Weekly Recipe Roundup

Wow, it's been a while since I've gotten to use that title. I'm getting back in the saddle again but I'm trying not to overdo it, so as to not set the bar too high with baby #2 on the way. I don't want to create another expectation for myself to try to uphold with 2 kiddos. I'm sure I'll still do it to myself but it sounds good right now to try to stop it.

Baja Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa - I made fried fish...and it was good! I told a friend that and she said, "And..." I guess it does sound strange that I've never made that before, and I think I have but it wasn't good, but it's something I've always been afraid of. The fact that it's fried in a big pot of oil has something to do with it too but when I saw a recipe in Cooking Light, I thought I'd give it a whirl. The fish turned out perfectly. It had a great taste, a good flake, and just the right amount of batter. The salsa was a nice complement but I would prefer a touch more liquid just to allow the flavors to soak in and meld together better. Other than that, this was a great dish and I'll definitely be making it again. The fish could easily stand on it's own as a main dish.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese - I have a love hate relationship with mac-n-cheese. I love it because it tastes so good but I hate it when I think of all the calories it has (not to mention the missing veggies). Nonetheless, I'm always on the hunt for a lightened version that doesn't taste particularly lightened. I loved this recipe! Wes is not a fan of cottage cheese, so I'm always hesitant to try to sneak it in but this was one I thought I could disguise. Wouldn't you know, 2 bites into it he asks what the little white pieces of cheese were. I thought about making something up but since he had already tried it and liked it, I knew I was safe with the truth. As soon as I said it, he snurled his nose but when I asked if he liked it, he said yes. I would honestly be fine having this once a week!

Millionaire's Bars - I'm still trying to figure out where the name came from and the best I can come up with is that you feel like a million bucks after eating this delicious treat. These are dangerously addictive and taste a lot like a Twix bar. I had a can of what I thought was Dulce de Leche but it was really just condensed milk with a Mexican label. Both taste great but are handled completely different in this recipe. My caramel layer didn't end up quite so much like caramel but rather a silky layer of sweet milk goodness. I don't think you could go wrong either way but the caramel would make for slightly cleaner fingers. Oh and as an added bonus, I used Guittard chocolate for the top and I'm here to tell you that you can taste every penny of quality chocolate!

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes - Ina Garten makes some sinfully delicious-looking dishes on her show but the lady doesn't skimp on butter! Paula Deen has always gotten the bad rap for that but Ina is just as guilty in my book. I came across this recipe on someone's blog and was surprised to see it originated with Ina. I had some leftover sour cream I didn't want to go to waste, so I thought I'd give these a whirl. The cake was sweeter than most but also more cakey. I loved the combination but I do think thinning it out a bit would be better. I'll eat just about any pancake you put in front of me but I definitely have my favorites and know a good one when I find it. This recipe is definitely worth tweaking the next time I have some extra sour cream to use up.