosh!  They had such a great flavor.  I can't wait to make them myself!  Yum, yum.  It is making my mouth water to think of them :)  Like Lissa said, watching Mom mix it with her hands was quite funny.  She just stared at it, contemplating,  for several minutes before deciding she had no other choice.  I can't believe it!  My mom made an awesome burger, from scratch!  Go Mom!!!

Tammy: Side Dish
Old Fashioned Onion Rings
Source: Allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 3 mins
Servings: 3

Ingredients:
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk, or as needed
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
seasoned salt to taste
1 quart oil for frying, or as needed

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C)
2. Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside.  In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt
3. Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated, set aside.  Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish.  Place the rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat.  Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs.  The coating should cling very well.  Repeat with remaining rings.
4. Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove to paper towels to drain.  Season with seasoning salt, and serve.

Comments:Do you ever eat something from a restaurant and say to yourself, "I would love to make those, but they seem way too hard."  That is how I have always felt about onion rings.  The thought of attempting them scared me, so I never tried.  Boy, was I wrong.  These were so easy and they turned out really delicious.  They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  I loved them! I was so proud of myself. That is what I love about what we are doing.  Cooking with Mom and Liss, inspires me to try things I might not have ever tried otherwise. Fail or no fail, at least we are trying.   One thing that I learned from my "fish fiasco" is to make sure your oil is at the right temperature.  I made sure this time it was, so I used my deep fryer so I could set the temperature.  They only took a minute or two on each side.  YES!!!!! WINNER!!!!  I know, I am a little over exuberant over onion rings, but hey, that is what life is about, right? Soaking up even the little successes.

Comments by Janice: Scrumptious!!!!!!!  I am not an onion liker usually.  I will eat them mixed in a recipe when you cant taste them.  These onion rings literally melted in your mouth.  They were also not greasy as you might think they would be.  I loved them.  I would like to try them myself if you can believe that.  Bravo!!!!


Comments by Melissa: These looked like they were fun to make, I've never used a deep fryer before - so I want to try them. It was funny to watch Sis explore this recipe and doubt herself the whole way through. But we learned our lesson that the deep fryer is way easier than frying in a pan when you need to have the oil at a specific temperature. HaHa  They were so good.  Not greasy and not a strong onion flavor.  Good Job Sis!

Melissa: Dessert
Mini Black-Bottom Cheesecakes
Source: Delish.com
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Cook Time: 20 mins + 15 minutes to cool
Servings: 12

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil spray
24 plain chocolate wafer cookies (preferably Nabisco)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup fromage blanc (6 ounces) (at room temperature) - can substitute queso fresco
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves (warmed)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray the cups with vegetable oil spray.  In a food processor, crush the chocolate wafer cookies.  Add the butter and process until fine crumbs form.  Spoon the chocolate cookie crumbs into the prepared baking cups and press with the bottom of a glass to compact.  Bake for 5 minutes, or until almost set.  Leave the oven on.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the fromage blanc, then add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

3. Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking cups, filling them three-quarters full.

4. Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the center.  Remove from the oven and spread 1 teaspoon of the warmed raspberry preserves on top of each cheesecake.  Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and chill the cheesecakes until set, about 15 minutes.

5.  Remove the cheesecakes from the pan and peel off the foil baking cups.  Transfer the cheesecakes to a platter and serve.  The mini black-bottom cheesecakes can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Comments: I was a little disappointed because I wanted these to taste like cheesecake...but they didn't.  Even still, they were yummy and looked so great!  Very fancy.  When you take a bite incorporating all the flavors together its very flavorful, but if you just each the cheese center...not very flavorful.  I think since we used Queso Fresco the cheese center didn't taste like cheesecake - it was more bland, not sweet.  Maybe if we had an actual cheesecake center it would have been much sweeter, or if we would have just used more preserves on top each bite would have been great.  Still, overall it was very fancy, yummy and great if you want to impress.

Comments by JaniceThese little desserts presented so pretty.  They are like a fancy restaurant or a bakery would make.  I liked them very much considering what Tammy and Lissa thought.  The filling was not as cheese-cakey as maybe we would have liked, but with the raspberry filling they were great.  As a side thought other fillings could be used such as strawberry, blueberry, etc. 

Comments by Tammy:If you are looking for something really sweet, as my husband was, this is not your answer.  It is mildly sweet.  This reminded me of one of those fancy desserts that you get at a fancy restaurant, that is good but doesn't blow your mind.  They were very tasty and very different.  I agree with Lissa, if it tasted like cheesecake, I would probably be over the top for these, but they didn't.  The cheese part is quite bland.  But, take a bite with the crust, cheese and the preserves and it is yummy.  If you make these, be sure to have enough preserves on top so that every bite has all three flavors, and you will be very happy.  This is one of those desserts where people will think that you slaved over them for a long time.