Blackened Tilapia Baja Tacos

Two fish recipes in two days?! Oh yeah . . .

The sauce is not IC friendly, but my husband really liked it. I just left it off mine and everyone was happy.

Blackened Tilapia Baja Tacos
1/4 c sour cream
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
1 c thinly sliced white onion
1 1/2 t brown sugar
1 t dried oregano
3/4 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t ground red pepper
4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets
1 T oil
8 (6") corn tortillas
1/2 ripe peeled avocado, thinly sliced

Combine first 3 ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Combine with onion in a small bowl (this is the "bad" sauce, so leave it off yours . . .).
Combine brown sugar and other spices. Sprinkle evenly over the fish. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add fish to pan, cook 3 mintes on each side or until done.
Warm tortillas and divide fish, onion mixture, and avocado evenly among them.

Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree

I know, sound fancy enough for you? I love seafood and am always up for trying something new, so when I found this recipe, I figured, "Why not?"

Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree
2 c chopped cauliflower florets
1 c cubed, peeled Yukon gold potato
1 c water
1/2 c chicken broth 
1 T oil
1 1/2 lbs sea scallops
3/4 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 1/2 T butter

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until potato is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat. Sprinkle scallops with 1/4 t salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove scallops from pan.
Pour cauliflower mixture in a blender and add 1/2 t salt and butter. Secure lid (but keep the center open to allow steam to escape) and blend until smooth.
Serve together.

NOTES
I used mini scallops as that was all I could find, but the big ones would have been a LOT better.

Tilapia Parmesan

I love fish. Really. LOVE it. I grew up fishing and camping and eating fish baked on the coals of a campfire. I rule cooking fish while camping. However, stick me in a kitchen and give me a fish and I'm lost. I've been exploring a couple of different options and really liked this recipe. Plus D eats it. And he's not so much of a fan of the fishy food.

Tilapia Parmesan
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp celery salt
2 lb tilapia fillets

Preheat your oven's broiler. Line a pan with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, mix the herbs together. Season the fillets with the herbs. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for 2 more minutes. Cover the fillets with parmesan cheese and broil for 2 more minutes or until the cheese is brown.

NOTES
Be careful not to overcook the fish. It should flake easily with a fork.

I seriously edited the original recipe to make it IC friendly, but it turned out quite well. Don't be afraid to try a recipe just because it has some problem ingredients. Cut those ingredients out or sub in something else, the worst that could happen is it's bland, it's probably not going to be disgusting. :)

Baked Salmon

I grew up on fish. There is nothing like a freshly caught trout baked on the coals of a fire while camping at the lake. I can grill fish, I can cook fish on open coals, but I had never tried baking fish or using anything other than trout.

With some advice from a good friend, I made up some salmon tonight and it turned out quite well.

Baked Salmon
1 lb salmon fillet
Onion Salt
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil
Parsley

Cut the salmon in half for 2 portions. Place one portion on a square of aluminum foil. LIGHTLY brush with olive oil. I dabbed a bit on my brush and did both halves. You don't need much at all. Sprinkle with seasonings (I'm still playing around with the best combination, but NEVER put lemon juice on it with IC--that's asking for death). Wrap foil like an envelope (meet the sides in the middle and roll down, then roll in the ends). Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350˚ for 25-30 minutes. The salmon should be opaque and flake when cut with a fork.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

I like tuna, some people don't, but I really do. My problem with tuna noodle casserole was that it was always so dry. Fortunately for me, I married a man whose mom has a GREAT recipe for it that was unlike any I'd ever tried. Granted, there were other advantages to marrying Derek, but that is a story for another time.
Tuna Noodle Casserole
1 1/4 c macaroni noodles
2 eggs
1 1/4 c milk
1 T grated onion (I use about 1/2 T of dried onion)
1 t salt
1 1/2 c grated cheese (mozarella is good, hard cheeses like cheddar can cause IC flares)
1 can tuna fish, drained

Cook noodles according to package, salting the water. Beat the eggs until well blended and add everything else. Mix noodles and sauce together and bake in a 1.5 quart dish uncovered at 350˚ for 30-40 minutes.

I stir it at about 30 minutes and if it's completely soupy, I leave it in for a few more minutes (it should be moist, but not runny). If you leave it too long, sometimes the cheese will get funky, so I tend to err on the side of too short, not too long.