Fresh basa fillet, veggies, and seasonings teamed up in my oven for one fabulous fish taco feast.
Oven roasted that basa with the usual suspects – salt, pepper, and lemon juice – along with some cumin, cayenne, garlic, parsley, tomatoes, and onions.
In the sweet mango salsa there are roma tomatoes, sweet red onion, cilantro, salt and pepper, and lemon juice.
AND THAT’S ALL SHE WROTE!
But not all she ate. She definitely had a second taco.
Lately I’ve seen couscous take a back seat on the quinoa bandwagon, so I thought it was about time to bring it to the foreground again. Mixing the couscous with arugula and spinach stretched out the ingredients and we were able to get two delicious meals of it.
This was a great meal for a hot summer night, and was even better the next day after the flavours had soaked in. Add some sliced avocado for a little extra umph and put it into a whole wheat pita with humus for lunch the next day. Yummers.
1 cup couscous
1 big clove garlic, minced
1 roma tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup each of cucumber, red, yellow, and orange peppers, finely chopped
red onion, finely chopped (to your taste)
4-5 depitted olives and a splash of olive juice
a big handful each of arugula and spinach
juice from half a lemon. Garnish with extra lemon slices and/or zest
fresh feta, to your taste.
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Pour 1 cup uncooked couscous into 1 cup salted boiling water. Remove from heat and let stand for 3 minutes. When cooked, drizzle with olive oil and fluff with a fork.
Chop tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olives, and onion to similarly sized pieces. Add vegetables to couscous along with minced garlic, parsley, crumbled feta, and the juice from half a lemon. If you’ve bought bottled olives, adding a splash of the juices extends the flavour without having to use a lot of olives.
In a large salad bowl pour two tablespoons olive oil over arugula and spinach. Add couscous and mix. Salt and pepper to taste, garnish with lemon zest or additional lemon wedges.
I had every intention of making my own rosemary/garlic/thyme/lemon chicken, even bought all the ingredients… then I stumbled upon Jackson’s Rotisserie at The Public Market and everything smelt so good and it was all ready to eat … so I caved a bought a pre-made chicken. It was delicious, but next time I will make my own.
So, I’ve been having a love affair with peanut butter. Like Franks Red Hot Sauce, I’ve been putting that S#%@ on everything.
The soup is hearty and filling but not overly rich.The chicken stock and mashed potatoes evened out the peanut butter’s thickness and kept it from being too decadent ( if there is such a thing). I really enjoyed it, especially the hint of ginger! Oh, and the chicken was sooo tender!
Rice was the perfect side dish, it balanced out the spice and thickness, and the naan was good for sopping up the sauce. It wasn’t nearly spicy enough for me or Phil, so we added the chili pepper flakes to our bowls. Next time I make it I’ll add more spice during the cooking process.
There are quiet a few steps for making this but don’t let that scare you off!! It’s actually very easy to make, and once you’ve read over the steps you’ll see this can be made in 30 minutes.
The original recipe is from Kayotic Kitchen, and I encourage you to check out the beautiful photos she’s take. She has a lot of the step-by-step photos which made it easy to figure out what to do next. My kitchen has horrible lighting so I don’t take as many “making of” photos. Happy Eating!
adapted from Kayotic Kitchen
You Will Need:
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
1 medium onion
1 chili pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp fresh ginger
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sieved tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbps sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp parsley
1 green onion
salt to taste** ( The original recipe calls for 2 tbsp salt, which seems like a lot. I used 1/4 tsp but use your own taste preferences)
What You Do:
Chop the onion and finely chop half of the chili pepper ( you’ll use the other half for garnish, so cut the chili pepper in small rings). I like spicy food so I made sure to put all the chili flakes into the sauce.
Chop the chicken breast into cubes and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot. Add onions and sauté on medium until slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the chili pepper and crushed garlic (I used a garlic press, Kayotic Kitchen grated it) and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally, add you ginger and let ingredients cook another few minutes.
Next, add the 1/2 cup peanut butter, stirring it around a little to help it melt. When melted, add the mashed potatoes and sieved tomatoes. Stir until ingredients form a paste.
Slowly add your chicken stock, whisking as you go. Whisk until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Add 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 – 1 tbsp fresh parsley, and salt/pepper to taste.
Add chicken cubes and bring the pot to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 -20 minutes or until chicken is tender and fully cooked.
Garnish with chili pepper, green onion, and fresh parsley (cilantro works well too). Voila!
Yes, the recipe is that good. 
I spent most of my life hating baked spaghetti, a standard leftovers meal at our house I found dry and bland (sorry Mom!). My issue with baked spaghetti is there’s never enough sauce, and the noodles are always too squishy after being recooked. This recipe calls for a mix of your regular ol’ pasta sauce and Alfredo, double trouble baked spaghetti! The result, a creamy flavourful and VERY saucy dish. To ensure sauciness only bake the casserole until the cheese starts to bubble on top. Happy Eating!
Ingredients: Tomato Sauce, Alfredo Sauce, Pasta, Mozzarella Cheese ( or whatever you have on hand), grated Parmesan.
Optional: Red Pepper Flakes, fresh Parsley.
Preheat oven to 350.
1) Cook pasta in slightly salted water until desired consistency. I used the ends of two bags of pasta – fusilli and rigatoni. It was about 3 1/2 cups in total and we had lots of leftovers. Or, use leftover pasta if you’re trying to clear out the fridge.
2) Grate mozzarella - the cheesier the better!
3) When pasta is at desired firmness, drain and add to casserole dish. Mix in one jar of tomato sauce and one jar of alfredo. Stir until fully mixed, then cover pasta with cheese.
4) Bake in oven until you see the cheese starting to bubble, about 10-15 minutes. Remove and add grated parmesan.
EAT!
