Reader shares bounty of online recipe swap

I have put aside some recipes I received and decided this is the perfect day to share a few of those with you. There is no theme for today, just a variety of entrees and a dessert that I will be making soon. All of the recipes today are from Jodi Thompson of Jackson. Jodi has a large Internet recipe swap group. I get several recipes from her a week and always find a couple to save and try. I hope you find these enticing as well and can add them to your recipe collection.

Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce

1 pound fresh tilapia or catfish filets

3 limes

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

8 small (6- to 7-inch) flour tortillas

1 cup shredded cabbage

2 small carrots, peeled and shredded (1/2 cup)

1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, thinly sliced

Rinse fish and pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces. For lime sauce, juice two of the limes into a bowl (cut remaining lime into wedges for serving). Stir mayonnaise and chili powder into juice. Remove 1/3 cup sauce and toss fish in it. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil over medium heat. In shallow dish combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with about a third of the fish at a time, toss in flour mixture and add to hot oil. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until fish flakes, turning to brown evenly and adding additional oil as needed. Drain on paper towels. Wrap tortillas in paper towels; heat in microwave 30 seconds. Top each tortilla with fish, cabbage, carrots and jalapeno. Drizzle with lime sauce. Pass lime wedges. Makes 4 servings.

Huevos Rancheros with Queso Fresco

Traditionally served for breakfast, this dish piles tortillas with hearty beans, eggs and cheese for a deliciously different dinner.

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained

1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons water

1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Cooking spray

4 large eggs

4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled queso fresco cheese

Combine the tomatoes and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and juice. Set aside. Place water and beans in a microwave-safe bowl, and partially mash with a fork. Cover and microwave at high 2 minutes or until hot. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add eggs; cook 1 minute on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spread about 1/3 cup beans over each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1 egg. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce around each egg; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese. Yields: 4 servings (serving size: 1 topped tortilla).

Layered Eggplant Hamburger Casserole

Eggplant goes great with tomato, hamburger and garlic in this easy-to-prepare and well-seasoned recipe.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

2 1/4 cups water

1 (14.5-ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes

1/3 cup dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 eggplant

1 onion, sliced

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef, onion and garlic for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat. Stir in the tomato paste, water, tomatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano and basil. Set aside. Slice eggplant into 1/4-inch rounds. Place a layer of eggplant into the bottom of a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Then place a layer of the ground beef mixture over the eggplant, followed by a layer of sliced onion. Top this with 1/2 the breadcrumbs and cheese. Repeat the layers: eggplant, ground beef mixture, sliced onion and remaining breadcrumbs and cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, remove foil and bake for 20 more minutes. Servings: 6

Peach Melba Buckle

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups peeled and chopped peaches (about 1 3/4 pounds)

1 1/2 cups raspberries (6-ounce package)

1/4 cup raspberry preserves

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, granulated sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Remove 1 cup of the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the almonds and light-brown sugar; reserve for topping. Stir baking powder into the remaining flour mixture. In a small bowl, whisk milk, egg and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until batter forms. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the peaches and raspberries over the batter. Drop the remaining batter in tablespoons over the fruit and sprinkle with the reserved topping. Bake at 350 degree for 1 hour, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly on wire rack. Run knife around edge and remove side of pan. Gently heat preserves until just liquid enough to drizzle over buckle. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 12 servings.

Chicken Spaghetti Bolognese

Bolognese is a classic Italian comfort food that is high in fat and calories. This is a fresh, lighter and healthier version that gives you all the great flavor with a lot less fat than the original version in much less time.

1 pound of ground chicken

1 pound uncooked multigrain spaghetti

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 medium sized carrot, peeled and finely chopped

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup fat-free half-and-half

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In a medium pot, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, celery, carrots and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ground chicken, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and brown for a few minutes. Then, turn up heat and add the wine being sure to stir and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add chicken stock, basil and sugar. Simmer uncovered over low heat stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat. If sauce is too thick, add a little more chicken stock. Taste the sauce and if it needs it, add a little more salt and pepper. Add the fat free half-and-half and serve over 1 pound of cooked multigrain spaghetti with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at news@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.