Tilapia and Quinoa With Feta and Cucumbers

Ingredients:
1 c. Quinoa
2 1/2 t. olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless tilapia fillets
3/4 t. paprika
1 c. cucumber, diced small
1/3 c. fresh dill, roughly chopped
2 t. lemon juice

Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring quinoa, 2 c. water and 1 t. salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium simmer and cook until water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a bowl and let cool 5 minutes.
In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 1/2 t. olive oil. Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with paprika. Cook fillets until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes, flipping half way through.
Stir cucumber, dill, feta, 1 t. oil, and lemon juice into quinoa. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
I love finding new things to try. I also love when they are good for you. Win/win. The fish had a good flavor for not having a lot of things on it. I also liked the quinoa. I will eat just about anything that contains dill and feta, to be honest. Blake liked both. The kids wouldn't touch the quinoa, they just picked out the feta.

Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb. red new potatoes
coarse salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
1-2 T. lemon juice

Directions:
Boil potatoes in salted water until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 15-20 minutes.
Drain thoroughly. In a large skillet, heat oil.
Add potatoes and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, mashing potatoes slightly, until golden brown in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a dish.
Add bacon to skillet and cook until bacon is crisp. Add green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Add potatoes along with lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 min.

Verdict:
We were originally going to eat this for dinner by it self and then I decided at the last minute to make some chicken to go with it. It was good, but it was better as a side. The beans in it were really good. I think it has something to do with cooking them in bacon grease.

Southern Pork Tenderloin with Chow Chow, Beans and Greens

For the pork:
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. each kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed (about 1 1/2 lbs.)

For the Chow Chow:
1/2 c. yellow mustard
1/4 c. onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish (I think sweet relish is nasty so I opted for dill relish)
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

For the beans and greens:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 c. onion, diced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dry sherry
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. chicken broth (I used 1/4 c. water and one bouillon cube)
1 bunch mustard greens (I used turnip greens)
2 tsp. cider vinegar

For the pork:
Preheat grill
Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in oil. Rub mixture over pork tenderloin.
Grill pork, covered, turning every 3 minutes until cooked through. Remove pork from grill and tent with foil. Serve sliced and with chow chow sauce.

For the Chow Chow:
Simmer all ingredients for chow chow in a small saucepan over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes.

For the beans and greens:
Heat oil in saute pan add onion and cook 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Deglaze with sherry. Simmer until sherry has evaporated, about 1 minute.
Stir in black eyed peas and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add mustard greens and cook until wilted 2-3 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4. Total time 30 minutes

Verdict:
This was good. I have had a lot of pork that is like this with the spices all a little different. So it was nothing super special but it was good. The mustard sauce was good. Better than the mustard sauce that went with Cubano chicken. I liked the beans and green the best. What can I say I am a fan of the black eyed peas (musically and for eating.) Laney ate the beans and Gavin ate some pork after much persuasion. Blake didn't say he loved it but also didn't say that he didn't like it. That is really no help is it? Just try it. I am sure you won't dislike it.

Sweet and Hot Pepper Chicken with Salsa Mashed Potatoes

For the Chicken:
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp. hot pepper spread
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese

For the Potatoes:
1 1/2 lb. small red potatoes, halved
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 one inch thick slices red onion
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. each ground cumin and coriander
salt and pepper to taste

For the Chicken:
Preheat grill.
Combine barbecue sauce and pepper spread in small saucepan cook until warmed threw and spread is melted.
Season chicken with salt and pepper. (I pounded the chicken flat but you don't have too.) Brush sauce on chicken.
Grill chicken turning and basting every 2 minutes. Cook chicken until done.
Top each piece of chicken with shredded cheese and allow to melt.

For the Potatoes:
Boil potatoes in water. (the recipe does not call for this but I have never had good luck with just cooking potatoes on the grill. They never seem to cook threw all the way so I boil them first.) After they are cooked about half way drain the water and then toss them with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill potatoes turning as needed until they are tender about 20 min. Grill onion until slightly caramelized. Remove from grill and dice.
Mash potatoes with remaining ingredients and serve.

Makes 4. Total time for Chicken 15-20 min. Total time for Potatoes 40 min. (with boiling)

Verdict:
Both Blake and I thought that this was OK. It is nothing to write home about but it was still good. The chicken wasn't too spicy it just had a little kick. I am not a big fan of mashed potatoes in general and neither is Blake. I thought that these were good as far as mashed potatoes go but I did have to add more salt. Laney seemed to like the mashed potatoes more than the chicken which is different for her. Gavin didn't like either but that is no big surprise considering that he really only likes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Picture and recipe from Cuisine at Home grilling