Monday Night Fish Tacos

Supper tonight was one of those super easy meals that makes it okay to cheat sometimes. By cheating I mean, a recipe where you can use the forever made fun of fish sticks. Yep, I said frozen fish sticks.I would say cheap fish sticks but amazingly the fish sticks cost more than the chuck roast I bought for tomorrow night. Now to be perfectly honest, they have changed a bit from the mystery fish that we had in the school cafeteria in the 60's and 70's. The Mrs. Paul's that I buy are actually good, made from whole flounder fillets.
That said, the crowning glory to this humble little taco is the cilantro cole slaw. I am told that there is a small segment of the population somewhere that does not like cilantro, I don't know any of those people so I go a little heavy handed on the it because we love the flavor. To me it is a clean, herby, fresh taste, to those that hate it I hear it tastes like dish soap. So, on the off chance that you don't eat cilantro, feel free to leave it out or even substitute parsley.

For dessert I am playing around with the sacred pumpkin pie. I saw this Pumpkin Rum Pie last year and wanted to try it but time got away from me so I am getting an early start this year. The tablespoon of rum seems like a complimentary ingredient. At least it makes it interesting enough for me to give it a try. Even if this is the most wonderful pumpkin pie we have ever tasted I will of course make the traditional Libby's Pumpkin Pie recipe on Thanksgiving Day. I think it is some kind of a law or something..........

Easy Fish Tacos with Cilantro Cole Slaw*

Baked Tortilla Chips

Guacamole

Salsa

Roasted and Salted Sweet Potatoes Rounds w/ Garlic

Pumpkin Rum Pie*

Easy Fish Tacos with Cilantro Cole Slaw

4 package frozen crispy fish sticks

1 package - 8-inch flour tortillas

1 bag cole slaw mix

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or more)

1 green onion, diced (green part too)

1 tsp. chopped jalapeno pepper (optional)

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise or sour cream

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

Bake fish sticks according to package directions.Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place them in the oven to heat.Or heat them in the microwave by package directions.

In a medium bowl, combine the cabbage mix (I chop mine up a bit finer with a round cutter) with all the remaining ingredients. Place about 3-4 fish sticks into a hot tortilla and top with with lots of cole slaw.

We usually add more finely chopped onions and a dab of sour cream mixed with a tiny bit of taco sauce on top.

Pumpkin Rum Pie

3 large eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Karo corn syrup

1-1/2 cup heavy cream (try not to substitute)

1-1/2 cup canned pumpkin (1 - 15-ounce can)

1 Tbsp. dark rum (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 - prepared pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place crust in pan and prick with fork.

Bake pie shell about 8 minutes or until very, very lightly browned. Allow to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the Karo syrup. Stir in the heavy cream, pumpkin and rum. Add the salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and whisk until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Bake until the filling is set, 50-60 minutes.

Makes 1 - 9-inch deep dish pie.

So, Until Tomorrow..........

S~~~

We Still Miss You, Frances

Today was a great day at work. We had lunch with a dear friend, Frances.
Frances worked with us at Accents on Asheville for a few years. When she came to us she had recently taken early retirement from Wachovia, where she was a manager. She was just looking for something part time and we desperately needed full time. I think she took pity on us, she took the full time position. She immediately became indispensable to us. From that first February day that she walked into our office we felt like we had known her forever. She did anything and everything we asked of her. She took care of us on a professional level, answering phones, handling our airport transfers, entering info into the system (at the speed of light), filling in when we were short on guides, running a multitude of errands and so many other jobs I can't list.
She also took care of us on a personal level, making sure we had lunch when we were too busy to leave, finding my stuff, (I am NOT a finder, she even had to locate my stapler on one occasion), making our excuses when we missed appointments like dental cleanings, etc. and being an all around best friend to Michael, Deb, Cyndi and myself.
It was a sad day when she left us to take real retirement and relocate to Athens, Georgia. In her own very dear way she left on firm footing and we will always be thankful for the time she gave us, but we will ALWAYS miss her.


Supper tonight was quick since I felt like I spent the entire night in the kitchen last night.

Oven Fried Talapia*
Buttered Little Red Potatoes
Broccoli Teriyaki (not a great choice with fish)
Hushpuppies


Oven Fried Talapia

1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Mix and let set aside at least 15 minutes.

1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar

Mix milk, vinegar and mustard and let set for 15 minutes.
In a zip lock bag mix cornmeal with all the seasonings.
Dip fish fillets in the milk mixture and then in the cornmeal mixture.
Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with vegetable oil. Place fillets on prepared pan and place in a 400* oven.
Bake for 10 minutes, turn and bake an additional 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

So, Until Tomorrow.............
S~~~

I Went To Target Today...............

Yep, spent my lunch hour at the Target. That can be a dangerous thing to do, although today wasn't too bad. I came away with a quesadilla maker. Don't yell yet, I know exactly what Alton Brown says, never buy an appliance that only has one use, but......................., you never know.

I am a big quesadilla fan. I never order anything else at Mi Pueblito. There are a million different ways to make them, and hopefully I can come up with some creations of my own.

We have kinda been temporarily captive in our own home since Gibson's unfortunate tangle with what we believe to have been a coyote. He needs to be taken out about every three hours, so we don't venture far away. So, I will have fun this weekend playing with my new toy. I will post the results and some recipes too after I give it a test drive.

Now then, back to my adventures at the Target.........they have practically the entire store on sale!! I bought 2 silicone basting brushes with stainless steel handles for $1.29 on clearance and Tazo Passion Tea for $2.50 a box, (don't go to the River Hills location for this, I cleaned them out).

Not on sale, exactly, but I bought a bottle of Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc that was wonderful!!. The distributor was there ordering wine and I got to talking to him and he had great things to say about this one. I didn't feel that it was just a sales pitch, because I actually had chosen a more expensive Santa Margarita. Anyway, this was the second time that someone had mentioned this wine to me, so I felt I was destined to have a bottle. You know you can't mess with destiny.

Bottom line, it is definitely worth the $12 I paid.

One of my favorite wine sites www.cheapwineratings.com gives it a 90, which is pretty good.

This is what they have to say:
"The intensity in the nose is good and it is a highly tropical Sauvignon Blanc. Pineapple, honey, melon, pear and a hint of flint give this wine a wonderful bouquet. When I first opened the bottle, it didn’t have the vegetal characteristic that many SBs from New Zealand have, but after it opened up a distinct green pepper aroma came to the surface. The palate is flavorful, well balanced and just as exciting as the nose. It has lemon, pear, melon, apple and mineral flavors. The finish is fairly long and enjoyable. All told, this is a great Sauvignon Blanc at a decent price."

Supper at Casa Taylor tonight looked something like this:

Asian Pineapple Salmon*

Wild Rice

Roasted Broccoli

5 Flavor Pound Cake

Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc


Asian Pineapple Salmon

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp. hot mustard
2 tsp. Asian chili paste1/2 minced garlic
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 -15 oz can pineapple tidbits - drained

Mix all ingredients and let stand for 20 minutes.

1 salmon fillet

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Place olive oil in pan and heat, add salmon and cook over medium heat 3 minutes. Pour sauce and pineapple over salmon and cook an additional 5-8 minutes minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet.

I know that sesame oil can be a tad expensive, for just 1/8 tsp. but it really does make a difference in Asian food. Just buy the smallest bottle you can find.

So, Until Tomorrow.........
S~~

Rainy Days and Tuesdays Rarely Get Me Down

I love the rain. A warm January rain, just my kind of day, well almost. The perfect rainy day would be to stay home and cuddle up with my book with Sissy or Cagney (or both) on my lap and drink hot chocolate. In my dreams.........

From the what I did today pages: I left work at 11:00 a.m. to get my nails done. I thought on a rain soaked Tuesday I could just breeze in and out. Well, of course that was not to be. I sat and waited 25 minutes. As I waited I kept thinking I need to take these acrylics off and stop this. I always dread going to have them done, the boredom is killer here. This coming from a gal who prides herself on NEVER being bored. Then there is the little fact that I am spending $50 a month having my nails done. I'm not really sure in this economy I can justify that luxury. Hmmmm, maybe I am my Daddy's daughter after all. Anyway, skipping to the chase, I walked out and went to get supplies to remove the acrylics. I think I can still remember how to do my own nails, maybe. I will let you know if I find myself back in the nail salon later this week.

Supper tonight is another one of those meals that I grew up eating. My Daddy did most of the day to day cooking in our house, Mother baked (she was an incredible baker actually) and cooked on Sundays. Daddy will be 83 on Saturday and he is still cooking and I am still learning from him!! My cole slaw, cornbread or gravy will never touch his. So, with a few minor modifications of my own I will share one of Daddy's recipes with you today.

So supper tonight looks like this:

Salmon Croquettes*

Wild Rice

Green Beans

Cole Slaw

Rene Barbier Mediterranean White
(a good grocery store white recommended by my co-worker and friend Lynn Grabey. When Lynn makes a wine suggestion, I listen. She has lived all over Europe and has had opportunity to enjoy great wines)

Salmon Croquettes

1 - 15 oz. can of pink salmon ( I always look for the kind that is skinless and boneless, otherwise you have to take out all the skin and bones, yuck!)

1 egg - lightly beaten

12 saltine crackers - crushed ( you may need more at the end to get the right consistency)

1 small onion - chopped

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. ketchup

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. lemon pepper

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix well and shape into patties. These may be baked at 375 for approximately 20 minutes or pan fried at this point. Be careful if you pan fry, they burn easily.

Until tomorrow

S~~~