Butter box underside reveals how-to's for spicy fish tacos

These fish tacos were just the best. Sweet-and-spicy tilapia was nestled on a bed of coleslaw with a sour cream/lime/cilantro sauce drizzled over it. Corn tortillas, of course, formed the packaging.

Something about fish tacos provides a nice break in the pre-Christmas fare. The meal was easy to drum up on a busy December night. Hubby was all agog and was very remorseful when the supply ran out. A carved-up avocado was just the right garnish.

The recipe hailed from another most unlikely place—the underside of my Land O Lakes unsalted butter box. I was just about to toss out my box when I noted that the underbelly of it had writing on it. On the perpetual hunt for new recipes, I thought just maybe . . . yes! The recipe said “Sweet & Spicy Baked Shrimp Tacos”. I had tilapia on hand and decided to sub it for the shrimp. Great substitution but would love to try it with shrimp sometime.

Sweet and Spicy Baked Shrimp Tacos

Spice mixture:

1/3 cup sugar (I used sugar substitute)

3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons plain breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Shrimp: 

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (tested with Land O Lakes brand)

1 (16-ounce) package uncooked thawed medium shrimp (I used 1 pound fresh tilapia)

Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream (I used fat-free)

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Tacos: 

16 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed

2 cups coleslaw mix

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Combine all-spice mixture ingredients in a small bowl. Dip shrimp in butter and then in spice mixture. Place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until shrimp are pink and coating is bubbly. Meanwhile combine all sauce ingredients in small bowl. To assemble tacos, stack 2 warmed tortillas onto each individual serving plate. Top with 1/8 of the baked shrimp and 1/4 cup coleslaw mix. Drizzle with sauce. Makes 8 tacos. 

Invention truly was the mother of this fabulous winter-night veggie pasta dish

What a great idea for a winter night, I thought as I pulled together my ingredients for Vegetable and Cheese Pasta. I could just see it residing in my large pasta bowl of my blue spongeware dishes. I could imagine how beautiful it would look and how satisfying it would taste.

Ready to begin cooking, I surveyed the recipe, which I had in my files from a 2000 of Prevention magazine. No biggie, I thought to myself. I can whip this together in no time. I accomplished steps 1 and 2—boil pasta, drain, cook onion in oil.

Then I looked again. Where was the remainder of my recipe? I looked on the back of the magazine clipping. The back contained the directions for other recipes, but this one had managed to be continued on a page I didn't save. I dashed to the computer to Google it. Alas, Prevention didn't appear to keep recipes from a decade ago. I did an online search of veggie pasta recipes in general. Nothing seemed exactly what I had in mind. I would have to wing it.

Now, winging it is tough for those of my "J" personality type. As I've mentioned before, I have to have things outlined for me methodically, with no deviations allowed. Don't change directions on me, and for heaven's sakes, don't require me to improvise. But my ingredients already were assembled; I couldn't turn back. I simply would have to invent my own version of how this dish should be made.

Well, as you can see from the attached photo, bottom line was that things turned out just fine. To fill in the gaps I added the remaining steps that seemed to be provided. This dish was an easy thing, with no oven preparation required—mainly a heat-and-stir operation. So I "made do" by using my own ingenuity. And invention seemed to be part of this recipe anyway, since you could build your own dish by adding whatever veggies and whatever kind of cheese you desired or had on hand.

The result was a wonderful winter-evening meal—and to suit the constraints of No-Time December perfectly, it made enough for two or three meals for Hubby and me. That's at least one or maybe two more December nights I get a pass on cooking. Hooray for me! I overrode my "J-ness" and used my head to create a to-die-for entree that even could show up at a Christmas bring-a-dish with no shame whatsoever.

Vegetable and Cheese Pasta

12-ounces angel hair or linguine pasta

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, cut into small wedges

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth

4 cups cooked vegetables (any combination, such as cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, beets, cabbage, rutabagas, parsnips)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 ounces cheese (such as Cheddar, feta, or Monterey Jack), crumbled

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain; reserving some of the liquid. Set aside. Meanwhile heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes or until the onion is almost soft. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. Into the same skillet stir in the balsamic vinegar, vegetable broth, cooked vegetables, fresh oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add pasta and stir, mixing thoroughly. If necessary for moisture add a few tablespoons of the reserved liquid from cooking the pasta. Add all the cheese, reserving the two tablespoons Parmesan for topping. Stir until cheese is melted. Pour mixture into large pasta bowl. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan on top. Serves 8.

Spinach-Cheese Omelet for dinner—another healthy way to (nutritionally) survive the December ratrace

Things don't get any easier—or healthier—than this. I'm still majoring on what every cook knows is the major trial of of Christmas Month. It may be the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, but it's also the most frustrating month in terms of trying to get quick, healthy meals on the table . . . and deck the halls, buy the gifts, wrap the gifts, address the cards, and meet social obligations. If I neglect to prepare IN ADVANCE for our food needs that will arise in this important month, I pay for it during the (now) 21 days until Christmas.

A recent issue of Prevention magazine addressed this dilemma by presenting a step-by-step illustration of how to make a "dinner" omelet. The article begins with the words, "Got eggs? Then you've got supper." The recipe is packed with substitutions—water for milk or cream; egg substitute for whole eggs; and olive oil rather than butter. It suggests throwing in whatever veggies you have on hand, thus sneaking in an extra veggie serving as well as using up leftovers (particularly Thanksgiving ones). Adding crusty French bread and a serving of grapes or a cut-up orange or other fruit makes for a classy meal.

The leftover I had on hand was about half a bag of fresh spinach, which as we all know goes South very quickly. In the microwave I steamed the spinach with a teaspoon of water and a dash of salt substitute. Then I stirred in about 1 teaspoon butter and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. My filling then was ready to stuff into my omelet (omelet instructions to follow).

The portions in the recipe below for Classic Spinach and Cheese Omelet make one omelet; obviously multiply portions by however many people you're trying to feed. Use whatever cheese you like: cheddar, feta, brie, Swiss, Monterey Jack. Make up individual omelets one at a time; keep ready ones warm in a very low oven until dinner time.

The troops are fed, the clean-up is minimal, health has not been sacrificed, and then you're off to play Christmas CD’s while you spend the rest of the evening stitching that grandchild's Christmas stocking (or whatever Christmas task awaits you on your to-do list!)

Classic Spinach and Cheese Omelet

2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

1 teaspoon water

pinch of salt (or salt substitute)

pinch of black pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons grated cheese (your choice)

Beat eggs, water, salt, and pepper in bowl with fork just to blend. Heat oil in 8-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture. Stir constantly with heatproof rubber spatula until eggs thicken to a custardy consistency, 10 to 20 seconds. Tilt pan to allow any uncooked egg to run to the side. Run spatula all around edge of omelet. Sprinkle cheese over half of omelet. At this point add spinach that has been cooked according to directions above. Fold other half of omelet over cheese and filling. Turn off heat and let stand 30 seconds to set around filling. Use a spatula to gently push omelet onto a plate.

What's red and green and just the best thing ever for a pre-Christmas crazy-ness meal? Don't pass up these quesadillas

The first major freeze of the year sent us racing to the garden to raid the bell pepper bushes of every last pepper down to the smallest babies that were just popping out. Now a huge bushel basket of peppers sits in wait to be chopped and frozen to carry us through the winter until garden time next spring.

All those peppers, both green and red, plus holiday leftovers netted us one of the best meals ever—a true delight for a busy night that saw me start to decorate the Christmas tree and wade right into the swirling current of December crazy-ness.

Fresh Ham and Pepper Quesadillas were ready in almost as much time as one could sing "Here Comes Santa Claus" and brought so much cheer that the Grinch just had to stay far away on this Christmas-prep night.

Into a hot skillet went a flour tortilla that had been spread with mustard and topped with Monterey Jack cheese. Atop that went the mixture of ham, green peppers, and green onions and another cheese layer, with a second mustard-spread tortilla on top. A quick browning in the skillet melted the cheese and stuck the layers together. Dinner—ready with a maximum of 15 minutes' work from the time I chopped the first pepper to the moment the quesadillas were sliced with a pizza cutter and placed on the dinner plate. Love it, love it, love it!

Fresh Ham & Pepper Quesadillas

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

2 ounces sliced ham, cut in strips

1/4 cup green onions, minced

4 large flour tortillas

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

salsa, sour cream (optional)

Combine peppers, ham, and onions. Spread 2 tablespoons yellow mustard on two tortillas. Spread a thin layer of cheese over the mustard; sprinkle with ham mixture. Spread remaining cheese over the top and cover with a second tortilla. Spray a skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Place one quesadilla in the pan and cook until lightly browned. Flip the quesadilla gently and cook until the bottom is lightly browned. Repeat with the second quesadilla. Remove the quesadilla from the pan; cut and serve with your favorite salsa and/or sour cream. Makes four servings.