Originally published on April 19th, 2007 at Onward & Upward
…Especially to a guest who has just finished eating a meal in your house:

“I volunteer to lick the spoon! Then I don’t have to wash it.”

Poor Susan. I think she’s a little worried now to eat here again! I tried to explain what I meant (that I wouldn’t have to RINSE the spoon… that I could stick it in the dishwasher as is… I swear I wash my utensils!) but I am not sure she trusts me. I think she will offer to do all the dishes before dinner next time. :-)

But, the meal was lovely – almost as much as the company! We had a delightful time talking about weddings and other such stuff. The dinner turned out wonderfully, and at the request of Hannah I am including the recipe here! It was really easy, and I am just now beginning to use the crock pot even though I’ve had one for several years! (By the way, I highly recommend this easy crock pot recipe!)

(This really is unusual for me to post two recipes in a row! Beth is the cook of this blog… I am just a cook-by-gender-default.)

Mexican Corn Bread
Prep: 15 minutes
Ideal slow-cooker size: 4 quart
Bake: 1 hr high & 3 1/2-4 low or 6 hrs low
Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. extra lean ground chuck
16 oz. can cream-style corn
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup oil
1 cup fat-free milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup low-sodium taco sauce
1 cups shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 oz. can diced green chilies

Directions:
1. Brown ground chuck in nonstick skillet.
2. While meat is browning, combine corn, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, oil, milk, eggs, and taco sauce. Pour half of mixture into slow cooker.
3. Layer cheese, onion, garlic, green chilies, and ground beef on top of cornmeal mixture. Cover with remaining cornmeal mixture.
4. Cover. Cook on high 1 hour and on low 3 1/2 -4 hours, or only on low 6 hours.

Per serving: 360 calories (90 calories from fat), 10g total fat (3g saturated, 0g trans), 60mg cholesterol, 1300mg sodium, 39g total carbohydrate (4g fiber, 6g sugar), 29g protein
Daily Values: 10% vit. A, 0% vit. C, 40% calcium, 15% iron

Originally published on April 13, 2007 at Onward & Upward
I have a confession to make. I really, really dislike cooking. So I am always on the lookout for recipes that are (a) simple and uncomplicated, (b) do not involve frying anything, and (c) fast – something I can make after I get home from work and will be ready before we’ve died of starvation. I was delighted to see this recipe in the latest issue of Taste of Home. Paul and I tried it last week and both decided that we will do it again.

One note: I love fish, and even though it’s more expensive I try to get it every other week or so. We tried this recipe with shark steak – fish that I grew up eating in Peru. It was even cheaper than tilapia which made me happy! It was a bit tasteless, so I recommend some lemon juice or something to give it a tang.

Busy-Day Baked Fish

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (we didn’t have any so I used plain yogurt- maybe this was the reason for the lack of taste?)
2 tablespoons onion soup mix
1-1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs (I only had plain bread crumbs… any ideas of good spices to add to this for next time?)
2-1/2 lbs fresh or frozen fish filets, thawed (I only had 1 lb, so I halved the recipe)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a shallow bowl, combine sour cream and soup mix. Place bread crumbs in another shallow bowl. Cut fish into serving-size pieces; coat with the sour cream mixture, then roll in the crumbs.

Place in two greased 13x9in baking dishes. Drizzle with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; bake 2-6 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 6-8 servings.

I wish I had thought to take a picture of the dish, because it looked scrumptious!