Doin' Some Cooking... Tilapia Piccata

A traditional Italian dish that I can't say no to is anything Piccata. The lemon butter with briny capers is absolutely crave worthy and quite easy to make.

This piccata recipe calls for tilapia but you can substitute for any flaky white fish, veal, or the usual suspect, chicken. The tilapia is a great choice because of it's mild flavor which really brings out the lemony brightness of the caper sauce and any time I can incorporate seafood into our diets is a win.

The whole dish start to finish takes about 20 minutes to prepare which makes it a perfect weeknight meal and I think I like the tilapia version the best.

Tilapia Piccata

Adapted From: MyRecipes.com

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 8 oz uncooked orzo
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• dried parsley, to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp dried capers

And Action:

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Stir in the tomatoes, 1/4 tsp sea salt, parsley, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Set aside and keep warm.

Combine remaining 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fish in flour mix. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add fish to the pan and cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove fish from the pan and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add wine, lemon juice, and capers to the pan, cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add remaining 2 tbsp butter to pan and stir until melted. Serve fish with sauce and pasta.  

Livin' It Up... Boss Bitch, Iggy Azalea

"Walk a mile in these Louboutins... " - Iggy Azalea (from the song "Work" on the album "The New Classic").

While I can't justify a pair of Louboutins at this time, I could walk a mile in this tank.

(Get yours here)

Songs of hers I've had on repeat lately:

* Black Widow
* Change Your Life
* Work
* No Medicore
* Fancy
* Beg For It

Other boss bitches:

Tove Lo: Talking Body
EchoSmith: Cool Kids
Christina Aguilera: I Hate Boys
M.I.A.: Bad Girls
Nicki Minaj: Anaconda
Jennifer Lopez: Girls
Jennifer Lopez: A.K.A.
Lily Allen: Hard Out Here
Miley Cyrus: Do My Thang
Bridget Mendler: Hurricane
Ariana Grande: Break Free
Ariana Grande: The Way
Ariana Grande: Problem
Ariana Grande: Only 1
Ariana Grande: Break Your Heart Right Back
Taylor Swift: Shake It Off
Demi Lovato: Really Don't Care
Marina and the Diamonds: Oh No!
Lana Del Rey: Radio
Lana Del Rey: F**ked My Way Up To The Top
Rihanna: Man Down
Rihanna: Pour It Up
Tinashe: 2 On
Jessie J: Domino
Fifth Harmony: Better Together
Sia: Chandelier
Ciara: Like A Boy
Ciara: Ride
Khia: My Neck, My Back
Clean Bandit: Rather Be
Katy Perry: Dark Horse
Fergie: L.A. Love
Britney Spears: Work Bitch
Niykee Heaton: Bad Intentions
Selena Gomez: The Heart Wants What It Wants
Bebe Rexha: I Can't Stop Drinking About You

Doin' Some Cookin'... Green Bean Casserole, Hashbrown Casserole, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I've been out of my mom's house for 10+ years, I've been a mom for 6 years, and in that time I haven't been responsible for making Christmas dinner. For the holidays we would travel to Ohio for two weeks. Being a houseguest meant I wasn't expected in the kitchen. These were women who ran their kitchens with no other hands stirring the pot but expected you to pull up a girl and stir the pot with you mouth and join in the gossip. But... times have changed and now it's spent at home in Texas, and somewhat alone since I have to share Little Man. Don't feel bad for me though. I'm in the middle of enjoying 11 days of an empty nest with 6 of those being working days and two back to back 4 day weekends. The 4 day weekends was a gift enough to help recharge my batteries... definitely experienced burnout by the end of the year.

Little Man was set to be picked up around noon by his dad and wanting to do the traditional Christmas festivities I made sure we would cover everything.

On Christmas Eve we got into our cozy clothes, drove around town checking out the Christmas lights, watched Christmas movies, made hot chocolate, and tracked Santa's flight. Once he made it to New York Little Man knew that meant it was time to fall asleep before Santa's arrival at our place.

Christmas morning we opened presents, had biscuits and gravy for breakfast, played with his new toys, and then had our Christmas dinner before he had to go.

There are some dishes we've come to expect for Christmas: Smoked Ham, Green Bean Casserole, Hashbrown Casserole, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and rolls.

Slapping myself a high five here! I recreated the Christmas classics in under an hour. It wasn't perfect and I will need to continue searching for the right recipes but it was still delicious. Part of that was me rushing to get dinner on the table in time and not following directions correctly. I didn't realize the green beans needed to be cooked ahead of time so they had a slight crunch, I enjoyed it this way surprisingly but not what I was expecting, the store was out of the french fried onions, ugh! the part I crave, and my mashed potatoes were not as creamy as we prefer.

The one recipe that will appear on the menu next year is the Hashbrown Casserole but may add bacon and some diced jalapeño peppers to spice things up. This was exactly what I was craving for Christmas dinner and the perfect comfort food dish.

Looking forward to continue setting certain expectations for Little Man and making the holidays super special for him.

Green Bean Casserole

Adapted From: Campbell's Kitchen

Makes 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• dash of black pepper
• 4 cups green beans

And Action:

Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, and green beans in a casserole dish. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Hashbrown Casserole

Adapted From: The Loveless Cafe

Makes 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 (30 oz) bag shredded hash browns
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 (8 oz) bag shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (16 oz) container sour cream
• salt and pepper, to taste

And Action:

Mix all ingredients well in a well greased casserole dish covered with foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove cover and return to oven for 30 minutes until brown. Enjoy!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Adapted From: Martha Stewart

Makes 8 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 4 lbs red skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
• garlic powder, to taste
• sea salt, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter

And Action:

In a large pot boil water, add the potatoes, and add 1 tbsp salt. 

Return to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes. 

Drain the potatoes and return to the pot to dry them out about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the milk, butter, garlic powder, and salt. Mash until smooth. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Herb Salted Garlic Parmesan French Fries and Roast Beef Dip Sandwich with Herbed Garlic Au Jus

Holy hell! This dinner was quite ambitious for a Monday night, especially after an exhausting day at work. Note to self, make this on a weekend and preferably when your patience levels are high.

The potatoes get double fried and believe me it is totally worth it. Then they are tossed in a garlic parmesan herb salt.

This meal is carb heavy... and wine heavy... as in, I drank the bottle of wine after using the splash of it  to make the au jus. At least now I'll be able to sleep off the carb overload.

Herb Salted Garlic Parmesan French Fries

Adapted from : How Sweet It Is

Makes 2 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 russet potatoes, thinly sliced, like french fries
• 1 qt canola oil
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

And Action:

Add potatoes to a bowl of ice water and let sit for 30 minutes. Place two layers worth of paper towels on a baking sheet and remove the potatoes from the water. Take more paper towels and pat dry the potatoes. 

Add oil to a large pot and heat over medium high heat until the temperature reaches 350 degrees (use a candy thermometer). Add the potatoes in batches and fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove and place on paper towels to drain the oil. 

Let the potatoes cool, about 10 minutes.

Make the garlic parmesan herb salt using the rest of the ingredients.  

Fry the potatoes again until browned and crispy. Toss with the garlic parmesan herb salt. 

Roast Beef Dip Sandwich with Herbed Garlic Au Jus

Adapted From: Food.com

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
• 1 french baguette, cut into 4 portions and split in half
• 1 (4 oz) package garlic and herb goat cheese
• 1 lb thinly sliced peppered roast beef

And Action:

To make the au jus: In a medium saucepan heat oil, then add onion powder, garlic, and the other dried herbs. Stir often for 1 minute. The add red wine and soy sauce. Increase the heat, bring to a simmer and let the sauce reduce by half. Add beef broth and simmer for 5 minutes. 

To make the sandwiches: Spread the cheese evenly on both sides of the baguette. Divide roast beef among the sandwiches. Close the sandwiches, place on a baking sheet, and bake at 450 degrees for about 3 minutes. Serve with small cups of the au jus for dipping. 

Livin' It Up... Lone Star Flight Museum

If you're looking for a "Houston" area day trip idea... head to Galveston and check out The Lone Star Flight Museum.

The Lone Star Flight Museum is home to to one of the finest collections of restored aircraft and aviation exhibits. The collection includes WWII Fighters and Bombers. This is a self guided tour with placards providing significant historical information about each aircraft and takes less than an hour to walk through and cost $8 for adults, $5 for children.

After the museum we decided to head to the most eastern part of the island and check out East Beach. It was the first time we've ever had the beach to ourselves but we wrapped this activity up quickly since it was really cold out and we were hungry. Because we were so chilled we decided to cut out riding our bikes along the seawall, going miniature golfing, or riding the ferry this trip.

We ended our trip with dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co before driving back home.