Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Tilapia

One of Laela's favorite foods to eat is shrimp.  With butter, plain, in Chinese food, in scampi, cooked in a crab boil, you name the way it comes (she'll even down them with some spicy cajun seasoning!), and she'll inhale them by the pound.

Since Kyle isn't the biggest shrimp fan in the world, and Laela asked to have shrimp for dinner, I compromised and made some lemon-garlic shrimp and tilapia with broccoli and brown rice.  It was a delicious meal that didn't take a ton of time, and was the perfect combo of being both filling but not heavy so that when we went to the park afterwards, we didn't feel like we were laden down from a huge meal.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Tilapia with Brown Rice and Broccoli

You'll need:

• 1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp (I usually buy frozen by the pound since it's generally cheaper)
• 4 Tilapia filets, deboned and filleted
• 4 Cloves garlic, diced
• 2 Lemons
• 2 Broccoli Heads, or broccoli florets
• Brown rice of your choosing (enough to serve 4)
• Onion Powder
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

• Heat a large skillet to medium heat.
• Drizzle the skillet with olive oil (a teaspoon or two, enough to make sure the pan is covered so that the fish does not stick to the pan)
• Slice one lemon into thin slices.
• Lightly sprinkle the tilapia with onion powder, salt and pepper.
• Do the same to the shrimp.
• Place the tilapia and two garlic cloves in the hot pan.  Surround them with the lemon slices.  (Don't overcrowd the pan though.  A few slices will do.)

• Squeeze lemon juice on top of the fish.  If the fillets are thin, they should take about 2 minutes per side.  With fish, when it is ready, it becomes more white rather than clear white, up the sides.  It also releases itself from the pan when it is ready to be flipped, or is done cooking.
• Remove the tilapia from heat.  (Fish is flaky when it is done.  If you need a knife at all for tilapia, it's not done cooking.)
• Place the shrimp and 1 garlic clove in the hot pan, making sure there is enough oil in the pan.
• Squeeze some lemon on the shrimp and toss in a few lemon slices.
• Shrimp cook quickly, so when they begin to curl, change color, and look more firm, take them out.
• Serve with a side of lemon.

For the Broccoli:

• Heat a medium skillet to medium heat.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into the pan.
• After the pan has heated, add 1 diced garlic clove into the pan.
• When you can smell the garlic cooking (after about a minute or so), add the broccoli to the pan.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes.  Broccoli will be tender when ready.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• **If you haven't got any olive oil left, or are trying to be extra healthy, use a few tablespoons of water to steam cook the garlic and broccoli.  Just put the heat to medium high heat with the water in the pan, add the broccoli and garlic.  Pop on the lid.  Lower the heat to medium heat.  Broccoli in 5 minutes!
• **I squeezed fresh lemon over the entire meal to make it more cohesive, but if you want some components sans lemon, that's totally up to you.

Enjoy!

Spanish Chicken and Beans with Peppers

I love Goya Adobo seasoning.  While I'm not always big on pre-made seasonings, Adobo really is one of my favorites.  It reminds me of when I was in college, and my girlfriends and I would make these huge spaghetti pots of Spanish rice with beans, corn, peppers, and those weird little hot dogs all sliced up (it sounds gross, but oh mama, is that rice amazing) with hot sauce dumped all over it.  Seriously, thinking of that rice makes me salivate--and miss my college friends.

While this isn't the same recipe of my college years (oh yes, I will definitely be sharing that one soon), this recipe is just as good, and much, much quicker to make.  Also, I daresay this recipe is a bit healthier, as there is minimal fat, is packed with fiber, veggies, and protein.  Give this recipe a try.  It's one of the quickest, most flavorful meals you will ever make.  The best part?  If your family doesn't lick their plates and inhale everything you made, the leftovers taste even better the next day.

CaraCakes Spanish Chicken and Beans with Peppers

You'll need:

• 1 lb chicken breast  (I pound mine 1/2 in thick, and cut it into cubes with scissors)
• 2Tb Goya Adobo Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika (you can add more if you like it spicy- I'm the only one in my house who likes spicy food, so I just add more to mine)
• 1/2 vidalia onion, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 cup chicken broth, or 1 cup water with 1 chicken boullion cube
• Brown Rice (I used 10 minute Success Precooked Whole Grain Brown Rice)

Instructions:

• Heat a large skillet to medium heat.
• Pour 2Tb olive oil into the pan.
• Once the oil is heated (you can flick water into the pan to check.  If it sizzles, the pan is hot.), add the onions.
• When the onions are clear, add the red pepper.  Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If the onions or peppers start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon or two of water and scrape the onions and peppers from the bottom of the pan.
• Boil water, and cook rice according to instructions.
• Add the chicken, cayenne pepper, paprika, black beans, and broth to the pan with the onions and peppers.
• Cook for ten minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has reduced (it will look less like soup and will have thickened a bit.)
• Serve over rice.
• Enjoy!