Easy Summertime Lunch

It's summer. It's hot. It's sticky. Life is rather mundane. Just ask Marvel.

Of course, things usually perk up when the deer come around. I know Marvel certainly does. Some of the does are finally bringing their fawns out into the open.

I spend most days hunkered down in my office. I mean, if I'm going to escape the heat, I may as well be productive, right? But, occasionally, I have to venture to the other end of the house for sustenance and here's a quick lunch that is super easy, healthy and full of flavor.

There are only four simple ingredients. Lettuce, low-fat cottage cheese (3/4 cup), black beans (1/3 cup, rinsed) and your favorite salsa (1/3 cup). You could also add some shredded chicken or leftover taco meat for a heartier meal. One that's every bit as good as those so-called power bowls. 

Now that's lunch in a hurry. And you didn't even need a microwave.

What's your favorite go-to quick lunch?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

Grilled Fish Tacos

A couple of weeks ago, Missy did a post about the shrimp tacos she'd made with a meal kit (see that post here) and that reminded me of fish tacos. I love fish tacos and have always wanted to make them at home, I've just never done it. But Missy's post spurred me to do just that.  

I had some tilapia filets in my freezer I'd bought just for that purpose a long time ago, so I thawed those out. The were thin and individually packaged, so it didn't take long.

While they were thawing, I made my slaw. Fish tacos are not right without a good slaw. Something crisp and refreshing, with a citrusy zing. I started with an 8 oz package of shredded slaw that I happened to have in the fridge. 

I love all the colors.

Then I mixed two tablespoons of mayonnaise with one tablespoon of lime juice that I also had in the fridge. In a perfect world, I would have used fresh lime, even added a little bit of zest, perhaps, but I didn't have any limes in the house. Then I added a pinch of salt and some cumin. I love cumin. 

I whisked that together until it was nice and smooth.

I sampled, of course, to see how it tasted. Almost perfect. So I added a little more cumin and a pinch of black pepper. Then I poured that over the slaw and tossed it all together.

That went into the fridge for a couple of hours while I made a coconut cake I'd been craving, but that's a post for another day.

Now it was time for the star of the show. The fish. 

I made my own seasoning with a teaspoon of kosher salt, some black pepper, a large pinch of garlic powder (I didn't want it to overpower the other flavors), 1/8 tsp smoked paprika (if you haven't tried smoked paprika, you really should--it's an amazing addition to a lot of recipes) and 1/4 tsp cumin.

I mixed that all together and sprinkled it over the thawed filets.

Mahi-mahi is another good fish for fish tacos, or even cod would be fine.

The fish was grilled. Since the filets were so thin, it only took a few minutes on each side. I brushed one side with a little lime juice when I turned them at the midway point.

Once the fish was done, I heated up some small tortillas in a lightly sprayed pan (I used white corn, but you can you what you like. I will say that a corn tortilla has a better flavor for this dish than a flour. And the corn tortillas soften when they're heated). 

Now it was time to assemble. Half a filet on each tortilla.

Then some slaw.

And we're good to go. If only I'd have some cilantro to sprinkle over the slaw. Maybe some sliced, fresh jalapenos for hubby. But those would have required a trip to the store and that wasn't happening. They were delicious as is. Crisp and refreshing. The flavors were balanced, each enhancing the others. The lime was perfect with the cumin. And all I can say is that I'm excited I had two filets leftover, because that's going to be my lunch. 

Have you ever had fish tacos? They're definitely different from your standard taco. But it's a delightful twist, one that's perfect for summertime. Which seems to be exactly where we are this week. Upper 80s to 90s all week long. Ugh. I am so not ready for summer heat. But as long as I can keep making fish tacos, maybe I'll survive.

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

Flatbread Pizza

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned having an excess of fresh mozzarella leftover from a banquet.

In that post, which you can find here, I mentioned a flatbread pizza. Well, I finally found the closest thing to flatbread in our little town and decided to go for it.

It wasn't as thin as I would have liked, but this was my palette. 

I had a jar of marinara sauce in the pantry, so I doled out a little bit of that and spiced it up with a dash of red pepper flakes, some garlic and pizza seasoning. Then I spread a thin layer over the flatbread.

Next, I cut a few slices of the fresh mozzarella and laid them on the sauce.

Looking back, I wish I'd broken the slices into pieces and dotted the top, but I'll do that next time. This kind of looks like a googlie-eyed smiley face, doesn't it?

I topped the cheese with a little bit of jarred pesto sauce I had in the fridge.

Added a little bit of salt and pepper.

Then baked it in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

The result wasn't exactly what I was going for. I wish the sauce had been a bit zingier and the crust wasn't crisp enough for me. It wasn't until after the fact that I realized I should have cooked it on the grill. Good thing I still have two more flatbread pockets and more cheese. Practice makes perfect, right?

So that was my birthday meal. And I finally got my flan.

It was AMAZING! You have no idea how much willpower it took not to eat the whole thing in one sitting. 

So now this enquiring mind wants to know, if you were creating your own birthday meal, what would you make? 

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com.

Frozen Fish in the Instant Pot

Missy Tippens

Hi. My name is Missy, and I'm a chronic forgot-to-plan-dinner-a-holic. I rarely have all the ingredients needed. And I never seem to plan well enough ahead to thaw meats out ahead of time.

So you can imagine how excited I was to hear that you could cook frozen meat in the Instant Pot! I ordered mine back when they first came out several years ago. It's been a lifesaver!

Earlier this week, I needed dinner but had not been to the grocery recently. So that meant I had to work with what was in the freezer. Which included a package of frozen cod. So I went on a Google search and came up with this...

Instant Pot Italian Fish (from frozen, Whole30) at InstantPotEats.com

Check out the full recipe at the link above. But here's what I did...

I put the frozen fish in the IP.
Then I topped with:
Olive oil (I drizzled a couple of TBS over it)
1/4 cup water
sliced calamata olives
capers
a chopped fresh tomato
chopped roasted red pepper (from a jar)
a little salt (not much because of the olives and capers!)
(garlic was mentioned in the blog post and is in my photo, but wasn't in the actual recipe so I didn't use it)

I lifted the pieces of fish up to let the liquids and some of the other chopped items get underneath and coat the fish.

Then I closed it and set it on manual, high, for 4 minutes.

I let it naturally release for about 8 minutes, then did a quick release.

It turned out very tasty! It seemed a little overcooked for delicate cod. Maybe a firmer fish would work better. But in a pinch, it was a nice, quick dinner!

www.missytippens.com

Revisiting Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and Grits is one of my all-time favorite dishes. And this particular version has pared down the fat, while maintaining all of the flavor. So what I can't quite figure out is why I haven't talked about it in a while. 

Let's start first with the grits. 

For them, you will need:

• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Bring salt and water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Gradually whisk in grits. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes, or until thickened. There's no need to cover, however be prepared for lots of bubble splatters as it thickens. 

Whisk in Parmesan and pepper. Set grits aside and keep warm.

Next, to prepare the shrimp, you will need:

• 1 lb. unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp (I had large on hand, so that's what I used :-)
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• Vegetable cooking spray

Peel shrimp; devein, if desired. Sprinkle shrimp with pepper and 1/8 tsp. salt. Cook in a large non-skillet (I used my cast-iron one) coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or just until shrimp turn pink. 

Remove from skillet.

Now it's time for the sauce, so gather your ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• 2 cups firmly packed fresh baby spinach

Using the same skillet, heat oil 30 seconds over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 30 seconds to one minute. Whisk in broth and next 5 ingredients. Cook 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Note: Sauce won't be real thick. More like a thick soup. But this sauce smells so yummy.

Stir in shrimp and spinach.

And cook until spinach is slightly wilted.

Serve immediately over grits.

I serve mine in a casserole dish, family-style, but you can serve in individual portions just as easily. This dish doesn't take me more than 30 minutes to make, providing I have all of my ingredients within easy reach, which makes for a quick meal. And quick is always a good thing.

What are some of your favorite quick dishes?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.