Baked Haddock Casserole

Baked Haddock Casserole

Who would guess that under the crushed "hint of salt" Ritz crackers is a light covering of shredded cheese & Parsley flakes?  Under that is an individual sized portion of Haddock or Cod.  There's also the light sprinkling of Parsley, Paprika & Basil on the fish. 
Baked Haddock Casserole!  This is such a delicious entree! 

My Fiestaware individual sized casserole dishes are perfect for baking this yummy seafood.  It can be prepared any time during the year using fresh or defrosted Haddock.

We've enjoyed this at dinner so many times during the past year.  Last summer when we were at the Cape (Cape Cod in MA) we stopped in for dinner at a favorite restaurant in Orleans, MA- Rock Harbor Grill.  At dinner that evening we had a yummy baked fish entree, only it contained sausage in the topping.  Considering that I am watching my cholesterol, I decided to make a similar dish at home minus the sausage.  I add Paprika for the extra kick here.  To be honest, I do not see a difference in taste.

The fish is light & moist in this casserole.  The cheese & herbs give it a great taste.  It has become one of our favorite dinners on a cold New England night.

Bake this entree some evening!  It is so good!    

Baked Haddock Casserole
     2 servings  

Oven Temperature:  350°F          Time:  45 Minutes

Ingredients:
2 pieces (1/2 lb. each) Captain's Cut Haddock (- thick pieces)
1/8 teaspoon Parsley Flakes
1/8 teaspoon Paprika
1/8 teaspoon Basil
3- 4 ounces shredded Mozzarella or Mozzarella/ Cheddar Cheese combo
15 Hint of Salt Ritz Crackers, crushed   OR   2/3 Cup Bread Crumbs

3 Tablespoons Butter/ Margarine, melted
1/3 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Method:

1. Butter individual baking dishes.
2. Rinse Haddock under cool running water.
3. Place in baking dish.
4. Sprinkle on Parsley Flakes.
5. Then, sprinkle on Paprika & Basil.
6. Cover with shredded Cheese.
7. In a small bowl combine crushed Ritz Crackers  OR  Bread Crumbs & Garlic Powder.
8. Add melted Butter/ Margarine & Worcestershire Sauce.  Combine well.
9. Spread half of Mixture Topping on top of each baking dish.
10. Bake at 350° F for 45 Minutes.

I find the crushed Ritz crackers work well here as do the Bread Crumbs, so I use either.  

This entree is just delicious!  There's no need to enjoy it only at a restaurant!  Serve it at home with a Salad & a Baked Potato!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

      

Banana Cornmeal Pancakes

Banana Cornmeal Pancakes
(File Photo)

O.K., I admit it!  I wrote this post for me.  That's right.  Banana Cornmeal Pancakes are so easy to prepare- especially if you use a box of "Jiffy" Corn Muffin Mix.  That is one of the few "mixes" that I use when baking/ cooking.  It's probably totally comfort food for me.  Growing up my mom always used this mix for Cornmeal Muffins.  Now, I use this mix for pancakes that are banana flavored.

In the past the recipe for the Cornmeal Pancakes was printed on the box.  However, times have changed.  It's no longer visible- at all.  So, I always google to locate it.  I always seem to forget the amount of Milk needed.  For this reason I am writing this post!  For me & also for all of you who just may try it!

My Substitutions:

• Soy Milk for the Milk  

• 2 Egg Whites for 1 Whole Egg.   

• Olive Oil for sauteing & baking for melted shortening.

Banana Cornmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 whole ripened Banana, mashed
2 Egg Whites, beaten
1/2 Soy Milk
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil for baking & sauteing
1 pk. Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Method:

1. Combine mashed Banana & beaten Egg Whites.
2. Add Soy Milk + Olive Oil.
3. Combine with 1 pkg. Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix.  Stir well.
4. Use about 1/2 cup batter for each pancake, more if desired.
5. Place batter on hot griddle, turning over when brown.

This morning we enjoyed this pancakes.  When I prep them again, I will not need to google the amount of Milk! Woohoo!

The extra pancakes???  Oh, I always freeze them.  Place in a sandwich bag & then in a Ziploc Freezer Bag.  Label/ date & freeze.  They are so tasty on a busy morning- after heating in the microwave!

Enjoy
Yummy!

Grilled Chicken Flatbread with Roasted Veggies

Grilled Chicken Flatbread
with Roasted Green Pepper & Zucchini

Sometimes, do you have a few slices of Grilled Chicken remaining after dinner?  Do you have a Green Pepper & a small Zucchini just waiting in the fridge?  If the answer is Yes, Flatbread Pizza might be in your future!  This summer whenever we have leftover Grilled Chicken I know we'll be having this for dinner in the next 2 days!  

In April I shared how yummy BBQ Pork Tenderloin Flatbreads with Roasted Asparagus are.  Roasted Asparagus & fresh Spinach were placed on top along with chunks of BBQed Pork Tenderloin.  What a quick, easy & yummy dinner!

The packages of Flatbread that I use have baking directions on the package.  I make 3 White Flatbreads.

***Roasting Veggies:  Rinse veggies under cold running water, pat dry & cut into slices or chunks.  After coating with baking & sauteing Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, Basil & Oregano, they are roasted in a 450°F oven for 15 minutes. 

Then it's time to start making the Flatbreads!

Ready for the oven!

Grilled Chicken Flatbreads with Roasted Veggies

Ingredients: 
Flatbreads
***Roasted Green Pepper strips & Roasted Zucchini slices.
1/4 Cup Ricotta Cheese (can be Fat Free) for each Flatbread
Grilled Chicken cut into chunks
1 teaspoon Water
4 teaspoons BBQ Sauce
Shredded Cheese- desired amount to be sprinkled on top

Method:

1. Place (3) Flatbreads in a large cookie pan & bake in a 375°F Oven for 2 Minutes. Remove from oven.
2. Spread about 1/4 Cup Ricotta Cheese on each.  (I use Fat Free.)
3. Place Roasted Green Pepper strips & Roasted Zucchini slices on each Flatbread. 
4. Add Grilled Chicken, that's cut in chunks.
5. In a small cup combine 1 teaspoon cold water & 4 teaspoons BBQ Sauce.  Mix well.
6. Drizzle BBQ sauce mixture over the 3 Flatbreads.
7. Sprinkle desired amount of Shredded Cheese on top.
8. Bake for 5 Minutes at 375°F.
9. Remove from cookie pan & cut each Flatbread into 3- 4 pieces.

Any extra slices are refrigerated for the next day's lunch!

These are so good & not full of dough!  Just topped with chunks of Grilled Chicken & Roasted Veggies!  With all of the local fresh produce at our roadside stands, fresh veggies are now in season!  

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Peach Freezer Jam

Peach Freezer Jam

The local peach crop is in this year!  That was just great news for me & my annual preparation of Peach Freezer Jam!  There are 9 containers of this yummy jam sitting on our dining room table as I am typing this.  One batch yields 9 one cup containers + a small custard cup filled with the remainder (covered with foil).

On Friday the local peaches were purchased.  The needed amount for preparing the jam was placed in paper lunch bags to ripen.  They sat (closed) on the counter for 2 days.  Yesterday, the ripened peaches went into the fridge.  Today is Peach Freezer Jam Day for me!

The process is always the same.  I use Certo liquid pectin.  The directions are found in each box of Certo.  I always read over my own Helpful Hints, too!  I make only one batch.  However, if you will be preparing 2 batches, make each batch separately.

To start, rinse the fruit under cold running water.  Use clean utensils. 

After the jam is prepared & placed in the 1 cup freezer containers & covered/ labelled, it sits undisturbed for 24 hours.  Tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM I'll be placing the Peach Freezer Jam in our large freezer!  That little custard cup?  Oh, that will be placed in our fridge to enjoy for the next couple of weeks.  :)

Freezer Jams are just the best!

We will enjoy them again this year!
Yummy!

Colors in July

Salmon Daylilies
with Marigolds

For the past 2+ weeks our Salmon Daylilies have blossomed!  Suddenly, each morning there were 36+ blossoms to enjoy.  Every vibrant color of summer flowers are always a welcomed sight!  Some are perennials & a few others are annuals.  The Irises already blossomed, but the graceful green foliage add another shade of green to our lawn.   

Another View

A closer look-

Front Perennial Garden
with Marigolds

The saved Zinnia seeds were planted this spring.  Now, they are beginning to blossom.

Zinnias & Marigolds

Each week the view is a bit different, but always colorful & filled with flowers! 

Enjoy!

~Blueberry Freezer Jam~

Blueberry Freezer Jam

July & Blueberries go hand in hand!  It's the month when I purchase the locally grown berries from Calabrese Farms in Southwick, MA & prep them for our freezer.  3 quarts are always saved to make Blueberry Freezer Jam the next day.  It's a tradition with me.  In my mom's kitchen we made the cooked jams, but years later I learned about the easy to prepare freezer jams.  That's my "go to" method!

Certo (liquid pectin), sugar & lemon juice are the other ingredients I use.  The complete directions are found in each box of Certo.  My 1 cup Ziploc freezer containers are located & my kitchen becomes a jam kitchen.  

A certain amount of blueberries are crushed & added to sugar.  They are stirred & the process begins.  It's always handy to have all the ingredients, utensils & containers/ lids ready to use.  Time just flies by after you set the timer. 

On Monday evening 3 batches of Blueberry Freezer Jam were sitting on our dining room table for the 24 hour time period.     

***Always prepare only 1 batch at a time. 

24 hours after the lids are placed on the top (& labelled/ dated) the jams are frozen.

My additional hints for freezer jams.

Do you prepare Freezer Jams?   So delicious!

We'll enjoy it all year!
Yummy!

Tomato & Grilled Zucchini Salad

Tomato & Grilled Zucchini Salad

When preparing dinner I usually take out my iPad, place it on my kitchen counter & cook- using recipes on my blog or others I've saved.  There are countless yummy foods that I've posted that we like.  The ingredients are usually on hand, too.          

Now, it's the time of year to BBQ!  Zucchini is a veggie that we like sauteed, but during the warmer months it finds a place on our grill whenever we're grilling dinner.  Oregano, Basil & Garlic Powder added to the Baking & Sauteing Olive Oil give that veggie great flavoring!  Usually 3 or 4 Zucchini are prepared.  They are so good! 

One of the Grilled Zucchini are not eaten at dinner.  It's saved for Tomato & Grilled Zucchini Salad the next day!  This cold salad is just yummy with a little Balsamic Vinaigrette drizzled on top!

Tomato & Grilled Zucchini Salad

Ingredients:
1- 2 Grilled Zucchini, cold (Directions for grilling) 
1 Large Tomato- cut into chunks
Feta Cheese
Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions: 

1. Cut Grilled Zucchini into slices.
2. Cut Tomato into chunks.
3. Place into serving dishes.
4. Sprinkle on Feta Cheese.
5. Drizzle Balsamic Vinaigrette on top.

It's a delicious cold salad!

Enjoy!
Yummy!