Semi-Blackened Catfish

This is a healthier spin on a southern classic dish. Most people fry fish because they were brought up eating fried fish. Additionally, most southern cooks add all types of pork meats to their greens to add 'flavor'. It might taste good today, but I promise it wont look good years down the line. Let vegetables be vegetables!!!

Anywho, this recipe is for the Blackened catfish and is oh so deelish!!

Ingredients
4 Fresh Catfish Fillets (I always prefer fresh over frozen)
2 T Canola Oil
2 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 T Magic Seafood Seasoning Blend (This stuff is soooo awesome. You'll thank me later :))

Directions

1.) Mix the seasonings in a small bowl.
2.) Heat large skillet to medium-high heat and add the canola oil.
3.) While the skillet is heating, season both side of the fish with the seasoning mixture. (Be sure to pat the seasoning into the fish)
4.) Add the fillets to the skillet and cook for 8 minutes on one side. Flip and cook for another 3 to 5 mins. (Raw catfish is a no no. Make sure your fish is cooked through or else, yuck)
5.) Drain the catfish on a paper towel for a few seconds and serve with your sides. Enjoy.



The recipe for Kale is listed on the blog already, and the cornbread muffins are every southern person's favorite, Jiffy :)

Spicy Salmon Tacos

If you know me, you know that I love salmon. I especially love when salmon is cooked medium because the true flavor is allowed to shine. Overcooked salmon is the worst!!

This recipe came to me in the spur of the moment. My sister decided to live the Pescaterian lifestlye for the month of February and I decided to join her. I was making chicken fajitas for Trent and Cris and realized that I couldn't eat it. Luckily, I had a filet of Steelhead salmon and decided to make a salmon taco. This was the beginning of something special. I have eaten salmon tacos at least 6 more times since then, lol.

I'll show you the recipe for 2 tacos, which is 1 serving. You can quantify the recipe for however many people you need to.

Ingredients

1 Fresh 6 ounce filet of Salmon with skin (You can use any type of fresh salmon like Coho, Steelhead, Atlantic, etc. I always prefer a salmon that is more red than pink because of the depth of flavor.)

-1/2 Yellow Onion
-2 tsp Cajun Seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning and it is tha bomb!!)
-2 tsp Sea Salt
-2 T Olive Oil
-2, 6 inch flour tortillas
-1 T Mayo
-1 tsp Chopped Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
-1 tsp Chopped Parsley (For garnishing)

Directions

1.) Cut the filet of salmon, lengthwise, into 2 even pieces.

2.) Season the salmon with the cajun seasoning and 1 tsp of the sea salt. Rub the filet with about 1 tsp of olive oil. Set aside to marinate while you prep everything else.

3.) Heat a nonstick skillet to medium high heat.

4.) Add 1 T of olive oil to the skillet and slice the onions. Add the onions and 1 tsp of sea salt to the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes and then turn the heat down to a low setting and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes.

5.) Once the onions finish  cooking, set aside in a different container. Clean the skillet and re-heat to medium high.

6.) Add 1 T of olive oil to the skillet and add the 2 pieces of salmon, skin side down. Cook on this side until the skin is crispy,  about 3 to 4 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the fish skin. It is delicious when done right, but horrible when burnt.)

7.) Flip and cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. (Remember, the goal is to cook the salmon to medium, not well done, unless you absolutely must have it that way. Well done should show a thin layer of pink in the middle of the fish.)

8.) Remove the fish from the skillet and sit on a paper towel skin side down to catch any excess oil.

9.) In a small ramekin, mix the mayo with the chopped chipotle pepper.

10.) Spread half of the chipotle mayo down the center of one tortilla and repeat for the other tortilla.

11.) Place a piece of salmon on each tortilla and top each piece of salmon with the quickly caramelized onions.

12.) Chop parsely and sprinkle on top.

13.) Serve and enjoy.

Guacamole Yumminess

I use to be one of those people who disliked avocados simply because they were green and I was not familiar with the taste. My love for avocado started and grew when I moved to Virginia. I enjoy them on my salads and love to season them with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), Mediterranean Sea Salt, and freshly Cracked Black Pepper (Out of this world deelish!). I tried my hand at a simple recipe for Guacamole since I don't like it when anyone else makes it. I think this is the message that I'd like to send for today: If you don't like it, try to make it yourself! I know what I do and do not like about it, so I can add and or omit ingredients as I see fit. One of the ingredients I omitted is Cilantro. I hate it and can only tolerate a little amount, and since I didn't have any today, I didn't use any at all and I'm okay with that, lol.

Ingredients
2 Avocados (Ripe=Soft, but not too mushy)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice (From a real lemon, not a bottle. Trust me. There's a difference)
1/2 Tomato cut into small pieces
2 Tablespoons Onion diced into very small pieces (You can use whatever onion you have. I used a Spanish onion, but I'm thinking a red onion might work best)
1 Tablespoon of EVOO
1 Tablespoon Mediterranean Sea Salt
2 teaspoons Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Directions
1.) Dice the avocado into large chunks and add to a small bowl. (See pics below for those not too familiar with avocados)

2.) Add all the other ingredients into the bowl and stir, being sure not to break down the chunks of avocado. (Be gentle. Incorporate well, but don't start stirring too hard that you make a mash out of everything, lol)

3.) Damn that was easy. Serve and enjoy :)


Great as a dip for chips, with Quesadillas, by itself, however you like it, it's great.

Shrimp Trotolle

So I have gotten many requests to post the recipe of a dish I made for lunch a few days ago. I appreciate the support and requests, so here it is. It has taken me a very long time to write this recipe because I couldn't remember the name of the pasta shape. It is not your average shape that people just know. I couldn't even remember what store I bought it from so I searched google images and the databases of the store I shop at. I gave up yesterday, lol. But today, after searching more than 3000 items, I finally found the picture of the pasta shape, and the friggin name. :) I hope you enjoy this dish because there was some hard work behind the scenes to make it available to you, lol.

Let's start with the pasta name. It is called Trotolle (pictured below). It is in a spring like or coiled form and it very filling. I find that this type of pasta works well with soaking up sauces.

Ingredients
4 oz Trotolle pasta 
3 Tablespoons of Oil (Any oil like vegetable, canola, avocado- I used this one, corn, olive, etc)
1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon of Onion Powder
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Teaspoons Pepper
1 Lemon Wedge
1/2 Large Onion (Diced)
8 oz Cremini Mushroms (Sliced) (These are baby portabello. You can find them at Walmart.) 
1 Orange Bell Pepper (Diced)
2 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 lb Shrimp (Peeled, tail off. . . or on, whichever you'd prefer. I have the tails
1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley (If you don't have fresh parsley, you can used dried parsley flakes)


Directions
1.) In a medium sized bowl, add 1 Tablespoon of oil, the Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and 1 Teaspoon of the Salt and Pepper. Mix and add Shrimp to marinate. Set aside. 

2.) Cook pasta according to package directions. (Make sure your pasta is not too soft though. It needs to have just a bit of bite left in it. Al dente.)

3.) In a large skillet, on medium high heat, add 2 Tablespoons of oil and saute the diced onions for about 5 minutes.

4.) Add the mushrooms and the other Teaspoon of Salt and Pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. 

5.) Add the bell peppers and cook for 3 more minutes.

6.) When the vegetable are all deliciously cooked and ready, add the heavy cream and turn the heat up to high. (Do NOT walk away from the stove. Keep stirring and when the sauce comes to a rapid boil, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 4 minutes until it thickens a little.)

7.) Saute the shrimp on medium high heat until pink on both sides. Squeeze the lemon wedge over the shrimp. Shouldn't take more than 3 minutes. (Nothing like a hit of fresh lemon juice on seafood!!)

8.) Add cooked pasta to the sauce. Cook for 2 minutes.

9.) Add the shrimp and the parsley and stir. 

10.) Serve and enjoy :) Serves 2

Cheesecake? Yes, please.

So I'm back at it again and I feel great after having a wonderful conversation with my brother. It provided me the motivation necessary to persevere. Gotta love family :)

Today I want to share my recipe for Cheesecake. I absolutely love cheesecake and have gone through many test phases to create a recipe that works for me. The one that I have formulated does not include any added sugar. Notice I said no ADDED sugar. The ingredients that already have natural sugar content in them do the trick to make this dessert just right, so there is no need for the white sweet stuff today, lol.

Follow the instructions below and prepare for a party in your mouth!!

This recipe makes about 8-10 servings depending on the size and depth of your spring-form pan. (And how hungry you are, lol)


Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups- Ground Graham Crackers
1/2 teaspoon- Ground Cinnamon
1 stick- Butter, unsalted, melted (Microwave to melt. Takes about 20 seconds. Be sure to keep your eye on it though!!)

Filling:

1 pound- Cream Cheese, softened (Just leave it out on the counter for about 30 minutes before you start)
3- Eggs
1 cup- Honey (Yep, I said Honey. Surprise! Lol.)
1 pint- Sour Cream
1- Lemon, zested
1 tablespoon- Vanilla Extract (Imitation vanilla extract will work too. Tastes good to me!)



Directions 

1.) Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F, (Make sure you do this please!) and boil a large pot of water (You'll need it later. Just do it.)

2.) In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the crust.

3.) Spray your spring-form pan with non-stick spray and pour in the crust mixture. (You'll want to slap yourself if you don't use the non-stick spray. Trust me.)

4.) Mold the mixture to create a bottom crust in the pan while working the sides up to about 1 inch so you can have side crust. (Yummy!) Place this in a refrigerator until it's time to pour in the filling.

5.) In another bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the cream cheese on a low speed adding in the eggs, one at a time, until it is smooth. (If you don't have a mixer, feel free to use a wooden spoon and mix the hell out of that cream cheese. The end result is just the same.)

6.) Add the sour cream, honey, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

7.) Fill a large roasting pan with the boiling water about 1/2 inch deep.

8.) Cover the bottom of the spring-form pan with aluminum foil and fold up the sides. Place in the roasting pan. (Yes! Put the pan, covered in foil, in the water.)

9.) Bake for about 40 minutes.

10.) Remove from oven and let the cheesecake sit for about 30 minutes before you handle it. After that, chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

11.) Cut, serve, enjoy.


I hope you love the recipe as much as I do. If you don't love it, tell me why. I'm always looking for ways to improve. Oh, and for an extra yummy tip you can add strawberries and whipped cream to top it off. :)

Below is a picture of a mini cheesecake cupcake I made. To make this, simply divide the above recipe in half and mold the crust into a cupcake pan. Bake the same way and time.

I'll have to get a camera and learn to take better pictures so I can show you food porn, lol. #Coming Soon.

Thanks for visiting. Come back really soon. 

It's MY Body Anyway

I have had an interesting journey in my lifetime with fitness and body image. In my younger years, I struggled with self esteem issues because I thought I was too big. I was the little sister that was bigger than the big sister. This is something that has haunted me and caused many sleepless nights sitting up wondering what was wrong with me and why I was that way. When I moved to Virginia is really when I started to notice that the people here are active and that maybe I can be too so that I'm not a victim of complacency, but a champion of my own destiny.

 During my pregnancy, it was always my goal to ensure I was not overeating just because I was "eating for two" and to this day I still believe that pregnancy cravings are a myth because I didn't have any, lol. Any who, I dropped all of the baby weight and then some. I looked great, and then the unthinkable and unimaginable happened, I became too small (in the opinion of others). Never before had I heard from friends and family members questioning whether or not I eat at all. Continuous comments on how skinny I am and that I could stand to gain a few pounds caused those same self esteem issue to arise again. I couldn't believe it! This made me angry and hate myself because my clothes started to look weird and replacing an entire wardrobe is expensive.

 It took me a while to realize that I shouldn't actually care about what others have to say when it comes to me and my body. It is hard to not care when it is the ones closest to you who have these opinions though, but overall if I want to be small, or if I want to be big, it is my choice, and my life and I will live it how I see fit. I did some deep thinking about what I wanted from myself and how I wanted to look to make myself happy. I have determined that information and have set out to make it happen. So let this be a word to the wise, Eff your opinion of me and how I look. . . with all due respect :). I'm strength training to get my long lost butt back, lol, and to pick up just a few pounds of muscle for me, myself, and I. #ThatIsAll

http://www.harveymackay.com/tag/swim-with-the-sharks-2/

Randomness

So I'm sitting here working on a final paper, well I was until I was distracted by loud neighbors. I'm thinking they have guests over because they are unusually loud today, or maybe the good weather has caused them to  think it's okay to be loud outside. . . Anywho I was thinking about the Sex and the Cit lifestlye, with them living in New York, I bet it's always loud filled with car horns honking, the sound of stop and go, mostly stop, traffic and car radios blasting. If I were in a high-rise condo these sounds would actually be soothing. The best soothing sounds for me include water and the constant spinning of a ceiling fan. Ahh the peacefulness it brings, lol. I'm hoping whatever are Trent and I decide to live in for our second house has a peaceful community with mature adults and well behaved children. I took my dad to see the house that we will probably buy. It was great hanging out with him for the time he was here. You never know how much you miss your family until you are truly away from them. Not like college away, but real life away. I never got homesick in college, but as an adult away from my familiar surroundings, it gets to be a bit much and I am sad about that a lot because I know Trent would never want to move anywhere near Memphis again. Oh the things we woman compromise on. Men, can't live with them, could probably live without them, but who wants to do that? lol.  In this next break from my paper that I definitely should be writing at the moment, I'm gonna repaint my nails pink again. #Fierce!!!