My PB + J

Crispy Restaurant Style Fish Tacos #FishnVeggies #CBias

It’s no secret that I love sharing my restaurant re-creations. Most of the time my copycat recipes take a little longer to prepare but with me returning back to work and the hubby traveling I have been looking for meals that the hubs can easily put together if I am gone and vice versa. It can become very mundane and even stressful on some nights to prepare a complete meal from scratch. Insert my idea on recreating our favorite restaurant fish tacos. I already had a few essential ingredients like tangy sharp cheddar, crunchy green cabbage, creamy avocados from our tree and tomatillo salsa, the rest I needed to pick-up from Wal-Mart during my weekly shopping trip.

To see my full shopping trip please visit my Google+ album.

While at Wal-Mart I picked up some Van de Kamp’s breaded fish sticks, Birds Eye vegetables and rice, corn tortillas and beer (of course! you cannot have fish tacos without a cold beer). Today I did a trial run on the recipe to show the hubby how to prepare when I am away working.

Payton loves fish, like totally loves it. Makes me happy because a lot of kids don’t. A staple for when mommy is away is serving the kids fish sticks and fresh veggies. It’s easy for everyone and it’s always a hit. I feel better when I am away knowing my family is eating a well balanced meal. I have to be honest that I haven’t purchased Van de Kamps fish sticks for a few years, I usually purchase a different brand and after baking these today I will never look back. The fish baked in under twenty-three minutes and it was perfectly crispy and did not stick to the pan. The biggest plus in my book is that the fish was actually a filet like stated on the packaging, unlike some packages that advertise a whole filet and then you end up with slimy minced fish. These fish sticks were fine all on their own and after I ate a few straight off the pan I knew I better get to assembling the tacos before I had to bake more!

While the fish sticks were baking I prepped soft corn tortillas and the cheddar cheese. I wanted the tortillas to be warm and soft so they went into the oven after the fish sticks came out for two minutes. I did the following to create my fish tacos:

I also wanted to serve mexican rice with the tacos so when I picked up the frozen vegetables I also saw that Birds Eye offers a frozen rice with mixed veggie blend. I knew this would be perfect to make a quick mexican rice. 

I steamed the rice according to the package directions. I then placed the rice into a bowl and added two tablespoons of tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder and cumin. I gave one lime wedge a squeeze and a crack of sea salt. Voila! Easy mexican rice in under ten minutes.

The kids verdict? Even the non-fish lover Brayden enjoyed the fish sticks. I served the kids the fish sticks, avocado, mexican rice and Birds Eye edamame. 
I cannot confess anymore how amazing this meal was. After a hectic day it brought us all together at the dinner table, and the best thing is when I am at work I know that the hubby can easily recreate this meal for he and the kids. 
Want to try this recipe out for yourself? Take advantage of the $1 off coupon on Mrs Pauls and Van de Kamps

Enter the Neely’s Sweepstakes on mrspauls.com and vandekamps.com – One lucky grand prize winner gets a trip for two to NYC and dinner with the Neelys. Check back for daily chances to win signed cookbooks from the Neelys.




Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Pinnacle Foods Group #cbias #SocialFabric #FishnVeggies

Restaurant Style Chicken Tortilla Soup {recipe}

It’s been pretty chilly in San Diego the past few weeks, reaching low 30’s at night. I love it and sitting down to dinner with a nice warm bowl of soup just makes everything seem better. Especially when it’s a hearty bowl of chicken tortilla soup that like my hubby said, “tastes way better than at a restaurant”. This recipe is made in a crock pot throughout the day, your house will have a warm aroma of spices, peppers and onions, the reward is exceptional! Top with oven baked tortilla chips, creamy avocado and sour cream. It’s a notch ahead of your favorite restaurant plus a lot easier on the bank.

Restaurant Style Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breast, trimmed
15oz can no-salt added sweet whole corn kernels, drained
15oz can no-salt added diced tomatoes, drained
4C sodium-free chicken stock (one carton)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 anaheim or pasilla pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB chili powder
1 TB cumin 
2 TB salt, divided
2 tsp ground pepper, divided
2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1/4 water
sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
avocado
sour cream 
*oven baked tortilla chips (recipe below)

Line your slow cooker (the slow cooker bags are amazing, no clean-up!) To your slow cooker add first ten ingredients plus 1 TB salt and 1 tsp ground pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Prior to serving, remove chicken breasts. Transfer chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for easy shredding. You may shred chicken by hand. Season chicken with remaining salt and pepper. Return shredded seasoned chicken to slow cooker bowl. Stir gently. Next, add in chicken bouillon. Taste for seasoning. You might need to add additional salt, pepper and chili powder based on your taste.

If serving immediately, divide among bowls. Top off with shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream and baked tortilla chips (cilantro and lime wedges would also be a great addition). 


For Baked Tortilla Chips:

Preheat oven to 400º. Quarter slice corn tortillas. Place on a baking sheet, toss around with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Sprinkle with sea salt and chili powder. Bake until lightly browned, around 8-10 minutes. Remember to make enough to snack on, you’ll be upset if you don’t!

new year

We had a very low-key New Year’s Eve. It was actually perfect. The day began with Payton and I baking cinnamon rolls to be delivered to family and friends (our NYE tradition). Later after delivering the rolls, teaching her about giving to say thanks rather than always receiving, we headed to the park where you could clearly see that other parents had the same idea of getting the kids tired out early. It worked. My parents came down to bring Delilah back down and the remaining gifts we couldn’t fit in our packed-to-the-roof car last week. We had a simple dinner of stuffed pork tenderloin, mac & cheese, salad and broccoli. We put the kids to bed, ate some store-bought apple pie (gasp! I know) and watched Ted. Midnight came, we had champagne and then went to our room to continue the last episodes of Homeland. Glad we finally caught up after just beginning them two weeks ago, but sad it’s over. I guess that goes for the holiday season as well. Sad it’s over but looking forward to fresh beginnings. I snuck away to lunch yesterday with a girlfriend at the Cheesecake Factory. Another great beginning to the New Year, making time for the ones I care about most is on my help, er, I mean to-do list. Half tipsy from my martini at lunch I was able to get most of Christmas put away, but a certain three-year-old was having a heart attack about it all going away so the tree will be done while she’s asleep tonight. We’ve had to hype up Valentines Day so now we can be found at Michael’s three times a week preparing for lovey dovey day. I hope you all have a safe and prosperous New Year. I know, so cliche. 
mixing the maple icing. YUM! 

Grandma bought noise makers, I could’ve killed her but the kids had fun and they forgot about them after twenty minutes. Well, until the next morning. 

She fell asleep saying, “Happy New Years mama. I love you”. Melt! On New Year’s Day we showed her the recording of Taylor Swift, we watched her sing three times and watched the ball drop four times. It was perfect. 

I made this pork tenderloin stuffed with cream cheese (although next time I would do goat cheese), roasted red bells, pesto and spinach. I also made Emeril’s baked mac & cheese sans the bacon. So, so yummy. 
For breakfast New Years Day we dined on cinnamon rolls (I did not bake our pan until that morning), mimosas and egg casserole.
This breakfast casserole (ham, cheese and green onion) was so yummy and prepared the night before. I might start making this at the beginning of each week for the kids to have for breakfast. It can easily be cut into squares and reheated. It is very versatile and great for gatherings. 

What is your New Year’s tradition?

ultimate individual sweet potato casserole {recipe}

One side dish that I love reinventing each year is my sweet potato casserole. Some years I hit the ball out of the park and some have just been so-so. Now, let me begin by saying, we’re not talking about candied yams out of can topped with marshmallows. I am talking fresh sweet potatoes, orange zest, a scrumptous walnut crumble and a light and airy toasted merignue. If you were never a fan of your aunts candied yams I urge you to impress your guests with individual servings of my ultimate sweet potato casserole.

Ingredients:

For the Filling:
5 sweet potatoes, peeled, steamed and mashed
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 teaspoons maple extract or 3 teaspoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the Crumble:
1 cup flour
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

For the Meringue:
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare the filling. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Take eight ramekins or a 9×13-inch pan and lightly spray cooking spray. Evenly distribute the filling in ramekins or pan. Set aside.

2. Prepare the crumble. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine flour and brown sugar. Once combined slowly add in the butter. The mixture should form pea sized balls after a minute or two. Add in the walnuts and mix for a few seconds. Add the crumble to the top of the sweet potato mixture.

3. Prepare the merignue: In a very clean mixing bowl add in the egg whites. Begin whipping on high until the egg whites begin to foam. Slowly add in the sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.

4. Bake the casseroles at 350º for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and place dollops of meringue onto each ramekin. Continue to bake until meringue starts to slightly brown, about 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

5. enjoy!