Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Fish tacos with mango salsa

This is a very non-measure type recipe but since it turned out so wonderful and was so quick I wanted to share it. The ingredients are in red.

Fish:
Any mild white fish will work, I used Orange Roughy
Pat fish fillets dry and squeeze lime juice over. Rub lime moistened fish with chili powder and sea salt. Pan sear in vegetable oil until flakey.

Mango Salsa:
Using food processor chop one small to medium onion and one green pepper. Remove from processor and corsley chop mango (I use frozen mango) and a small handful of cilantro. Add all ingredients together and stir in lime juice and salt to taste.
For info on making the homemade tortillas, go here.

Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese (Rachael Ray)

I was unsure of this one, but it was good and my kids loved it too. Just don't tell them it's called Mac and Cheese or they'll have expectations that are very different from the result.


Salt
1 pound regular or whole wheat penne
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups milk
A few grates fresh nutmeg
1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
1 box frozen chopped artichokes (10-ounces), defrosted and wrung dry in a kitchen towel
Ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups shredded Italian Fontina cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus additional for sprinkling on top
PreparationPre-heat oven to 350ºF.

Place a large pot of water over high heat to cook the pasta. When the water is boiling, salt it well and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta and reserve.

While the pasta is cooking, place a medium pot over medium-low heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons, and the butter. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook the veggies until very soft, about 10 minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and sprinkle the flour into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute then whisk the wine into the pan, cooking for another minute to burn off the alcohol. Whisk the milk into the pan and bring up to a bubble. Add the nutmeg, veggies, some salt and pepper to the sauce, and simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add the cheeses to the sauce and stir until melted.

Toss the prepared sauce with the cooked pasta and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle some more Fontina and Parmigiano over the top and bake until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.