Heather's Bytes

This chocolate zucchini cake is the perfect end-of-summer treat! Zucchini are now ripe and ready for harvesting and if you’ve got an abundance, consider baking up a few of these for the neighbors instead of just handing them some vegetables – they’ll appreciate it!

Zucchini also freezes very well. Just shred it, squeeze out as much liquid as you can using a tea cloth or clean towel, place in zip-top freezer bags, and stack in the freezer. To defrost, put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

This recipe comes from my friend Laura’s mom, who humored me at the age of 14 when I asked for it. I’ve made it every year since, even though I have to buy my zucchini at the store now! Read More

I never really cared for casseroles growing up, but when I started cooking for my own family I discovered how convenient and diverse they really are.

Though it was probably my least liked as a kid, one of my favorites has become tuna casserole, and thankfully my own kids don’t seem to share my propensity for the tuna hate, and ask for it often.

I came up with this one after several attempts with different recipes, and finally hit on a combination that isn’t bland or boring. You can use chopped broccoli florets in place of the peas, or even cauliflower or small chopped pieces of asparagus. Though the rest of the ingredients aren’t the healthiest, just remember you’re not eating the whole thing yourself, and it’s perfect with a salad or some steamed veggies. Read More

Last summer, Mike and I were brainstorming, trying to come up with ideas for some light summer dinners. One of his suggestions was fish tacos and I agreed to see what I could find. This is significant for two reasons: I don’t like 99% of the seafood I’ve tried (I want to like it, I just don’t), and I’d never had fish tacos before.

I found a bunch of recipes online and discovered that it’s a pretty basic dish. So, since I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided to up the ante a bit with some homemade tortillas, too. Harina is really easy to find here in Las Vegas and is perfect for making some delicious soft flour tortillas. If you can’t find harina at your local stores, though, you can find some recipes online to use instead.

Tortillas are pretty fun to make on your own but they require a little bit of arm strength when rolling them out. Take turns with someone so you don’t get burnt out! Use a cast iron skillet because you don’t want to use any extra fat in the pan (like you’d have to with a non-stick pan), and you have to turn the heat up pretty high. Slap the tortilla in on one side for about 30 seconds, and then flip it over to the other side. I usually just peek to see how dark they’re getting. It’s not rocket science!

Keep them “clam-shelled” in a long paper towel to avoid them sitting in condensation, and then fold over with some aluminum foil to keep them warm and pliable. Just add new tortillas on top and then fold the paper towel and foil back over.

For the fish tacos, I made up a batch of Baja Sauce. Beware, that recipe makes a TON, and even halved it still makes a ton. (And to be honest, we’re kind of over that particular recipe so when I make these again I’m going to dig up something else.)

For the fish I used a package of good frozen fish fillets. We’ve tried frying up our own and just couldn’t seem to get what we wanted. The fillets were perfect and deliciously crispy with no mess. I cut each fillet in half length-wise, then chopped those into threes (for a total of six bite sized pieces per fillet).

To assemble, slather some sauce onto the tortilla, then some crispy shredded cabbage. Next, add the fish, then a little more sauce, and some fresh chopped tomatoes (the ones in the picture above were from our garden last summer).

Needless to say, these are a hit. If you’re serving these to fish taco fanatics, buy two boxes of the good fish fillets since each fillet is the perfect size for one taco.