It’s a great meat-free meal. The challenge if you have someone in your family that really likes meat for dinner for is finding something filling to replace it. This quiche is pretty rich and seems to fill the gap.

I first tasted this recipe when staying with Mary, from Life At Bella Terra.

Tips for Using Store-Bought Pie Crust

First, look at the instructions on the package and let it defrost for the recommended amount of time. If you don’t take this step, you will likely have a crust that is almost unusable.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I use store bought pie crust it seems to be in about 20 pieces. Regardless of how many pieces it’s in, lay the crust out on a lightly floured surface.

Gently press it together with your fingertips until it resembles one piece. Use a pastry scraper to lift the edges and make sure that it’s loose from the surface. I like to use a rolling pin to even it out. Don’t be frustrated if it comes apart on the way to the pan, you can always press it back together. I show you how I do it in this video, and you can see it’s far from perfect.

What to serve with quiche?

My favorite way to serve quiche is with a simple green salad tossed with a light vinaigrette. If you’re looking for more alternatives here’s a good list.

1. Fresh Fruit Salad: For a sweet counterpoint to the savory quiche. I like a berry mix best because it adds a lot of color.
2. Roasted Vegetables: Choose seasonal veggies, toss them in some olive oil and your favorite spices, and roast until they’re tender.
3. Soup: Depending on the quiche flavor, a well-paired soup can be a warm and comforting side. Consider a tomato bisque..
4. Crusty Bread or Baguette: A piece of fresh, crusty bread can be a wonderful complement to the creamy, eggy quiche.
5. Grilled Asparagus: Grilled asparagus has a robust flavor that pairs beautifully with quiche. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon, and a bit of Parmesan cheese.
6. Bacon or Sausage: Offering some crispy bacon or sausage on the side can be a protein-packed addition.
7. Roasted Potatoes: Roasted or grilled potatoes, perhaps with rosemary or thyme, can be a hearty side that works especially well if you’re serving the quiche for a brunch or dinner.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit
2. Lightly flour your work surface. 
3. Prepare the crust.   I like the frozen pie dough from Trader Joes.  I have found that even when I follow the instructions for defrosting the crust at room temperature, it tends to come apart in several pieces.  I roll it out on a lightly floured surface before placing it in the pie tin.  Place it in the pie plate and work with it a bit to piece it together and close any gaps or cracks.  Next crimp the edges of the crust and trim any excess.
4. Blind bake the crust.  Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork then line it with parchment paper and add pie weights.  You can use metal beans or real beans.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  Your crust will be just begin to show a golden brown color.
5. Prepare the filling.  In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute minced shallots and spinach leaves.  Season with salt and pepper.
6. Prepare the egg mixture. In a large bowl whisk 4 eggs with a little salt and pepper.  Add cream and whisk. 
7. Spread the shallot and spinach mixture in bottom of the pie dish.
8. Break the goat cheese into chunks and spread that over the spinach and shallot layer.
9. Pour the egg mixture into the pie pan.
10. Place in the 375 degree preheated oven.  I use a toaster oven and bake the quiche for  20-30 minutes.  Since ovens vary it is best to test with a toothpick.  When it comes out clean your quiche is ready. 

Let the quiche sit for about 10 minutes before you slice it, then dig in and enjoy. The best part is it’s a nutritious meal my family loves!  

If you like quick meals, you might also like the one pan chicken dinner or these home made hot pockets.

Quick spinach and goat cheese quiche

This recipe uses a store-bought crust. The assembly time is 10 minutes. It makes a quick an delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner.

• 1 store bought crust (I like Trader Joe's)
• 4 eggs
• 1.125 cups creme (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
• 4 oz goat chese
• 1 head spinach
• 1 shallot (minced)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit

2. Defrost the crust.   Roll it out on a lightly floured surface before placing it in the pie tin.  Work with it a bit to piece it together and close any gaps or cracks. Crimp the edges of the crust and trim any excess.

3. Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork then line it with parchment paper and add pie weights.  You can use metal beans or real beans.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.  

4. In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute minced shallots and spinach leaves.  Season with salt and pepper

5. In a large bowl whisk 4 eggs with a little salt and pepper.  Add cream and whisk.

6. Spread the shallot and spinach mixture in bottom of the pie dish. Break the goat cheese into chunks and spread that over the spinach and shallot layer. Pour the egg mixture into the pie pan

7. Place in the 375 degree preheated oven.  I use a toaster oven and bake the quiche for  20-30 minutes.  Since ovens vary it is best to test with a toothpick.  When it comes out clean your quiche is ready. 

Breakfast

French

The post My favorite quiche recipe: Spinach and Goat Cheese appeared first on Design Morsels.

Instead of filling the crepes for everyone, I thought setting up a crepe bar would be more fun.  That way the person who loves lemon can have lemon and the one who only likes chocolate can have chocolate.  Crepes are the perfect blank canvas for any filling. 

If you are intimidated by the idea of making your own crepes, they are really just thin pancakes.   You don’t need a special crepe pan, you can use any nonstick skillet.  You DO have to make the batter ahead because you have to let the batter rest in the refrigerator.  I have a tutorial here, but you can also buy finished crepes at many grocery stores.  

The Primary Cream Filling

I decided to make one filling for my sweet crepes and make the toppings the thing that everyone can choose.  

The sweet creme filling used was:

• 1 cup whipping cream, beat until stiff peaks
• 1 cup creme fraiche softened (or you can use cream cheese)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar or confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

You could make a variety of sweet fillings, but I decided it was easier to let people choose their toppings instead of fillings.  

Basic Crepe Bar Setup (kid friendly)

To set up a crepe bar you will need a variety of toppings.  I wanted something quick, so none of these toppings are homemade.  Here are the ones that I used:

• caramel sauce – Trader Joe’s caramel sauce is excellent
• lemon curd – Trader Joe’s lemon curd is also really great
• melted chocolate
• fresh fruit (there’s a wide variety of fruits that you could use, but choose whatever is in season)
• toasted sliced almonds (for a bit of crunch)

You can set each one out in a bowl with a separate serving spoon.  Or you can make a crepe board, if you like to set them out in the dining area.  The only downside of that is that many of the toppings are sticky so they are harder to serve.  My personal preference is to set it up in the kitchen instead of on the table.    

Epic Crepe Bar Ideas for Dessert

If you want crêpe bar that is a little more sophisticated, try using a few of these more unusual fillings

• Mascarpone cheese with a little bit of honey
• Whipped ricotta with honey and lemon zest or orange zest
• Greek yogurt (I would use the full-fat kind for this) mixed with fresh fruit or honey
• Chocolate mousse – this one is just two ingredients
• Whipped cream infused with earl grey tea
• Apples sauteed in butter and brown sugar (like an apple pie)
• chocolate hazelnut spread (nutella crepes are a classic you see everywhere)

To take the toppings up a notch try these (including links to recipes that I want to test):

• Toasted coconut
• Strawberries with a balsamic vinegar glaze
• Chocolate espresso sauce
• Rosewater infused whipped cream (this recipe is for a cake with the cream, but you can make just the cream)
• Grand Marnier-infused whipped cream

Savory Crepe Bar Ideas

I know not everyone wants to have a dessert bar, so I wanted to give a few ideas to those who want a savory crepe bar.  The challenge with savory crepes is that most of the fillings are meant to be served hot.  You can use the same simple recipe for the crepes themselves, just add a pinch of salt.  

You have two options for savory crepes, you can make a variety of stuffed crepes ahead or serve crepes with all of the fillings.  Making them ahead allows you to serve things like ham and cheese (where the cheese is melted inside the crepe).  Otherwise, you can make a few savory fillings and serve them family style with crepes.

• Ratatouille (a great option for vegetarians)
• Scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese.
• Shredded chicken mixed with pesto
• Sauteed mushrooms, onions and garlic
• Roasted peppers and onions with goat cheese 

How to use Leftover Crepes

One of my favorite fillings that’s not on the list above, because it doesn’t work well for a DIY crepe bar, is melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. If you’ve never tried this, you should.  It’s the perfect way to use those last few crepes.  

I also freeze crepes in an airtight container and pull some out when I’m pinched for time.  Fill them with a little cheese they are an easy main dish you can serve with a salad.

Classic French sweet crepes are rolled, but you can also fold them into a pie shape.  They can be served at any time of day.  You could serve them at brunch, lunch or even for dessert at a dinner party.  What makes them so perfect is that you can make them ahead. They freeze beautifully and you just have to that them to room temperature before serving.  

Try setting up a crepe bar the next time you have guests and let me know how it goes in the comments.

Before you go, if you liked this article you might like to read: Dessert crepe filling ideas and Dessert crepe filliing ideas with video.

Related Posts:

• Individual Cherry Crisps

The post Crepe Bar Ideas: An easy way to entertain appeared first on Design Morsels.

This recipe is adapted from this recipe I tried at The Woks of Life. The first time I tried this recipe I used all of the unusual ingredients. The next time I swapped out the hard-to-find ingredients and made a few other changes based on what my family likes. We love spicy food and this soup doesn’t have to cook for a long time.

The original recipe called for three ingredients that I swapped out, spicy bean paste (or spicy bean sauce they are used interchangeably), red Sichuan peppercorns and star of anise. These ingredients are hard to find. Asian supermarkets carry them, but not regular grocery stores. I made these substitutions below and it tasted as good, or better and I didn’t have to make an extra trip to the Asian markets.

The spicy bean paste/chili bean paste I bought had MSG (monosodium glutamate) and soybean oil, two ingredients that I don’t like to use if I can avoid them. The substitution I recommend is hoisin sauce and chili sauce. If you like it spicy, we added sriracha sauce (why is that word so hard to spell) to spice it up even more.

I eliminated the star anise pods because we are not huge fans of anise, which has a licorice flavor. I also eliminated the rice wine, not because it doesn’t work, I just didn’t have any and we didn’t miss it.

I had never used red Sichuan peppercorns before. They are good, but my family didn’t appreciate the crunch. Sichuan peppercorns are really berries of the prickly ash tree. The substitute for these is regular black peppercorns, coriander seeds and lemon zest.

Ingredients (with substitutions for the more authentic hard to find ingredients)

• 1/2 inch sliced ginger
• 3 scallions
• 2 lb cubed chuck roast
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 TB coriander seed and
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 TB avocado oil
• 15 cloves of garlic peeled
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/4 chile paste
• 2 tomatoes (I tried with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste if you don’t have tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 package of wheat or udon noodles

Steps To Cook Soup

1. Add cubed beef chunks, green onions, ginger and 16 cups of cold water to a large stock pot. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once you have boiling water, uncover and turn heat to low for 10 minutes. Skim the scum off the top. Transfer beef to a large bowl (unless you have two stock pots) and pour the broth on top through a fine mesh strainer.
2. Add avocado oil to the large pot with onions, pepper, coriander seed, lemon zest, garlic cloves and bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add bean paste and tomatoes and continue to cook for two minutes.
4. Add soy sauce and sugar. The original recipe called for light soy sauce, but I didn’t have any. I used dark soy sauce.
5. Add the beef and broth back to the stock pot. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to low for 90 minutes.
6. In a separate pot, cook the noodles per the package instructions.

The last step is to add noodles to each serving bowl, spoon soup over the noodles and garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro. We added extra sriracha sauce because we like that extra kick. This recipe is a great way to cook roast meat quickly. If you don’t like spicy soup, this recipe is not for you.

This recipe is not ideal for cooking in a slow cooker or instant pot because you have to bring it to a boil twice and add the noodles at the end.

Recipe Card

Spicy beef noodle soup recipe

Spicy beef noodle soup, it's filling and it has a kick to it

• 1/2 inch sliced ginger
• 3 scallions
• 2 lb cubed chuck roast
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 TB coriander seed and
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 TB avocado oil
• 15 cloves of garlic peeled
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/4 chile paste
• 2 tomatoes (I tried with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste if you don’t have tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 package of wheat or udon noodles

1. Add cubed beef chunks, green onions, ginger and 16 cups of cold water to a large stock pot. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once you have boiling water, uncover and turn heat to low for 10 minutes. Skim the scum off the top. Transfer beef to a large bowl (unless you have two stock pots) and pour the broth on top through a fine mesh strainer.
2. Add avocado oil to the large pot with onions, pepper, coriander seed, lemon zest, garlic cloves and bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Add bean paste and tomatoes and continue to cook for two minutes.
4. Add soy sauce and sugar. The original recipe called for light soy sauce, but I didn't have any. I used dark soy sauce.
5. Add the beef and broth back to the stock pot. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to low for 90 minutes.
6. In a separate pot, cook the noodles per the package instructions.
7. The last step is to add noodles to each serving bowl, spoon soup over the noodles and garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

Recipes

Asian

Spicy asian soup

The post Spicy Beef Noodle Soup Recipe (with easy to find ingredients) appeared first on Design Morsels.

I LOVE Popcorn, but I hate all the toxic chemicals and unhealthy ingredients that are in store-bought microwave popcorn. If you look at the ingredient list you will likely find palm oil, which is bad for you and “natural flavors” which are NOT natural. I once bought one of the things you put in your microwave to pop pop corn, but I hate to store this kind of tool.

Then I did an experiment. Could I just put popping corn in brown lunch bags with no oil and make my own microwaveable popcorn? YES it works like a charm. You can see for yourself here.

Here’s what you need:

• Popcorn (I like to get Organic popcorn kernels that are non GMO)
• brown bag (be sure to get a bigger size, like this one that is 6″W x 3 5/8″G x 11 1/16″, so you can fold the top over)
• avocado oil spray or extra-virgin olive oil
• a bit of salt – love this Redmond Real salt because it’s unrefined.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

The length of time in your microwave depends on your microwave. Let it pop until you don’t hear pops any more. For my microwave it’s about 3 1/2 minutes on high.

Just be sure you seal up the bag or it doesn’t work. This is my son’s favorite snack and he works at a movie theater where they have that all time favorite movie theater popcorn. This homemade microwave popcorn is the perfect crunchy snack and you are not going to believe how tasty it is. It is truly the best microwave popcorn and the only way we make popcorn anymore!

Ways to Spice Up Your Popcorn

If you don’t like regular popcorn, here are some ideas for how to give yourself a little variety.

• Parmesan Cheese
• Everything but the bagel seasoning
• Chili lime seasoning
• Sea Salt
• Italian Seasoning

The post Quick Healthy Microwave Popcorn in a Brown Paper Bag appeared first on Design Morsels.

I love one box and I canceled one. I’ll share which cuts I liked from each of these services and the things that weren’t that great. The short answer is that I regularly order the Cooks Venture curated box and I canceled Butcher Box. There are things I liked about Butcher Box and I will share those, but there is NO chicken available in the big box grocery store that rivals Cooks Venture.

What Are Heirloom Chickens?

An heirloom chicken is one that is pasture raised and SLOW growing. This is the exact opposite of most chickens raised in the United States. You can tell when you see the whole chicken, it is significantly smaller than the conventional chickens in the local store. But the flavor is bigger.

What Does Grass Fed Grass Finished Mean?

As this video explains, if the package says “grass-fed meat” that doesn’t mean grass finished. The main differences are first, grass finishing takes longer. Second, cows that are not grass-finished are usually fed GMO grains unless the package specifically says otherwise.

Cows have to graze much longer to get to the same weight eating grass vs grains. A cow that is grain-finished will be fed the last 150 days on grains and will take 14 months to get to its final weight vs 30 months for a grass-finished cow.

Cooks Venture and Butcher Box are both grass fed and grass finished beef. Cows that are grass finished are usually organic but always read the labels.

What’s Great About Cooks Venture

Have you noticed that the chicken breasts you get now, even organic ones at your local grocery store, are gigantic? They are also pretty rubbery tasting. Same with the chicken legs. These chicken legs are massive and so are the whole chickens.

There’s a reason for that. They fatten up conventional chickens fast by feeding them crap and keeping them in a confined space. Most of them can’t even stand up.

Cook’s venture raises “heritage” chickens that are free-range. Whether you are into animal welfare or not, there is no denying the superior meat quality and taste. As a result, the birds are a LOT smaller, but the meat is so much better tasting. I love their spatchcock chicken. It is so delicious just with salt, pepper and some garlic powder.

Even the ground chicken tastes drastically different. Have you ever noticed that when you brown ground chicken from the grocery store (even if it’s organic) there is a ton of gross liquid in the pan? This doesn’t happen with Cook’s Venture ground chicken (which I use in my chicken wraps).

Cooks Venture also sells grass-fed, grass-finished beef, grass-fed, grass-finished lamb and heritage pork. They don’t currently have seafood options but it is coming soon.

At the time I’m writing this in mid-2022 they have two custom boxes. You can build a box with 6 items of your choosing for $160 or 12 items for $290. I always get the bigger box. You can get free shipping with either size. You can get $50 dollars off your first box (in 2022). The boxes I’ve received have been 100% frozen even in 100-degree plus weather.

Cooks Venture is NOT a meat subscription box, which I prefer. You can create a unique one-time purchase every time you place an order. I like that because I always find that every subscription plan is designed so that you get more than you use.

My favorite items in order of how much I like them:

• spatchcock chicken (worth the box alone for these),
• brisket (it’s hard to find grass-fed brisket),
• pack of chicken breasts (2 x1.25 b bags counts as one item)
• Grass-fed ground beef
• pack of chicken legs
• ground chicken
• pack of chicken thighs
• ground pork
• whole chicken

Things I don’t order because I’ve tried them and I didn’t like them are: sirloin and rib-eye (not my favorite cuts of meat), chicken wings (not a of meat on these which makes sense).

The things I don’t like about Cooks Venture are that sometimes my favorite items aren’t available. I like so many things that I still place an order, but every once in a while they will be out of something.

The meats need to be thawed in a container, they do leak. I keep a plastic bin in my fridge to thaw all of my beef and chicken. Be prepared, thawing a chicken can take a long time, more than one day. If I had a magic wand I would get fresh meat that is pasture-raised and heritage chickens, but that’s not something I have found.

What I Like About Butcher Box

Butcher Box is a bigger bargain. They have two custom box options, 9-14 pounds of meat for $169 or 18-26 pounds for $305 (as of July 2022). I think it’s a bigger savings vs the grocery store because it’s mostly beef. You can read a comparison of the cost of Butcher Box to the grocery store here.

I like that Butcher box has seafood options like Cod, wild Alaskan salmon, wild caught shrimp and lobster tails.

I don’t like subscription boxes. I wish you could order a la carte and get what you want when you want it. The chicken is free-range and organic, which is not as good as heritage pasture-raised meats.

Did you know this means they are raised in a 2-foot area? That’s what counts as free range. Read this if you want the shocking truth. I won’t go on a rant, I will just say that you CAN TASTE THE DIFFERENCE.

I don’t think the New York Strip steak (which is my husband’s favorite) was as good as the grass fed, grass finished New York Strip from Whole Foods.

Do I Save Money?

The short answer is no. This stuff isn’t cheaper. It’s better! If the most important thing for you is to save money, this is not the best option. This is for people who are really committed to eating high quality meats.

The boxes make it difficult to calculate because there are no individual prices. If you get six-piece chicken box with only chicken breasts you get 15 pounds (12 packs of chicken breast meat, each package is 1.25 pounds). That breaks down to $10.67 per pound. This is more expensive. BUT YOU CAN”T GET HERITAGE PASTURE RAISED CHICKEN at the grocery store. You can get organic, but there’s a big difference.

The only place I’ve seen this kind of chicken is at Trader Joe’s and the only option is a whole chicken.

What is Heritage Pork?

Heritage pork must be pigs registered as purebred. The only two pig breeds in the US that meet this distinction are Berkshire and Ossabaw Island pigs, which were endangered.

Heritage pigs are pasture raised and organic, but always read the labels to be sure. This is a really interesting article about heritage pig farms.

Conclusion

If you are just looking for the best meat delivery services, both Cooks Venture and Butcher Box are at the top of the ladder. But Cooks Venture offers types of meat that you can’t find at the grocery store. I believe that food is medicine and I’m willing to splurge to eat high-quality meat.

The post Cooks Venture Vs Butcher Box, Which One Should You Choose appeared first on Design Morsels.

I discovered a blackened fish tacos recipe that everyone likes, even if they don’t really like fish. I was inspired by this Delicious Bites recipe, but with a spicier slaw.

This is an easy recipe, even though it has lots of ingredients.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Cod fish fillets (thinner filets are better)
• 2 TB blackened seafood spice
• 2 TB avocado oil (better than olive oil for high temperatures)
• corn tortillas
• Cabbage mix 2 cups
• 1 red onion thinly sliced
• 2 TB Mayonaise
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 limes
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

It works best if you make the avocado dip and the spicy slaw ahead of cooking the fish. The blackened fish is best served right after it’s cooked. In my somewhat limited experience, I’ve found fish doesn’t make great leftovers.

Avocado Dip – In a small bowl mix together one ripened avocado mashed, sour cream, the juice of one lime and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Salt to taste and refrigerate. This can be done easily by hand without using a food processor.

Spicy Slaw – In a medium bowl combine 2 cups of thinly sliced cabbage, sliced onion, lime juice, mayonnaise, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. If your family doesn’t like mayo, you could make the slaw with an oil base like avocado oil.

My family doesn’t like mayo, but they didn’t even notice it. I used a precut bag of mixed green cabbage and red cabbage, but you can use any kind of cabbage. You can adjust the spice mixture to your tolerance level. If you like it less spicy you can use chili powder instead of cayenne.

Cook Fish – Lay the fish out on a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Generously coat both sides of the fish with the blackened seasoning. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat with avocado oil. I like to cook with healthy fats like olive oil and avocado oil vs vegetable oil. Read more about vegetable oil here.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

The cast iron gives the fish a dark crispy skin. You don’t have to have cast iron, any pan that can get hot enough to fry will work. Using a non-stick skillet is the easiest for cleanup, but I don’t like to brown in my non-stick. The crust doesn’t get as crisp.

I had to work in two batches because I wasn’t using a large skillet. You may need to add oil in between batches. Cook the fish for approximately 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish. You know the fish is finished when the temperature inside is between 130 and 140 degrees. I really like to use a meat thermometer when I cook because it takes all the guesswork out of fish, chicken and meat. I have several of this one.

When the fish is cooked transfer cod to a plate. Break fish into chunks and top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

While the fish cooks, you can warm tortillas. We like corn tortillas because we try to eat gluten-free, but these tacos would be just as good with flour.

Assemble Tacos – I’ve found over the years that if you eat a lot of tacos, these taco holders making serving soft tacos so much easier.

Add a scoop of fish to your tacos shells, top with avocado cream and crunchy slaw. Our favorite toppings for tacos wouldn’t be complete without jalapenos and lime wedges. You can also serve it with some cojita cheese. I don’t think fish tacos should have cheese, but that’s just a personal preference.

Blackened cod tacos

Fish tacos are a great way to get your family to like fish

• 1 lb Cod fish fillets (thinner filets are better)
• 2 TB blackened seafood spice
• 2 TB avocado oil (better than olive oil for high temperatures)
• corn tortillas
• Cabbage mix 2 cups
• 1 red onion thinly sliced
• 2 TB Mayonaise
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 limes
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1. Avocado Dip – In a small bowl mix together one ripened avocado mashed, sour cream, the juice of one lime and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro. Salt to taste and refrigerate.
2. Spicy Slaw – In a medium bowl combine 2 cups of thinly sliced cabbage, sliced onion, lime juice, mayonnaise, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
3. Cook Fish – Lay the fish out on a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Generously coat both sides of the fish with the blackened seasoning. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat with avocado oil.
4. Work in batches if you need to. Cook the fish for approximately 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fish. You know the fish is finished when the temperature inside is between 130 and 140 degrees.
5. When the fish is cooked transfer cod to a plate. Break fish into chunks and top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
6. While the fish cooks, you can warm tortillas. We like corn tortillas because we try to eat gluten-free, but these tacos would be just as good with flour.
7. Assemble Tacos – Add a scoop of fish to your tacos shells, top with avocado cream and crunchy slaw. You can serve with your favorite toppings like jalapenos, cojita cheese, lime, pico or salsa.

Before you go, you might like this easy Mole recipe or carne asada bowls, a family dish you can build to suit any kind of diet.

The post Blackened Cod Tacos, Finally a fish meal kids are excited to eat appeared first on Design Morsels.

I’ve been searching for a recipe that had the same flavor and this is the closest I’ve come. I adapted this recipe from the Genius Kitchen cookbook. Do you ever buy a cookbook just to get one recipe?

This recipe is ingredient heavy – there are lots of ingredients and they aren’t in some grocery stores. It’s a dish that you make for special occasions. It’s not labor intensive, but it takes a long time to simmer. But the great thing is that once you cook it you can use it for multiple meals.

Ingredient List

• 3 dried ancho chiles
• 3 guajillo chiles
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 TB avocado oil
• 2 white onion chopped
• 2 lb of brisket
• 10 cloves of garlic chopped
• 2 TB chile powder
• 1 TB cumin
• 1 TB oregano
• 29 oz fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 cups beef bone broth

Authentic mole sauce is made with bittersweet chocolate. My family doesn’t like much chocolate in Mexican food, so I didn’t add this to ours, but I think it would add to the depth of the flavor. The original recipe called for 1//4 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate. I grated some into my bowl. The dark chocolate gives it a more complex flavor

Steps

Chop the dried chiles and add to the blender. Add the boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes. Blend and set aside. If you don’t have a blender, this step can be done in a food processor. You might need to add more oil when you add the second batch.

In a heavy dutch oven, add avocado oil and bring to medium heat. Add the salted, cubed brisket and onions to the pan in two batches. Toss each batch in the large pot until browned.

Add all the meat and onions back to the pan. Add the chopped garlic and cilantro stems (did you know the stems have more flavor) and cook for 2 more minutes. Add all of the spices (chili powder, cumin, oregano), dried chili puree, tomatoes and broth (you can use either chicken broth or beef broth). Stir to release the tasty bits on the bottom of the pan.

Reduce heat to a medium-low heat and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until tender enough to break up the meat with a fork.

If you want to add in the chocolate, add it in once the meat is fully cooked. Add salt to taste.

You can adjust the heat level by either using more broth or adding a bit of sour cream.

Three Ways to Serve Mole

The first way you can serve the mole is in a bowl with a few garnishes like pickled onions and jalapenos and some warm corn tortillas. This is the most traditional way to serve it.

The second option is to serve it more like a stew in a bowl. I served it over Mexican rice because I like to soak up all of the delicious mole sauce. You could also serve it over potatoes.

This Mexican rice is white rice with salt, a little bit of olive oil, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Some people like to sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top for a bit of crunch.

The third way to serve it is inside of a taco with cheese and grilled onions. I used some of the leftover meat to make these on the griddle.

I recommend making at least this much and perhaps more. This freezes well in an airtight container. I saved a whole container of just the leftover mole sauce and added it to cooked chicken. The dried chilis the sauce so much flavor, that it made a good fourth meal as chicken mole enchiladas.

I also used the leftover meat to make brisket tacos.

Can You Make Mole in a Slow Cooker?

You absolutely could make Mole sauce in a slow cooker. It would be easier in a slow cooker or instant pot that has a saute feature. You really want to cook the sauce in the pan where you brown the meat so you can get all the delicious flavors from the brown bits.

If you make the Mole in a slow cooker, cook it on low. I cooked mine in my Le Creuset dutch oven. I can’t say enough good things about this pan. I’ve owned it for 30+ years and it has stood the test of time.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Can I make Mole with Chicken?

I would definitely try this recipe using 2lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs. You don’t need to brown the thighs, just the onions.

I really think that using dried chiles is what gives the sauce its rich flavor. I’ve seen other recipes that use adobo sauce instead of the dried chiles, but I don’t think it would be as tasty.

Easy Mole Recipe

this recipe has so much flavor that you'll want to eat it for days

• 3 dried ancho chiles
• 3 guajillo chiles
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 TB avocado oil
• 2 white onion chopped
• 2 lb of brisket
• 10 cloves of garlic chopped
• 2 TB chile powder
• 1 TB cumin
• 1 TB oregano
• 28 oz fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 cups beef bone broth

1. Chop the dried chiles and add to the blender. Add the boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes. Blend and set aside. If you don't have a blender, this step can be done in a food processor. You might need to add more oil when you add the second batch.
2. In a heavy dutch oven, add avocado oil and bring to medium heat. Add the salted, cubed brisket and onions to the pan in two batches. Toss each batch in the large pot until browned.
3. Add all the meat and onions back to the pan. Add the chopped garlic and cilantro stems (did you know the stems have more flavor) and cook for 2 more minutes. Add all of the spices (chili powder, cumin, oregano), dried chili puree, tomatoes and broth (you can use either chicken broth or beef broth). Stir to release the tasty bits on the bottom of the pan.
4. Reduce heat to a medium-low heat and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until tender enough to break up the meat with a fork.
5. If you want to add in the chocolate, add it in once the meat is fully cooked. Add salt to taste.

Before you go, if you like this you might like spicy beef soup, blackened fish tacos or spicy stir fry.

The post An Easy Mole Recipe You Can Use Three Ways appeared first on Design Morsels.

This dinner is so quick, easy and delicious that I will be adding it to the list of easy chicken recipes to repeat. The best part of sheet pan meals is how quickly you can get them ready. This dinner takes about 10 minutes to prepare, but it doesn’t taste like it. It’s a creamy chicken dish that packs a big flavor punch.

For faster clean up you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. This is one of those easy recipes that anyone at any skill can make.

Ingredients:

To make the one-pan chicken, you can either use a sheet pan, baking sheet or a lasagna pan. Since I make most things in my Breville oven I made it in a lasagna pan. Be sure to spray the bottom with cooking oil to make cleanup easy.

• Olive oil spray or a tablespoon of olive oil
• 2lb chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces*
• I package of garlic and herb Boursin cheese, cut into pieces
• 1 onion roughly chopped (you can use yellow or red onion)
• One pint of grape tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano (you can use fresh herbs if you’ve got them)
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

This is not a sponsored post about chicken, but it s a resource worth sharing. I started ordering chicken from Cooks Venture about a year ago. It is the best chicken, the chicken breasts are the most juicy chicken breasts I’ve ever had. I feel like the grocery store chickens lately are dry and tasteless. The CooksVenture boneless chicken breasts come in packs of two. The spatchcock chicken is AMAZING and the drumsticks are really good too.

Steps To Get It Ready for the Oven

Start by spraying your pan with oil. Spread chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into cubes over the sheet. Cut up the Boursin cheese and spread it evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the pan with garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, red pepper, salt and pepper.

Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes. In my smaller oven, the chicken is finished more quickly. Cook until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees. The top should be bubbly. I like for the tomatoes and cheese to get brown on top.

There is minimal cleanup if you’ve sprayed the pan before you start.

One Pan Chicken Dinner

Easy prep, one-pan chicken dinner is a family favorite

• Olive oil spray or a tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 lb chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces*
• I package of garlic and herb Boursin cheese (cut into pieces)
• 1 onion roughly chopped (you can use yellow or red onion)
• One pint of grape tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano (you can use fresh herbs if you’ve got them)
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Start by spraying your pan with oil. Spread chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut into cubes over the sheet. Cut up the Boursin cheese and spread it evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the pan with garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, red pepper, salt and pepper.
2. Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes. In my smaller oven, the chicken is finished more quickly. Cook until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees. The top should be bubbly. I like for the tomatoes and cheese to get brown on top.
3. There is minimal cleanup if you've sprayed the pan before you start.
   
4. 
   
   

Serve by itself or over pasta. Pair with a side salad.

Recipes

Dinners

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to serve this dish is over pasta. If you want gluten-free use Banza chickpea pasta (the best gluten-free pasta alternative). It pairs well with fresh veggies or a green salad. If you want more traditional side dishes try serving it with green beans with a touch of lemon juice.

It freezes well, so make extra and keep it in airtight containers so you have an easy meal to grab on busy weeknights.

This is a dish that can be served at any time of year, in the summer you can let it cool to room temperature and serve it over a bed or greens. I struggle every week to decide on a dish that the whole family loves, but this is an easy dinner for a busy night. You just set it and forget it.

What if You Only Like Dark Meat?

I don’t think this would be good with chicken legs, but you can use boneless, skinless boneless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat. I would cut the thighs into pieces.

If you like one pan meals, take a look at this easy Greek frittata and one pan halibut dinner.

The post Easy One-Pan Chicken Dinner Recipe That The Whole Family Will Love appeared first on Design Morsels.

I didn’t make the classic hot pocket, pizza pockets, but I did make turkey, cheese and avocado pockets. I liked it so much that I tried a few different variations with my favorite fillings, which were even better. It is definitely a family favorite, although mine looked nothing like the video that caught my attention.

The best way to prepare these is the air fryer method, that way you get the best texture and that extra crispy crust. You can bake them in the oven and they will be just as good, it will just have a longer cook time.

Supplies You’ll Need for an air fryer homemade hot pocket

To make these hot pockets I cheated by using sourdough bread instead of pastry. You will need a rolling pin, a pastry brush and an air fryer (for best results). You can use a regular oven, but they don’t get as toasty and the cooking time may be a bit longer.

The ingredient list can be tweaked to suit even the pickiest eaters in your family.

• Sourdough bread sliced – 2 slices per sandwich
• Roast turkey – 3 slices per sandwich
• Avocado – about 1/4 per sandwich
• Shredded cheese – I used sharp cheddar cheese
• Avocado spray or olive oil spray – you can apply oil to the bread with a pastry brush if you don’t have spray, I just like the way the spray applies the oil so evenly.
• Egg whites

A word about cheese selection: everyone has cheeses that they like better than others. I think this sandwich is better with strong-flavored cheese. You can substitute any cheese your whole family likes. I think mozzarella cheese is too mild because both the turkey and avocado have a mild flavor.

You can see nutritional information in the recipe card below.

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Take two slices of sourdough bread and roll them as flat as possible.
2. Set up your egg wash in a small bowl. You can use the whole egg, but I used just the egg white.
3. Put a few slices of turkey onto the bread, followed by cheese and mashed avocado. Sprinkle the avocado with salt.
4. Using a pastry brush, dab the edges of the bread with egg wash.
5. Place the second slice of bread on top and use the tine end of a fork to crimp the edges of the bread together.
6. Set the finished sandwich onto a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper) and repeat until you have the desired number of sandwiches.
7. Spray the tops of the hot pocket with avocado oil generously, repeat on the bottom. This is what gives the sandwich its crispiness.
8. Bake in the air fryer basket or oven at 400 degrees f for 8-10 minutes. Flip sandwiches halfway through. They should be golden brown.

I like how the sandwiches look when you serve them sliced in half. Slice using a sharp knife.

I like how the sandwiches look when you serve them sliced in half. Slice using a sharp knife.

Serving suggestions

These can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator up to the point where you spray them with oil and bake them. I stored mine in the fridge with a towel over the tops to keep them from drying out.

I served these with a side of homemade honey mustard for dipping and a salad. You can also serve with a side of fruit and pickles. I am wondering if the recipe would work with puff pastry but I haven’t tested it. I didn’t use homemade pizza dough because that’s NOT quick.

Hot Pocket Recipe Notes

If you have leftover hot pockets, these can be reheated if you store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The downside of doing them in the air fryer is that it’s hard to make them in large batches. If you have to make a lot, I recommend cooking them in the oven. if you bake them in the oven, bake on a cooling rack so that air can circulate around them for better browning.

Here are a few different variations on how to make these, but you can use your imagination.

• Pizza pockets – fill with pizza sauce and any pizza fillings, pepperoni, onion, mushroom, etc.
• Sauteed onion, Gruyere cheese and cooked bacon (this is my personal favorite)
• Canadian bacon and swiss cheese
• Cheese pockets – use a mixture of different cheeses for fancy grilled cheese.
• To save time try leftover chicken and any gooey cheese of your preference

I hope you enjoy this easy recipe. I will be making these delicious hot pockets on repeat with lots of different fillings. This has become one of my go-to meals. It’s an easy, quick lunch or dinner.

Home Made Hot Pockets

This is a quick dinner or lunch that will be a family favorite

• Sourdough bread sliced – 2 slices per sandwich
• Roast turkey – 3 slices per sandwich
• Avocado – about 1/4 per sandwich
• Shredded cheese – I used sharp cheddar
• Avocado spray or olive oil spray – you can apply oil to the bread with a pastry brush if you don’t have spray (I just like the way the spray applies the oil so evenly.)
• Egg whites

1. Take two slices of sourdough bread and roll them as flat as possible.
2. Set up your egg wash in a small bowl. You can use the whole egg, but I used just the egg white.
3. Put a few slices of turkey onto the bread, followed by cheese and mashed avocado. Sprinkle the avocado with salt.
4. Using a pastry brush, dab the edges of the bread with egg wash.
5. Place the second slice of bread on top and use a fork to crimp the edges of the bread together.
6. Set the finished sandwich onto a baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper) and repeat until you have the desired number of sandwiches.
7. Spray the sides of each pocket with avocado oil generously. This is what gives the sandwich its crispiness.
8. Bake in the air fryer or oven at 400 degrees f for 8-10 minutes. Flip sandwiches halfway through. They should be golden brown.

Recipes

Dinners

Before you go, if you liked this you might want to try spicy air fry chicken strips or if you don’t like them spicy try these gluten free chicken strips in your air fryer.

The post Home Made Hot Pockets In the Air Fryer – An Easy Dinner appeared first on Design Morsels.

The great thing about serving crepes is that they can be made ahead and served at room temperature. This makes them a great dish to make ahead for company. They also have the added bonus of LOOKING really impressive.

I will start by giving you a basic crepe recipe and tell you how the simple trick is to adapt it for sweet crepes and savory crepes. Then I’m going to share a bunch of crepe filling ideas you can try for desserts.

Do I Need A Crepe Pan?

You don’t have to have a crepe pan. I really like to make them in a crepe pan, but you can make them in a non-stick skillet. If you decide that you like making them, you can get an inexpensive pan on Amazon. Using a steel crepe pan vs. non-stick pan does allow you to get the pan a little hotter.

You don’t need the fancy spreader that you see when you look for the pan either. That’s not how Julia Child did it. Her method is used for authentic french crepes.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Ingredients for Crepe Batter (adapted from Julia Child recipe)

• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 TB sugar (use for sweet crepe recipe, omit for savory)

This is an easy crepe batter recipe and making the batter is so simple. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend well to form a smooth batter. If you don’t have a blender you can use a food processor or mixer.

For best results let the batter rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. If you want to make crepes that can be used for sweets or savory fillings, leave out the sugar and add a pinch of salt.

How to Make Crepes

Remember how the first pancake never looks very pretty? The same is true for crepes, the first crepe is a throw away most likely.

Put your pan on medium-high heat. Add a tiny bit of ghee (which has a higher smoke point) to the pan and distribute evenly with a pastry brush. If you don’t have ghee you can use oil. As much as possible I try not to use any oils except olive oil and avocado oil. These don’t feel like they go with crepes, so I use ghee.

Ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan. Pour the batter into the center of the pan and swirl in a circular motion to coat the entire bottom of the pan with a thin layer of crepe batter. If you have a small hole you can get a dab of batter and fill it in.

Use a small spatula to loosen the edge (I like to use one that is like a cake decorating spatula but it’s not a requirement). The first side cooks for approximately two minutes, or until it is slightly brown. I think the easiest way to flip it is with your fingers. (see the video). Cook on the second side for approximately 1 minute and flip onto a cooling rack. Repeat the steps until you’ve used up all the batter.

When the crepes are cool separate them with a layer of parchment paper. If you aren’t planning to use them right away they can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container. I use a ziplock bag. Cooked crepes can be easily warmed in the microwave in 20-30 seconds, so they are a perfect for aquick dessert.

Now that you’ve made the crepes, here are eight easy crepe fillings.

8 Sweet Fillings for Crepes

You can’t really go wrong when it comes to dessert crepes. Many recipes call for using liqueur, but that’s not my preference. If you think you might want to set up a crepe bar, get ideas for that here.

1. Fresh fruit filling – cut up strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries. Toss them with sugar to bring out the natural sweetness. You can either put the berries inside the crepe or fold the crepe into quarters and top with fruit. You can add whipped creme to the top, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce. This one requires no additional cooking. It’s quick and easy.
2. Cinnamon sugar crepe – Smear the inside of the crepe with a thin layer of butter and sprinkle it will cinnamon sugar. You can either roll it, or I like to fold it into a quarter. This is another easy no-cook option.
3. Cream cheese filling – This one requires a bit more time, but worth it. You combine equal parts of stiffly whipped cream and softened cream chees. I found this recipe, which called for 8 oz of each. Sweeten to taste. The recipe called for 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, but I used less than 1 cup. Add one reason on vanilla extract and I used the juice of one lemon. If you have someone in your family that loves cheesecake, they will like this one. You can top with nuts or chocolate syrup.
4. Chocolate cream filling – Whip 1 cup of cream and add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 2TB of cocoa powder.
5. Baked apple filling – If you like apple, pie you can make a similar filling for crepes. Use granny smith apples, chop them into small pieces. Combine in a skillet with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
6. Easy bananas foster (without flames) – Add bananas, brown sugar and butter to a skillet. Cook until warmed but not mushy. Use this as the stuffing for the crepe and top with whipped cream.
7. Nutella – I hate Nutella because it is filled with crap ingredients. Palm oil is the second ingredient, this ingredient is banned in France. You can get the same flavor with Rawmio (which has actually nuts in it).
8. Pumpkin spice – This one is good for fall. Whip 1 cup of cream to stiff peaks. Fold in 1/2 can of pumpkin puree whipped to stiff peaks with 1/4 cup confectioners sugar and 1/2 tsp pumpking pie spice. (filling inspired from this recipe).

If you haven’t tried making crepes before, give it a try. It’s a great dessert to keep on hand in the freezer. You can have a special in mere minutes.  

The post Dessert Crepe Filling Ideas (includes recipe and video) appeared first on Design Morsels.