Super fast fish tacos

If you are looking for a really easy dinner, make fish tacos using frozen fish sticks! My husband and I loved these. There is a delicious sauce that you can adapt to suit your tastes. The version below is very mild but very flavorful. And, of course, you can use whatever toppings you have on hand. The fish sticks take about 20 minutes to bake, but other than that, there's very little time commitment. The sauce tastes better the longer it refrigerates, so make it first. Don't we all love achieving great results with very little effort?

THE RECIPE:

20 frozen fish sticks, baked according to package directions
10 6-inch tortillas (I used flour)

Optional toppings:

Corn
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded cheese
Lettuce, spinach or cabbage
Green onions
Cilantro

Sauce:

1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. lime juice
1/8 tsp. each chili powder, cumin, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and dried basil

Mix sauce ingredients and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. Assemble tacos as desired, using two fish sticks per tortilla. Top with sauce.

Something different: tuna + lasagna

This is cheesy tuna lasagna with mushrooms and basil. The base recipe came from our cute niece Cassidee, who is a great cook. It's comfort food, of course, with all that cheese. This dish is a snap to throw together, and our family really enjoys it!

THE RECIPE:

9 lasagna noodles
2 5-ounce cans tuna, drained
1 10.5-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. plus 1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. cottage cheese
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 c. shredded cheese (I have used mozzarella or cheddar)
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, mix tuna, soup, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 teaspoon basil, and pepper.

Spread about 3/4 cup of tuna mixture onto bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Lay down three noodles, then layer as follows: 3/4 cup of tuna mixture, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 4 ounces mushrooms, 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Lay down three more noodles, then repeat layering process. End with last three noodles, then top with remaining shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon basil.

Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand about 15 minutes so sauce can thicken.

Best tilapia ever

Our whole family absolutely loves this Parmesan tilapia. We could eat it every week. It's incredibly easy and fast to make. We hope you like it as much as we do.

THE RECIPE:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless tilapia fillets, completely thawed
Salt
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese (not the powder)
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. each dried basil, black pepper, onion powder, chili powder

Mix cheese, butter, mayo, lemon juice and seasonings in small bowl.

Turn oven to broil setting on high. Move rack to highest possible position, which is 4 or 5 inches from heating element. Let oven preheat. Place tilapia fillets on baking pan or cookie sheet coated in cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Tuck under any very thin parts of the fish to ensure even cooking. Place in oven for 2 minutes. Flip over fillets and salt the other sides, then place in oven again for 1 more minute. Remove and spoon Parmesan mixture over all. Cook for 2 minutes more.

Fish is done when the color becomes opaque and the fish flakes easily with a fork. It will still look and be moist. If you are new to cooking fish, please restrain yourself from the need to overcook the fish. It only needs a few minutes under this kind of intense heat and it's perfect.

Tilapia time

I am really lucky that my whole family loves fish. It's light and healthy. I only wish it were less expensive. I stock up on tilapia and salmon when they go on sale. This garlic tilapia is really tasty and easy to make.

THE RECIPE:

1 1b. tilapia fillets, completely thawed
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed*
Cilantro, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place fish in baking dish, taking care to tuck under any thin parts to ensure even cooking. Cover in melted butter, oil, salt and pepper, and lemon juice. Spread around garlic bits with a fork. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until fish flakes when pierced with a fork. Spoon juices over fish. Garnish with a little chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.

*I used two cloves, which gave the dish a little kick. After all, it is called GARLIC tilapia.

Another great day for pesto

Pesto has never let me down. I had never tried it on fish, but it was a hit. Of course it was! I'm sorry I even considered doubting. That was rude of me. Give this salmon with pesto mayo a try for a fast, delicious and unique meal. The recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens.

THE RECIPE:

4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets, completely thawed
Salt
Lemon juice
2 Tbsp. bread crumbs
1/4 c. mayo or Miracle Whip
3 Tbsp. basil pesto
1 Tbsp. grated/shredded Parmesan cheese

Broil bread crumbs on high until golden brown. Set aside. Season fish with salt and place on greased baking sheet with rims or on greased rack of broiler pan, tucking under any thin edges. Broil 4 inches from heat for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness, or until fish flakes easily with fork. (Mine were 1/2 inch thick and took only 4 minutes. Don't overcook your fish!) If fillets are 1 inch thick, turn once halfway through broiling.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together mayo and pesto. Set aside. Stir together bread crumbs and cheese in another bowl. Sprinkle a hint of lemon juice on each fillet when fish comes out of oven. Spoon pesto mixture over all, then sprinkle with crumb mixture. Broil 1 to 2 minutes more.

Health food

This is the way my cousin eats a tuna fish "sandwich" -- inside a raw bell pepper. She really loves it. I thought we'd give it a try with the peppers from our garden. I'm sorry to say that my husband thought our meal tasted like grass. My 4-year-old had a few bites, so she must have thought it was fine. I thought it was OK -- it definitely tasted healthy -- but maybe a red pepper would have been more to my liking. If you are a fan of raw peppers (maybe you are someone who puts them on veggie trays) you will like this.

THE RECIPE:

2 cans tuna fish, drained
Mayonnaise
Splash of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 whole bell peppers

Mix tuna with your desired amount of mayo, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Slice bell peppers in half. Remove seeds and membranes. Spread tuna mixture into bell pepper halves.

Tangy tilapia

This recipe for tilapia with roasted corn came to me by way of my sister-in-law Jennifer, who I think found it online. We loved this recipe, and my favorite part was how extremely easy it was to put together. The lime juice really makes this dish.

THE RECIPE:

4-6 tilapia fillets, completely thawed
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. corn (frozen or canned)
Juice of one lime (about 3 Tbsp.)

Preheat broiler on high. Mix mayo, chili and onion powders, and salt. Spray pan or baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tilapia fillets in pan, then spread mayo mixture over all. Top with corn. (No need to thaw frozen corn. Drain canned corn.) Broil for 10 minutes on middle oven rack, or until fish flakes easily and corn is browned. Squeeze lime juice evenly over all.

This is dill-icious!

We loved this cucumber-dill sauce with our poached salmon. It was delicious! This is a fantastic way to serve fish. The recipe came from none other than Market Street Grill (a Utah hotspot for seafood) -- right off their website -- so is there any doubt it would be good? You've got to try this.


THE RECIPE:

1 large cucumber
1/3 c. mayo (I used light)
1/3 c. sour cream (I used light)
1/2 tsp. to 3/4 tsp. dried dill weed
1/8 tsp. to 1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Peel and seed cucumber, then puree in food processor or blender. Squeeze out juice. Mix mayo and sour cream. Add pureed cucumber. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate at least four hours before serving. Makes enough for 1 1/2 pounds fish.

Something fishy's going on

We are on a salmon kick lately in our family. Healthy stuff, you know. It's also delicious, and there are so many ways to cook it. This recipe has an Asian twist. We really liked it. The other nice thing about salmon is that it takes mere minutes to cook.

THE RECIPE:

1 lb. salmon fillets
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Toss salmon and sauce ingredients in plastic bag. Refrigerate for as long as possible so flavors can soak in. Place bag contents in frying pan, cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Uncover and cook salmon for about two minutes on each side, or until salmon flakes easily. Discard liquid. Cook just a little on each side in dry pan until salmon is browned and glazed.

The big tuna

I think tuna casserole is probably one of the most cliche casseroles out there. But you know what? It really is good, and it's an easy way to sneak a little seafood into your diet. This one is topped with potato chips to give it a nice salty crunch. I use whole-wheat noodles to up the health factor.

THE RECIPE:

8 ounces wide noodles
2 cans tuna, drained
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. milk
2 c. frozen peas
Potato chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles according to package directions, then drain. Mix tuna, soup, milk and peas in bowl, then add noodles and spread in baking pan. Cover with crushed potato chips. Bake for 30 minutes.