Obama speaks on effects of government shutdown

President Barack Obama on Monday spoke about the effects of shutting down the government if Congress failed to act. With hours to go until the government stopped running, Congress appeared to be at a standstill. House Republicans have insisted that in order to continue funding the government for a couple more months, the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," needed to be delayed another year. Senate Democrats and the White House have insisted that is a non-starter.

This stalemate means at midnight on Monday the government would shutdown. As President Obama said that would mean among other things hundreds of thousands of federal workers would be furloughed or would have to work with no pay. National parks and museums would close immediately and subsidies for millions of women, children and the elderly would be delayed if not even stopped. He said even if Congress were to vote in favor of the delay it would not stop it from going forward tomorrow. He insisted Congressional Republicans stop playing games and stop holding the economy hostage and do their job in funding the government and paying the bills.

President Obama announces plans to help reduce higher education costs

President Barack Obama continued laying out his vision for America's educational system during his weekly address on Saturday. He toured the country this week touting his proposals to help make higher education more affordable. The basic message of his tour and during his address was, "we cannot price the middle class out of a college education."

Among his proposals include a national affordability rating system. This system would tie federal financial aid grants to a school's ranking to encourage students to attend high-performing colleges. Essentially, the lower the ranking, the less federal money a school might receive. President Obama also pushed a plan called "Pay-As-You-Earn," which would cap student loan repayments at 10 percent to allow students and families to reasonably pay down their debt.

The efforts to reduce higher education costs come at a time when tuition has skyrocketed, the average student loan debt has topped $26,000 and many families have found obtaining a college degree to be unaffordable.

"[Higher education] shouldn't be a luxury," President Obama said. "It's an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford."

Carne bistec -- Colombian steak with onions and tomatoes

It's been quite a while since I last cooked so it felt really great to be back in the kitchen. Hot, because it is now the beginning of summer, but great. Of course I wouldn't go anywhere else to find a meal to get back into cooking than the Skinnytaste website. Tonight's meal was quick to make and really only took three ingredients. The original recipe can be found here. 

Review: As I said, this meal was quick and easy to make. It essentially included three ingredients and took about 45 minutes to an hour. The longest part was actually just slicing the steak and cutting the onion and tomatoes. The actual cooking time was about 10 to 15 minutes. If you like tacos you'll like this meal. What really gives it its flavor is the cumin. Without it, the meal might be a little bland and boring, but the cumin gives it that Latin taste that gives the meal some pop. The onions and tomatoes also added a bit of flavor but they also were not overpowering. It basically was just a meat meal, which I don't mind. While it is more of a "Hispanic" meal, you could add some steamed broccoli and it could easily become a "Chinese" meal. In fact, the next time I make it I think I'll do that. Not only to give it a different flavor profile but also to just add a little more to the plate for a more filling meal. Still, on its own it was quite good and I served it with brown rice to make it a little heartier. Oh and I also added more salt, pepper and cumin once I poured in the meat. The recipe just says to put in those ingredients after putting in the tomatoes, but I added them again when I poured the meat back in the pan. I did it to give the whole meal a little more flavor instead of just the tomatoes and onions.

Recipe:

• 1 1/2 pounds grass fed sirloin tip steak, sliced very thin (any sirloin steak is fine)
• salt to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• cumin to taste
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin or chopped
• 1 very large tomato or 2 medium tomatoes, sliced thin or chopped

Season the steak with salt and garlic powder. Heat a large frying pan until it is VERY HOT. Add 2 tsp of oil then half of the steak and cook less than a minute on each side (I actually cooked the meat a little longer until brown because I prefer my beef medium well). Set the steak aside, add another teaspoon of oil and cook the remaining steak. Set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and add another teaspoon of oil and then add the onions. Cook a few minutes and then add the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and cumin and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add about 1/4 cup of water and simmer a few minutes to create a sauce. Add more water if needed and taste to adjust the seasoning as needed. Return the steak to the pan along with the drippings, combine well and remove from heat. Serve over rice or for a low carb option with a sunny-side up egg on top.

Obama returns focus to economy, job growth

President Barack Obama used his weekly address to return his focus to the economy and job growth. He called on Congress to pass legislation that would help homeowners refinance their mortgages and save around $3,000 a year, put people back to work rebuilding the nation's crumbling infrastructure and fixing the country's broken immigration system. He said doing those things would help create good middle class jobs and grow the economy.

Broccoli and orzo

Tonight's meal is a definite keeper and one that is simple to make. It only took about 20 minutes to do so it's also one you could make after a long day at work. It should come to no surprise that I got the recipe from the Skinnytaste website. It can be found here. 

Review: This meal was quick and easy to make. It took about 20 minutes and took essentially two ingredients. While it is basically just rice and broccoli it has a little more flavor than rice because of the orzo. I have never had orzo before, or at least didn't know I was eating it if so, but I really liked the flavor. Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta. It tastes like it has a mixture of cheese and butter already in it so it gives it a more prominent flavor than regular rice. While it is not as healthy as brown rice, like I usually cook with now, it is a nice change up. I used a couple boxes of orzo and two pounds of broccoli so I would have enough to have multiple meals but if you go by the directions you should be able to get about four servings out of it. As far as the directions go, it says to steam the broccoli in one pot and then cook the rice in another but I cooked the rice and after a couple minutes poured the broccoli into the same pot as the orzo, put a lid on it and let the steam from that cook the broccoli. Doing it that way lets all the flavors mix together, saves time and more importantly as far as I'm concerned reduces the amount of dirty dishes. Oh, and I also didn't cut the stems off the broccoli before steaming it or chop them into smaller pieces. I felt like the florets were small enough that that was an unnecessary step. Although I used minced garlic in a jar, I still sauteed it in a pan and moved the broccoli from the pot to the pan for a couple minutes before putting the garlic and the broccoli back into the pot with the orzo. Overall though this was a really delicious and hearty meal that I can't wait to have more of and make again soon.

Recipe:

• 4.5 oz uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 cups of fresh broccoli florets only (no stems)
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Trim stems off broccoli, cut into small pieces and season with salt. Steam covered with a little water until cooked, careful not to overcook. When the broccoli is cooked, remove from the pan and chop into smaller pieces. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a medium pot of salted water as directed for al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup liquid before draining. Drain orzo in a colander and add the oil to the pot. Saute the garlic a few minutes until golden, add the broccoli and season with salt and mix well. Add the orzo and stir to combine all. Add a little reserved liquid as needed so the pasta isn't dry. Serve with freshly grated cheese if desired (optional).

Spaghetti with sautéed scallops and peas

I had this recipe lined up to fix for the past week but didn't get time to make it until now. It was one I was a little skeptical about only because I've never had one of the ingredients but it turned out pretty good. I don't know how often I'll make this meal but I will make it again I'm sure. The original recipe can be found on the Skinnytaste website here. 

Review: This was a 15 minute meal that was flavorful and tasty. I've never had scallops before so I didn't quite know if I would like it but I like seafood and I know it is a healthy and popular ingredient so I decided to try it. Honestly I'm not quite sure how I feel about them even after trying them but I liked them enough to try them again. They kind of tasted a little like crab so if you don't like that you probably won't like these. Then again if I overcooked the scallops without realizing it that could be why it tasted like crab. It is absolutely an ingredient I will have to work with more often so I can get used to cooking it and cooking it properly. Still, when I ate the scallops with the peas and spaghetti as one bite they were wonderful. Alone not so much, with the other ingredients pretty tasty. Seeing, though, how this really was a three ingredient meal even a novice cook should be able to make this with no problem. I used larger amounts than what the recipe calls for so I would have some for future meals. I also used mini scallops instead of the large ones so I just bought a nearly 2 pound bag of them instead of just six large pieces. Oh, and my scallops didn't brown but it might have been because they were small. Don't cook them until they get brown or you will overcook them. Still cook them the recommended length of time whether they brown or not and if you use small scallops the cooking time might actually be a little shorter.

Recipe:

• 4 oz linguini, whole wheat or low carb (I used a whole box of 100 percent whole wheat spaghetti)
• 1 cup frozen peas (I used a 16 oz. bag)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp butter
• 6 large sea scallops, cleaned (I used a 2 lb bag of small scallops)
• course salt (I used Kosher salt)
• ground pepper

Cook the pasta in a medium pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to the package instructions. Add the peas to the boiling water 4 minutes before finished. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining, drain the pasta and return to the pot. Add the parsley and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Stir, adding the reserved pasta water a little at a time. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile while the pasta is cooking, season the scallops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium flame. Cook the scallops until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, cook until opaque throughout, about 30 to 60 seconds more while their centers are still slightly translucent (you can check this by viewing them from the side). Be careful not to overcook or they will become tough. Serve over the pasta.

Chicken and turkey sausage

I've had this recipe saved for a while and finally decided to make it tonight. It's another one from the Skinnytaste website that can be found here. It's actually a fairly filling meal and simple to make. I'll certainly be making this one again especially because it doesn't require too many ingredients and doesn't take too long to make.

Review: As I mentioned above, this meal was pretty quick to make (about an hour total) and didn't require too many ingredients. The most time consuming part was chopping and cutting the vegetables and meat. The recipe calls for chicken legs and thighs, but I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they are healthier. I also used them because they are easier to eat with a fork whereas the other chicken pieces you'd have to use your hands, which would be messier. I also cut the breasts into pieces so they'd be bite-sized. The only things I didn't include were the scallions (green onion) and celery. I'm not a big fan of either, and while there wouldn't have been enough in the meal to make a difference, I would have had extras that I wouldn't have used. So instead of letting them go to waste I just left them out. If you like those products, though, then by all means buy them and use them. The flavor was quite savory and if you've ever had green beans, smoked sausage and potatoes, it tastes similar to that minus the green beans and potatoes. One also could describe the flavor as being similar to chicken broth or the liquid in chicken noodle soup. I also cooked brown rice with it to help make it a little heartier but it would be good just on its own. As far as ingredient amounts, I used one whole onion, one whole green pepper, two packages of chicken breast tenders and two packages of turkey polska kielbasa (instead of andouille sausage). I also made six servings of rice. The whole thing gave me seven helpings, including the one I had for dinner. The skillet almost overflowed because of it, but at least I have enough for multiple days.

Recipe:

• 2 tsp oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 14 oz. (4) lean skinless chicken thighs, with bone
• 12 oz. (4) lean skinless chicken drumsticks, with bone
• salt and fresh pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (rice flour for gluten-free)
• 2 cups water
• 2 links (6 oz.) andouille chicken/turkey sausage
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup chopped scallion

Heat a large deep non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the oil, onions, peppers and celery. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring. Push the vegetables to the edges of the skillet and add the chicken, season with salt and pepper. Brown 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then sprinkle the flour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the water, sausage and bay leaf, adjust salt and pepper to taste, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 to 35 minutes, remove bay leaf and top with scallions. Serve with rice or quinoa if desired.

President Obama discusses upcoming budget proposal

President Barack Obama will release his budget blueprint for the 2014 fiscal year on Wednesday, but in his weekly address this weekend he outlined his plan ahead of the release. He said his proposal would reduce the deficit in a balanced way that not only cut spending, but also tackled entitlement reform, tax reform and made investments in education, infrastructure and research. Initial reports of what will be in his budget have been criticized from the left for cutting Social Security and Medicare and from the right for increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

Turkey stuffed peppers

I love the taste of cooked peppers so when I found this recipe I knew I had to make it. I also like the concept of using food as bowls. I will definitely be making this Skinnytaste recipe again. The original recipe can be found here. 

Review: This was a pretty simple meal to make and certainly was healthy. It had great flavor too with the cumin essentially giving the meal a "taco meat" taste. In fact, I had some meat leftover so if I don't use it to have sloppy joe, I might use it for tacos. I love the concept of using the peppers as a bowl because then I can guarantee I'm eating everything and not letting anything go to waste. Plus, I really like the flavor of cooked peppers so by using them as a bowl I can ensure I'm getting that taste in every bite. I unfortunately did not have any onion, though, so I used onion powder but using a real onion would give it an additional flavor profile. I used ground turkey meat like the recipe called for, but if you were to use ground beef it would have a slightly different flavor that would be just as tasty. I also would cook it longer than the 35 minutes the recipe calls for only because the peppers were just a tad bit too crunchy for my liking. I prefer my peppers to be soft, so next time I will probably bake them for 45 minutes. Overall, this was a wonderful meal and I can't wait to make it again.

Recipe:

• 1 lb lean chopped turkey meat
• 1 garlic, minced
• 1/4 onion, minced
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• salt to taste
• 3 large sweet red bell peppers, washed (I also included a green pepper just to give me more meals)
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce (I just used a whole can of tomato sauce)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• Olive oil spray 
• 1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a little olive oil spray in a medium size saute pan and heat on a medium flame. Add onion, garlic and cilantro to the pan. Saute about 2 minutes and add the ground turkey. Season with salt, garlic powder and cumin and brown the meat for several minutes until the meat is completely cooked through (you might have to stir it on occasion). Add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce (or the whole can) and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Mix well and simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Combine the cooked rice and meat together.

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove all the seeds. Place in a baking dish. Spoon the meat mixture into each pepper half and fill it with as much as you can (if you have meat left over you can put it aside for another meal like I did). Place all the stuff pepper halves on the baking dish and pour the remainder of the chicken broth on the bottom of the pan. Cover tight with aluminum foil and bake for about 35 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and enjoy.

Broiled salmon with rosemary

Tonight's meal was another one courtesy of Skinnytaste. It was extremely quick and easy to make. The original recipe can be found here. 

Review: This recipe took about 15 minutes to make from prep to serve. It was one of the easiest recipes I've ever made and, including the fish, only had six ingredients. I was worried that having the fish covered in lemon juice, rosemary and garlic would make it have an overpowering taste either from the lemon juice or the garlic but that wasn't the case. I hardly tasted the garlic and the lemon was just enough to give the salmon some additional flavor. Next time I make it I might sprinkle a bit more salt and pepper on the fish but all-in-all it was a nice, light-tasting meal. While I just had brown rice with it, cooked vegetables would go well with the meal too. The recipe says to cook the fish for 4-6 minutes so I cooked both sides for 5 minutes. If your fish isn't very thick it'll take even faster to cook. I had big enough pieces of salmon that I was able to cut them into six pieces total. I didn't change the ingredient amounts though so if you have more than six pieces I would suggest increasing the ingredient amounts. This is definitely a meal I would make if I worked late because I wouldn't have to wait long or fix a substantial meal, but I also wouldn't have to just have a sandwich or something.

Recipe:

• 24 oz or 4 pieces of salmon
• olive oil spray
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp fresh, chopped rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Combine the lemon juice, rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic. Brush the mixture onto the fish (I put the fish in the bowl then flipped it over so both sides would be coated). Spray the rack of a broiler pan with olive oil spray and arrange the fish on it. Broil about 4 inches from the heat until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, approximately 4-6 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness. If the fish is more than 1 inch thick, gently turn it halfway through broiling.

Obama says now is the time for a Energy Security Trust

President Barack Obama used his weekly address to discuss his desire to create an Energy Security Trust. The trust is an idea CEOs, retired generals and admirals proposed that would use oil and gas revenues from public lands to go toward research for developing new energy sources for our vehicles. President Obama first mentioned the security trust in his State of the Union address. He said creating ways for our vehicles to run on less oil and gas would not only help Americans save money but also make the United States less dependent on foreign oil. On top of that he said our country also must continue finding other methods of energy such as wind, solar and bio-fuels.

Roasted pork chops and vegetables

We sell a magazine at work called "diabetes & you" and in it there are a few recipes. Around the Christmas season a magazine came out that had a roasted pork chops and vegetables recipe that looked really good. Unfortunately I haven't been able to make it until now, but better late than never. I certainly will make it again.

Review: This was a fairly quick and easy recipe to make. The most extensive part was cutting the potatoes and vegetables. Even though the vegetable mixture is just sweet potatoes, onions and peppers, you could add a few other vegetables if you wanted. In fact, the recipe calls for mushrooms and tomatoes but I don't like either one so I left them out. I did add a red pepper even though the recipe just calls for a green pepper. The pork might have been a tad bit dry from keeping it in the oven for an hour so next time I make it I might just cook it the first 45 minutes. If you add the tomatoes I'd suggest instead of cooking everything for 45 minutes then adding them and letting them cook for another 15, that you cook it for 30 minutes then add the tomatoes to let it cook for a total of 45 minutes. The seasoning also gave it a nice flavor. The garlic salt gave it the salty flavor it might otherwise have been missing. I ended up doubling the spice and herb amounts to put on the pork chops then made the mixture again with the recommended amounts to put on the vegetables. I felt like if I just used the amounts suggested for both the pork chops and the vegetables it wouldn't have been enough.

Recipe:

• 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
• 4 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick (I used boneless but if you prefer bone-in then they would work too)
• olive oil-flavored cooking spray
• 6 new potatoes, cut into fourths (3 cups) (I used 2 sweet potatoes)
• 4 ounces mushrooms, cut in half (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
• 1 medium tomato, cut into 8 wedges

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Mix the parsley, marjoram, thyme, garlic salt and pepper. Spray both sides of the pork chops with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the herb mixture and place in the corners of the pan. Mix the potatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper and onion in a large bowl. Spray the vegetables two or three times with cooking spray and stir. Sprinkle with the herb mixture and toss to coat. Spread evenly in the center of the pan between the pork chops (if you have to put them as a layer on top of the pork chops that's okay too). Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Turn the pork and stir the vegetables. Place the tomato wedges over the vegetables. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes or until the pork is slightly pink when cut near the bone and the vegetables are tender.

Slow cooker pork and green chile stew

It looks as if this is my 100th post and yet again it's another wonderful recipe I found on the Skinnytaste website. I really don't know how she manages to make every meal fantastic but she does. I envy her. The original recipe can be found here. 

Review: This was a fairly quick meal and certainly an easy one to make. If you cut the meat ahead of time it will be even faster to make but from cutting to when it goes to the crockpot it takes about 15 minutes. I cooked it on high for 4 hours but if you have time you also could cook it on low for 8 hours while you are at work, for example. Even though it has chiles and jalapeno I didn't think it was very hot. Maybe it would have been hotter had I added more jalapenos but I just included one so it wasn't too bad. The recipe calls for whole green chiles sliced but I used cans of diced chiles. Next time I might do 1/4 cup chicken broth instead of 1/2 just so I don't have so much juice left over, but if you didn't include rice with the meal, the juice could be a nice addition for some additional flavor. I also bought some tortillas when I was at the store so I might try eating it as a burrito next time, but the meat on its own would be fine too. The peppers and the spices give the meal its flavor. The pork itself is just pork with not much there. It's the peppers and the spices that give it that taste that keeps you wanting more.

Recipe:

• 2 lbs boneless pork loin roast, lean, all fat trimmed off
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray
• 2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 2 cans (4.25 oz each) whole green chiles, sliced into thick rounds
• 2 tbsp chopped jalapeno, or more to taste
• 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles (Ro*Tel mild)
• 1/2 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Cut the pork into 2-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet on high heat. When the skillet gets hot lightly spray the pan with oil and brown the pork over medium heat on all sides, about 3-4 minutes total. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour over pork and stir to cook 30 seconds, sprinkle remaining flour over pork and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the browned pork to the crock pot, along with the remaining ingredients. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours (if using a Dutch oven, cook on low heat for 3-4 hours). When done, adjust seasoning and salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Obama says sequester must end to help economy

In his weekly address President Barack Obama said politicians must find a way to end the sequester so the $85 billion in spending cuts that was enacted would not harm the economy. The latest jobs numbers showed the economy added 246,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate went from 7.9 percent to 7.7 percent. With the sequester in place, several economists have said the improving economy could turn for the worse. That is why President Obama said he would be meeting with Republicans and Democrats over the coming weeks to continue and try to reach a grand bargain to reduce the deficit in a balanced way that would not harm middle class families. The president's plan can be found on the White House website here.

Skillet cajun spiced swai fillet with tomatoes

I had the weekend off, which means at least one of the days I was going to cook. I had some fish in the freezer so I took to my new favorite website, Skinnytaste, to find a recipe I could use with them. I again was not disappointed -- although my sinuses certainly are clean from the heat. The original recipe can be found here. 

Review: First of all the original recipe calls for using Flounder but it also says you can use any type of white fish. Well, I had some Swai in the freezer so I used that instead. Swai is similar to catfish. The only thing I didn't like about the fish was that it already was marinated -- something I did not know because I actually got it from someone else -- but it still had a nice flavor. I've had salmon so much the past few times I've cooked fish that the taste threw me off a bit, but if you like catfish you'll like the Swai. As far as the tomato mixture goes, it was really hot. I didn't have any cajun seasoning like the recipe calls for so I had to make my own. I used all the ingredients you would typically find in a Cajun seasoning but I think I added a bit too much cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. I like my food spicy but this was ALMOST too hot for me. It also didn't help that I used two cans of diced tomatoes with green chilis mild instead of fresh tomatoes because the green chilis added a bit of heat as well. I was still able to eat it and I will continue to do so with the leftovers, but if you have to make cajun seasoning yourself just be mindful of how much of the peppers you include, and you might even want to include one or the other of cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes instead of both. Overall though this was a quick meal to make by taking no more than 30 minutes from the time I diced the onion and green pepper to the time it was ready to serve. Even though it calls for fish this would be a great meal with chicken as well and in fact, next time I make it I might cook chicken breasts instead of fish just to save money on the meat. The tomato mixture also would be a good salsa on its own as well, especially if you cut back on the heat.

Recipe:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 (6 oz.) pieces flounder fillets (or any white fish such as tilapia and any amount you want)
• 3/4 cup onion, chopped (I used a whole white onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper (I used a whole pepper)
• 2 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped (I used 2 cans of diced tomatoes with green chilis mild)
• 1 tbsp Cajun spice seasoning (see below for the spices I used in making my own)

In a deep skillet, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil on medium heat for a a few minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes, peppers and spices. Stir and cook until the tomatoes are soft, about 2-3 minutes. Lay the fish fillets in the sauce, cover and cook on medium-low until the fish flakes easily, about 12-15 minutes. To serve, place fish on a plate and spoon the sauce on top.

If you do not have cajun seasoning you can make it yourself. That's what I did and instead of measuring I just did a couple shakes of each ingredient into the skillet. You might want to mix it in a bowl first though and then sprinkle into the skillet that way you don't overpower the meal with heat like I did. Anyway, the ingredients I used for the cajun seasoning were: cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, oregano, basil and parsley.

Obama talks up plans for a thriving middle class

President Barack Obama used his weekly address to reiterate his ideas to grow and strengthen the middle class that he made during the State of the Union. Among those ideas include increasing the minimum wage to $9 an hour, having states provide early preschool education to any child who wants it and rebuilding the country's manufacturing sector.

Obama calls on Congress to pass short term fix to sequester

In this week's address, President Barack Obama urged Congress to avert the sequester -- if only for a temporary time -- by finding a mix of spending cuts and revenue raisers that would help to reduce the deficit. If Congress fails to act by March 1, tens of billions of dollars in spending cuts to domestic programs and defense will occur. Congress voted on these cuts and President Obama signed them into law as a way to push both parties to reach a consensus on budget reducing measures. Still, Congress has failed to find ways to reach a bipartisan agreement on how best to prevent these cuts, which economists have said would be devastating for the middle class and possibly put the country back into a recession. President Obama said in his weekly address that any agreement lawmakers reach should be balanced in a way that would allow investments in areas we need such as education and infrastructure and have cuts in areas we do not need.

Crock Pot italian sloppy joe

Another meal from the Skinnytaste website and another wonderful experience. There would be a few things I would change next time I made this but overall, the concept was good and most definitely something I will fix again -- maybe next time with spaghetti. The original recipe can be found here. 

Review: If you go into this meal thinking it will be just like the sloppy joe you buy in a can you will be disappointed. From the pictures on the website I thought it might be extremely close but after making it, the look of it left me disheartened. Still, the taste of it was good and as close to the can as making it from scratch with healthy ingredients can be. I followed the main concept of the recipe but there were a couple things I changed and a few things I might change when I do it again. First, the recipe calls for turkey sausage but I used two pounds of 93% lean ground beef. It also called for 1/2 cup chopped onions and 1 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes but I just used a whole white onion and used two cans of diced tomatoes with green chilis (mild). On the website, the picture made it look like the meat should be smothered in sauce (similar to what you'd get if you used a can) but after mixing all the ingredients together mine looked nothing like it. Any sauce that was in the Crock Pot was liquid and the beef was not smothered. So, I added a can of tomato sauce. Next time I might use a can or two of tomato paste instead that way it'll be thicker. Now maybe had I used the crushed tomatoes it would have been thicker and looked more like the picture but I had the diced tomatoes in my pantry so that's what I used. Also I think the next time I make this instead of putting it in a Crock Pot and waiting four hours I'll just mix everything and cook it in a skillet for about 30 minutes or so. This might also help with thickening the sauce. Still, it was a great, healthy substitute for canned sloppy joe and would be an excellent meat sauce for spaghetti if you wanted to make it for that instead of for sloppy joe.

Recipe:

• 1 lb Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing (or use lean ground beef)
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes (Tutorosso) (or substitute with diced tomatoes and add tomato sauce and/or paste)
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

In a medium non-stick skillet cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks into small bits until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Add onions and garlic, and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, salt and fresh cracked pepper (and tomato sauce and/or paste if you want to add that too). Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Makes about 3 1/2 cups (of course the more meat you use the more servings it'll make).

Steak with black beans, corn and tomatoes

I've been waiting all week to fix this meal but my work schedule hasn't worked out to where I could. Luckily I opened this morning so I had the opportunity to fix it for dinner and once again, I was not disappointed. Like the past few recipes, I found this one on the Skinnytaste website. I'm really glad I found this site for healthy food. I have yet to find something I haven't liked. The original recipe can be found here. 

Review: This recipe was quick to make and each component is good enough on its own. In fact, I might make the black bean, corn and tomato "salsa" again soon just to have on its own. While the recipe called for flank steak I just used regular Ribeye steak and cut it into pieces after cooking. It also said to make the salsa and leave it cold but I heated it in the skillet for 5-10 minutes before putting it on the steak. I actually heated it, moved it to a bowl, then cooked the steak in the same skillet. The recipe says to grill the steak but cooking it on stovetop or in the oven would be fine too. While I followed the basic premise of the recipe besides heating the salsa, I used a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis (mild) instead of dicing fresh vine tomatoes. That was partly because I didn't have tomatoes and partly because I wanted a little extra heat, which the addition of the chilis provided. It wasn't over-powering, though, so if you want it a little spicier you could either add a touch of cayenne pepper on the steak along with the other spices or you could add additional chili peppers as an added ingredient. While I'm talking about ingredients it should be noted that I didn't follow the measurements except for the 1/4 cup of lime juice and the cans. Everything else I just sprinkled on the steak, used a whole onion, used a whole bag of frozen corn and estimated for the amounts of the rest of the ingredients. Finally, I put the meal on a plate but this would make a wonderful taco meal. Get some tortillas (whole wheat ones for a healthier meal), put the steak and salsa in it and enjoy. I also had some brown rice as a side, which also could be added in the taco. Next time I make this I think I'm going to buy some tortillas. The bread also will make the meal a little more filling because of the carbs.

Recipe:

STEAK:

• 1 1/2 lb flank steak (or really any steak you want)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper to taste

SALSA:

• 3 tbsp red onion, minced (I used a white onion)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 2 medium vine ripe tomatoes, diced (I used a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis (mild) instead)
• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (fresh is fine)
• 2 tbsp finely minced cilantro (I used oregano to spice the salsa and parsley to top when finished)
• Kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

Season the steak with crushed garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Combine the red onions, olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside a few minutes (this is where I put them in the skillet). Add the tomatoes, black beans, corn, cilantro and set aside (add them to the skillet at this point and cook until warm).

Heat a clean lightly greased indoor or outdoor grill on high heat. Grill the steak on high heat, 6-8 minutes on each side or until your desired degree of doneness (I just cooked them in the same skillet as the salsa after heating it and moving it to a bowl). Let the meat rest about 5 minutes before slicing. Slice the beef into thin slices across the grain, place on a platter and top with the corn, black bean and tomato salad.

Obama discusses nominees who will fight for American people

In this week's address, President Barack Obama discussed two nominees he has selected to lead agencies that will help protect the American people from corporate greed. This past week he nominated Mary Jo White to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission and Richard Cordray to continue on as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.