Grilled Mozzarella "BST"

Rather than the beloved BLT sandwiches that are filled with bacon, lettuce, and tomato this sandwich features my favorite green: spinach.

When I was a little girl I hated spinach. I think part of this had to do with the fact that I really just loved potatoes and bread and would have preferred to eat starches over vegetables and secondly my mom used to buy this gross frozen spinach puree that I think looks like baby food. My brother was the lover of this spinach that made me want to hurl.

As I grew up I understood this as I just hated spinach period. Even when my mom would make dishes that involved fresh spinach, I was so repulsed at what I thought spinach was that I wouldn't even try it. It wasn't until I started cooking that I realized spinach was a lot more than some over processed frozen dish in the grocery store's freezer section.

In terms of my greens, I really don't like lettuce. I find it boring, flavorless, and I would just much rather eat something else. It also doesn't hurt that spinach is full of healthy ingredients to keep a girl strong and healthy (that girl being me of course).

Obviously this delicious sandwich will be submitted to Kahakai Kitchen's SOUPER (and sandwich and salad...) Sundays.

Grilled Mozzarella "BST"

Ingredients

6 slices bacon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups baby spinach

salt and pepper, to taste

1 dutch crunch roll, sliced and cut in half (to create 2 smaller rolls)

4 oz mozzarella

1/2 tomato, sliced

1/2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp (or cook in the microwave according to the directions on the package.) Set aside on paper towels to drain.

2. Keeping the oil from the bacon still in the pan, cook the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Arrange the spinach on the two bottom pieces of the roll. Top with bacon, mozzarella, and tomato.

4. Heat the oil in a skillet. Cook the sandwiches until golden brown on each side.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 402 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 38 milligrams
FAT: 22 grams
SODIUM: 611milligrams

Tilapia Tostadas w/Roasted Corn Relish and Mexican Sour Cream Rice

Tostadas may becoming one of my new favorite things to play with. Empanadas are also on this list. I like dishes that can be the same like.. a tostada is something on that fried tortilla. Or an empanada, something stuffed inside that little pastry crust and baked. But I love how they can be so different.

For instance, with the empanadas I originally made a chicken one. From there I moved to making a potato and pesto empanada. And most recently I made an empanada stuffed with jambalaya.

I feel like tostadas have that similar element; it will ALWAYS be a tostada but there's so much I can do with it. Last week I made a ground beef tostada with beans and cheese. This tostada, with breaded tilapia, corn, onions, and sour cream was an entirely different twist on the dish.

What other kinds of tostadas could I make? What do you suggest?

The original recipe actually called for avocado mixed in with the corn relish. This would have been delicious and had I just been cooking for myself I totally would have included the avocado. However, this was a meal for both my boyfriend and me and he has the worst allergies ever. By "worst" I don't mean symptomatically worst, but he's just allergic to weird stuff: avocado, peaches, mango, cherries, and apples to name just a few. He's only allergic to these things in their raw state, but have you ever heard of cooking avocado?

By the way, make sure you're following me to be entered in my giveaway. I need 19 more followers before I announce the winner!

Tilapia Tostadas w/Roasted Corn Relish

Ingredients
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup green salsa
1/2 cup frozen corn
2 tbsp chopped red onion
3/4 tsp minced jalapeno
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp lime juice
3/4 lb tilapia fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup cornmeal
3/4 tsp vegetable oil
4 tostada shells
1/2 cup shredded cabbage

Directions

1. Combine sour cream and salsa in a bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, coating with cooking spray. Add corn, onion, jalapeno, and a pinch of salt to pan. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove mixture from pan. Stir lime juice into the corn mixture.

3. Sprinkle fish evenly with remaining salt and black pepper. Place cornmeal in a shallow dish. Dredge the fish in cornmeal. Heat 1/4 tsp of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add half of fish to pan and cook for 3 minutes. Carefully flip the fish and cook for 2 minutes, or until done. Repeat procedure with the rest of the fish.

4. Place 2 tostada shells on each plate. Arrange 2 tbsp of slaw on each shell. Divide fish evenly. Top each serving with about 3 tbsp of the corn relish and about 1 1/2 tbsp of sour cream mixture.

* serves 2

CALORIES: 427 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 93 milligrams
FAT: 16 grams
SODIUM: 821 milligrams

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 jalapeno, seeded, deveined, and minced
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup frozen corn
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Directions

1. In a large pot bring the rice and broth to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to low and cover, cooking for 20 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a casserole dish.

3. In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, jalapeno, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, corn, and cilantro. Transfer to the casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.

4. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

* serves 6

CALORIES: 102 calories
CHOLESTEROL: 13 milligrams
FAT: 4 grams
SODIUM: 76 milligrams