Fishy Quinoa

Hello everyone…how are you this week?

This week has been kinda gone fast for me so far. For a few reasons really…

Patrick and I have been working to get him moved out of his apartment because we are moving in together , and when I say working, I mean…like we have barely done anything haha. He has to be out of his apartment by the 9th of February so we really need to get our a$$es in gear.

We have done SOME, but not nearly as much as we need to. I am hoping this weekend that we can REALLLLLLY get to work and get some things moved. Wish us luck!

In other news, I have (Patrick decided he wanted to join in as well) started up my Detox that I did last year around this time. I am 3 days in and doing well so far. It is basically just tons of fruit, veggies, minimal meat, minimal carbs, TONS of water and no salt.

I just like taking some time after the holidays to center myself, physically and emotionally. I went to yoga last night for the first time in a while and it was so nice to just focus on my movement instead of the bazillion things I have to do this week.

I don’t eat terrible to begin with but it good to jump start yourself and get back on track of eating more manageable portions. I am sure you all know what I am talking about here.

Here is one of the recipes on the detox. Really simple. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tilapia filets
• 3-4 mini sweet orange and yellow peppers, chopped
• 1 Serrano pepper, chopped
• 3-4 small tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 Jalapeño, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 shallot
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flake
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• Cooked Quinoa
• Avocado

Chopped up all your veggies and place them to the side. Mince your garlic and your shallot. Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium non-stick pan. Place 1/2 of garlic in and let brown, add in shallot.

Place in your tomatoes and cook down until liquid is almost gone. Add in your other veggies and red pepper flake.

In another pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add in the remaining garlic. Sprinkle filets with pepper. Place in tilapia filets and cook until you get your fish to the doneness you prefer.

Place fish on plate with about 3/4-1 cup of Quinoa, place veggie mixture over top of fish. Cut up avocado and drizzle with a little lemon juice for some added tartness.

That’s all she wrote folks. Super easy. I overcooked the fish just a tad this time, you can’t always get it perfect each time. KnowwhatI’msayin’? It was still good though, the moisture of the vegetables and the Quinoa helped balance it out.

I hope you all are having a great week so far!

Teal Swirly-Cakes

Hello All!Thank you all so much for putting my Sautéed Tilapia Tacos in the Top 9! What a great present for today! Because…today is a big day…

I turn 27 today! Yup birthday girl here!

Lucky 27, right Becci?

Lots of fun things going on for me today. Some of my friends from work are taking me out to a Happy Hour after work today, which is always fun. Drinks and friends, is there anything better? I say there is not!

Tomorrow, Patrick is being a doll and taking me to our favorite Sushi restaurant in Hartford called Feng. We actually had our first date there ♥ ♥. Look at the invite he sent me for it…

Come on how cute is that? So after Sushi we are going to a movie which should be a great night. It is always nice to celebrate with those you love.

Saturday night I am going to a bachelorette party with some of the girls that I dance with. Miss Noel is getting married so we are going to show her a good time in Northampton, MA. YAY for fun!

On Sunday, my parents will be taking me out to a really nice restaurant that I absolutely love called Abigail’s. They are awesome at this restaurant so I am really looking forward to a couple really nice meals. You know being a foodie and all I just love going to different places for food

Anyways, so you have to celebrate your birthday with something sweet no? Well I went with cupcakes. I know, cupcakes are boring sometimes, but these ones I made special with my favorite colors…

Yup, I marbled teal and brown together. If you saw where I love you would know that teal, brown and black are MY colors. All sorts of shades of teals, browns and blacks. LOVE IT!

The recipes I used are adapted from Brown Eyed Baker.

Teal Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Teal food color

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl with a standing mixer or hand mixer. Add butter, sour cream, egg, egg yolks, milk and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny. Scrap down the sides as necessary.

Take mixer and add in food color until you get your desired hue.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a bowl. Set bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water. Heat this mixture until the chocolate and butter are melted together. Whisk until smooth and then set aside to cool to just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in another medium bowl and add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fluffy. Add chocolate mixture and whisk until well combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate  and whisk until combined. Whisk in sour cream and then sift remaining flour mixture.

Preheat oven to 325º

Take muffin pans and put cupcake liners in each cup. Take your 2 divided batters and interchange putting them into cups. One scoop chocolate, then one scoop teal, etc…Fill until about 2/3rds full. Take tooth pick and marble tops of cupcakes.

Cook cupcakes for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

• 4 sticks butter, room temperature
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla

Whip butter with hand mixer for about 5 minutes on medium-high speed. Scrap bowl as needed.

Gradually add in powdered sugar and reduce speed on mixer. Add in vanilla once all sugar is used and whip for about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.

I hope you all have a great rest of your week and an even better weekend!