Blackened Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cilantro Dressing (salmon or cod or whichever fish you want)

Finally, this post is done. I still consider myself a beginner food blogger even though this blog has recently had it’s 3rd anniversary. Blogging recipes takes work. Writing an accurate recipe takes work. It’s work but it’s work I enjoy. I just wish I could do nothing but cook, take pics, and blog… Haha True story.

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Been talking about these a lot, I know, I apologize for the redundancy. Finally got all the components together….

You’re going to need to check out my last 2 posts!

Click on the photo to the left to get this yummy Chipotle Cilantro Dressing recipe for these Blackened Fish Tacos that we’re about to make.

Click this photo to see the ingredients needed to make the Blackened Seasoning that will crispify (is that a word?)the fish to a nice golden crunch on the outside and give it a deep savory flavour.

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BLACKENED FISH TACOS
♥ 2 BAGS COLESLAW
♥ 1½ C. CORN KERNELS
♥ SALT + PEPPER
♥ FLOUR TORTILLAS
♥ 1 BIG SALMON FILET or 4 LARGE COD FILETS
♥ HIGH SMOKE POINT OIL FOR FRYING (i used Canola Oil)
♥ 1 BATCH OF BLACKENED SEASONING
♥ 1 BATCH OF CHIPOTLE CILANTRO DRESSING
♥ AVOCADO, FRESH, CHOPPED
♥ CILANTRO + LIME FOR GARNISH

Saute the coleslaw and corn with salt and pepper until just tender.
Set aside, but keep warm.
Heat oven to low temp and slowly warm the tortillas. I like em just before they get toasted.
Cut salmon or fish into large pieces suitable for frying.
Heat oil, just above medium, not too hot or the fish won’t cook thoroughly and not too cold or the fish will soak up to much oil and become soggy.
Fry till dark and golden on each side.
If you’re using salmon you may have to do the ends too. Use tongs. They work best.
When they are done gently remove from hot oil onto a papertowel lined dish to remove excess oil.
Let cool for about 5 minutes and break into good chunks.

THE ASSEMBLY
Warmed Tortilla
Sauteed slaw and corn
Blackened fish
Drizzle with some Chipotle Cilantro Dressing
Top with chopped fresh avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice

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Place the Blackened Seasoning in a shallow flat bottom container of some sort so you can press the fish into it.  Coating every inch of it.  The better it’s coated the better the crisp.

You don’t want to over cook the cabbage, or it will lose all it’s structure.  You want to saute it till it just starts to wilt.  Keeping it warm will also allow it to keep cooking so with the pan on medium heat, just keep an eye on it.
This is the cod I used last night.  Seasoned all over every surface of fish with the Blackened Seasoning.

Fried in some oil till golden and delicious. I use a large cast iron flat bottom deep dish for frying. Allows maximum room for the fish to fry properly without over crowding the pan.   The heavy duty cast iron can withstand the high temperatures and will maintain it’s heat better when you drop in the fish.

I fried the fish in 2 batches to ensure it cooked evenly and properly. Or you can use a deep fryer but I’ve only used one once and I didn’t like it…. it was too small for what I needed and I don’t want a big greasy appliance kicking around here. I fry as little as possible.
Frying foods took a lot of practice for me over the years.  So many times chicken or potatoes or whatever it was I was cooking, was either undercooked or well well well done. Practice makes perfect.

Frying can be very unhealthy if done incorrectly.  When done the right way you are using the least amount of oil to get that desired crunch and crispiness.

✰ Oil thats too hot will scortch the food on the outside while leaving it raw inside. ✰

✰ Oil that isn’t hot enough won’t seal the food as it should when you drop it in. ✰

(Rather it will sit and soak up the oil.  This results in that drippy soggy mess we’ve gagged on one too many times.

The first time I made these I used some fresh plump salmon and they were to die for! This time around i used cod. I preferred the salmon over any white fish but both were really good.

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BLACKENED SALMON TACOS

Here are some pics from the salmon ones I made last week!  These ones were my favourite!

Since the photos were taken down in my temporary basement dungeon kitchen they aren’t of the greatest quality.  We can only go up from here my friends ☺

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Love Haleykins❤️

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Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

The holidays are over. Finally!
I mean, I love the festive season, but it always seems to cause such a big blip in life. Everything gets put on hold and you forget how to get back going on as usual. Plus I feel like I need to sleep and sleep and sleep, although I’ve gotten more sleep lately than usual. Maybe that’s the problem…

Ok let’s get back to it shall we? It’s been a tad long since I’ve posted anything! {except for a Merry Christmas wish which attracted a few more followers!}

Hubby picked up the biggest tube of extra lean ground beef from Costco before Christmas and like the sweetheart he is, he divided it up in ziplock bags and froze it. Now I open up the freezer to find all the new bags and 4 from October. That’s a lot of beef! Soooooo, a ground beef, easy peasy, recipe from me to you.

MOZZARELLA STUFFED MEATBALLS
INGREDIENTS
2lbs extra lean GROUBD BEEF
1 cup BREADCRUMBS
3 EGGS
1 Tbsp ITALIAN SEASONING
1 PREMADE HOMEMADE GARLIC BALL {or 4 cloves, minced}
SALT & PEPPER
OLIVE OIL
3 sticks MOZZARELLA STRING CHEESE
PASTA SAUCE
COOKED SPAGHETTI
PARMESAN CHEESE

DIRECTIONS
1. Mix the beef, crumbs, eggs, seasoning, garlic, s&p together. Hands work best!
2. Form into 12 balls, approximately 2″
3. Cut the cheese sticks into 4 pieces each. Should have 12 cubes
4. Press a cheese cube into the middle of each meatball and seal the ball closed again. Work them good so you don’t spring a leak!
5. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and brown the balls on all sides.
6. In a separate pan heat the pasta sauce, then add in the browned meatballs.
7. Simmer the stuffed meatballs in the sauce until they are cooked through. Don’t have the heat too high. It’s hard to stir and you don’t want the sauce to burn.
8. Serve over the spaghetti and top with Parmesan cheese.

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Saucy ‘n’ Savory TURKEY Crepes

** I apologize for the picture quality, dark and gloomy here and I’m working in the basement remember. thanks for understanding. **

For months now I’ve been dreaming of these Turkey Crepes that my Mommy used to make for dinner. I’ve only ever heard of people having fruit in their crepes and I can still taste the flavor of these ‘non-fruit crepes’ from my childhood. I got on my ipad and messaged mom for the recipe. Here is her response.

Love it, I now know the basics to this dish. How to make the crepes, I still don’t know, but I can work with this. Strapping on my “Will Cook For Bling” apron and into my temporary basement dwelling kitchen I go.

Saucy ‘n’ Savory TURKEY Crepes

TURKEY:
1/2 TBSP. BUTTER
2 (1 lb) TURKEY BREAST, skin removed
SEASONED WITH SALT, PEPPER, DRIED OREGANO, DRIED PARSLEY & GARLIC
Bake the turkey breast in a covered dish until internal temp is 185F, approx 30-35 minutes.

CREPES:
4 EGGS
1.5 CUPS MILK
1 CUP FLOUR
1.5 TSP. DRIED PARSLEY
Whisk together eggs and milk.
Slowly add in the flour, mix until smooth, no clumps.
Add the parsley.
Cover it with Saran and keep it in the fridge for about 30 minutes for it to set up.
TO COOK:
Spray frying pan with cooking spray, medium heat.
1/4 cup of the mixture into the center of the hot pan, roll it around until it’s thin and round.
Once the bottom is golden and the top is firm, flip it gently with a spatula, brown the other side for about 30 seconds.
Repeat process, spraying the pan each time with cooking spray.
Stack on a plate, prepare to serve.

FILLING:
2 TBSP. BUTTER
1.5 CUPS ONION, DICED
2 CUPS CELERY, DICED
2 CUPS MUSHROOMS SLICED
TURKEY BREAST, COOKED AND CHOPPED
1 TSP. POULTRY SEASONING
SALT & PEPPER
1/2 OF THE BÉCHAMEL
Sauté the onions,celery and mushrooms in the butter.
Season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper
Add in the cooked, chopped turkey
Before serving add half the hot béchamel sauce to the filling and mix until evenly coated.
Reserve the remaining béchamel to drizzle on top.

BÉCHAMEL:
4 TBSP. BUTTER
2 TBSP. FLOUR
2 CUPS HOT MILK
4 TSP. DIJON MUSTARD
SALT & PEPPER
Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for about a minute.
Slowly add the milk, then add the mustard, salt and pepper and cook until thickened, about 5-8 minutes.

Bake the turkey breasts in a covered dish until internal temp is 185F, approx 30-35 minutes per pound. I used my Kitchen Aid, 4 quart, covered, cast iron oval casserole dish. This thing was a gift from my wonderful mommy a few years ago and it’s the best dish I have in my kitchen for cooking and roasting! Canadian Tire has them and usually on sale before the holidays. While the meat is cooking, continue on with the next steps.

**I’ve discovered that writing a recipe is different from writing the method of procedure for the recipe. Everything is going on at the same time but yet at slightly different times. Broken up and here and there, good luck on following this one. I’ll do my best.**

Whisk together eggs and milk. Slowly add in the flour, mix until smooth, no clumps. Add the parsley.
Cover it with Saran and keep it in the fridge for about 30 minutes for it to set up.

Chop up your veggies!



Sauté the onions,celery and mushrooms in the butter.
Season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper

The meat is done when it reaches an internal temp of 185F. I think mine was in a 325C oven for 1hour and 15 minutes. I used my meat thermometer to determine the temp. Love this kitchen gadget. How do you ensure properly cooked meat without one?

The meat will be too hot to handle right after it’s cooked so let it rest for a few minutes, I’m sure you have some dishes to do.

Remove any bones from the turkey breast and chop it up, dice it up!

Add in the cooked, chopped turkey to the seasoned, sautéed veggies.

To make the Béchamel Sauce (white sauce), melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for about a minute.
Slowly add the milk, then add the mustard, salt and pepper and cook until thickened, about 5-8 minutes.

Before serving add half the hot béchamel sauce to the filling and mix until evenly coated.

Mmmmm this is what makes this dish “Saucy ‘n’ Savory”.
At this point, I could just skip the crepes and grab a fork!!! I may have done that, but then you would stop reading and all my hard work would be half in the trash. Please continue on and put the fork down. All good things come to those who wait.

Spray frying pan with cooking spray, medium heat.
1/4 cup of the mixture into the center of the hot pan, roll it around until it’s thin and round.

Once the bottom is golden and the top is firm, flip it gently with a spatula, brown the other side for about 30 seconds.
Repeat process, spraying the pan each time with cooking spray.
Stack on a plate, prepare to serve.

Lay out the crepe on a plate and spoon some of the filling into the center of the crepe, in a horizontal line.
Fold in the sides and then fold up the bottom. Then fold the top down. Like a cute little envelope with a precious little package inside. A “Saucy ‘n’ Savory” package that is! Drizzle them with the remaining Béchamel.
I have a friend that actually mailed a plastic wrapped cupcake across the country as a joke. Needless to say it did not look like a cupcake when it arrived in Nova Scotia. Please don’t mail these little packages. Just eat them!

And there you have it! A new recipe under my belt. I hope you try them and enjoy them!

As I had mentioned in the beginning, hard. to. write. So please do let me know if you find errors or editing that needs to be done. Once I look at these blog html codings for so long I get wonky eyes and can’t see anything wrong. I have a feeling this one will need an edit.

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Love Haleykins

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken ~possibly healthier?

I’ve been staring at a jar of Blue Label PC brand Butter Chicken cooking sauce, that has been sitting on my pantry shelf for a while now. I’ve tried it before, and the flavor is great and it’s supposed to be a lighter, slightly healthier sauce, but I don’t like using store bought sauces, dressings, dips etc. Also, while on the family camping trip last weekend, my brother in law had some given to him so the idea was there. Needless to say, the time has come to try something new, and Butter Chicken it is!

I found a recipe on a website called Half Baked Harvest, and it’s supposed to be a healthier version of Butter Chicken. Is it? I don’t know? I’ve never made it to know if this is less fattening than the norm or not. But i’m going with it. I used fat free greek yogurt and light half and half and as well, lite coconut milk, so mine is even healthier! 🆒

Hubby loves curry, always annoying me with “make some curry stew” or the ever popular, “try making a stew with curry” and on and on and on. I don’t like stew. Almost like soup but… it seems… I don’t know, soggy?! This dish is one that I know we have both enjoyed before and it should please his craving taste buds.

Anyways, I know now, that he is satisfied with his curry cravings, because he told me that I HAVE to mention in here that it was the best ever! He even didn’t mind the extra bit of spice which I will explain later.

I don’t pay him to say these things… but he does have to live with me and he does live by the rule “Happy Wife, Happy Life”. So I leave it at that.

Now let’s get down to the good stuff shall we!

Who doesn’t love yummy warm breads? I do! Especially naan. Look at it up there! Let’s face it. we all like meals like this just so we have something to go with the naan am I right? Now I did BUY the naan, rather than making it, because I’ve discovered that trying one new thing at a time seems to work better than multitasking new things. LOL. Oh I am getting hungry again just typing this out. I am looking forward to leftovers tonight. Ugh, I despise the term leftovers but I always cook enough to have leftovers. I will now go by the term ReHeats when referring to…. well you know, Dinner-ReHeated. 😉

SLOW COOKER BUTTER CHICKEN
Possibly on the healthier side

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt
1 (400ml can) lite coconut milk
1/4 cup light half and half
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 Premade Homemade Garlic Ball, or 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons curry paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into large bite size cubes
1 small onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons butter
White rice, cooked
Naan bread

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl combine the yogurt, coconut milk and cream.
Then add in the tomato paste and ginger
Add in the garlic and all your spices and mix it up good.
Spray your slow cooker or crock pot with cooking spray or grease it up with some olive oil.
Next, sprinkle the onions in the bottom.
Then layer the cubed chicken over top the onions.
Pour the yogurt and spice mixture over the chicken, cover the chicken completely with the sauce.
I cooked mine for about 5 hours on high in my slow cooker.
Stirring it about 4 times.
Serve this hot, over fluffy rice and warm naan.
Sprinkle it with a bit of fresh cilantro.

HERE IT IS IN THE WORKS
I just love my camera for this. Now if only I had a few extra hands…

I used chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, obviously, but a friend suggested thighs as they don’t get as dry, however I’m going with the healthier route, and well… that’s what I had in the fridge. 😊 Cut them up into large cubes. Go with fairly large bite size pieces because in a slow cooker, meats will break down as they are tenderizing during the slow cooking process.

This tub of yogurt nearly cost me my life. Don’t doubt for a second that the kitchen is a dangerous place because it is!!! I could not get that damn foil seal off the tub of Greek yogurt. I ended up hacking into it with a butter knife and even that didn’t go through very well. Butter knife slipped off and almost got me the stomach. LOLOLOL It’s a dangerous life as a cook I know, I know. Haha

In a large mixing bowl combine the yogurt, coconut milk and cream,

Then add in the tomato paste and ginger (packaged, I know, but otherwise so much gets wasted in this house as I don’t use ginger that often)


Add in the garlic and all your spices and mix it up good.
**Please take note, the picture above**
See that big pile of dark red spice… Ya that’s Cayenne pepper. .. A whole tablespoon of it and you’ll notice in the recipe above, it should only be 1 teaspoon. My god was it spicy. My lips are still numb. But hubby seemed to not mind. LOL. My gawd!

I used a wisk.

Spray your slow cooker or crock pot with cooking spray or grease it up with some olive oil.
Next, sprinkle the onions in the bottom. Be sure they are fine diced. You shouldn’t have chunks of onion in the end.

Then layer the cubed chicken over top the onions.

Pour the yogurt and spice mixture over the chicken and be sure to cover it completely. Hubby likes it saucy and then you have a reason to eat more naan. 👍😉
I cooked mine for about 5 hours on high. Stirring it about 4 times.
Serve this hot, over fluffy rice and warm naan.
Sprinkle it with a bit of fresh cilantro.
DIG IN 🍴

If you have a good Butter Chicken recipe that you would be willing to share with me please post me a link or put the recipe in the comments. Thanks so much!

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Love Haleykins

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted any recipies and I made this yummy little meal the other night and boy did it hit the right spot.  I’m not certain what it is about wraps that I love so much but anything in a wrap seems to be good.  Maybe it’s convenience?  I’m not sure.

I saved the recipe in MS Word and therefore I do not know where I got it from.  It is not a recipe that I came up with…

*Makes 6 wraps*

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.