Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks

Fish sticks have always intimidated me.  No, not the actual fish stick itself!  The making of the fish stick.  I haven't had much luck, too greasy, too soggy, too much breading.  You name it, I had an issue with it.  That is until I discovered this one!  Even the kids enjoyed these.  That's how I know they are good!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 lb halibut fillets (original recipes said to cut into strips, I left them as is and they turned out perfect)

1 cup panko
3/8 tsp kosher salt, divided
3/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 Tbs canola oil, divided

Dipping Sauce (I did not make this)

1/4 cup light sour cream
3 Tbs canola mayonnaise

2 Tbs finely chopped bread-and-butter pickles

t tsp minced capers

Preparation:

Combine milk and eggs in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.  Add fish, toss gently to coat.  Place panko, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in large zip-lock bag.  Add fish to panko mixture and shake bag gently to coat fish.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 Tbs oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add half of the fish; cook 4 minutes or until done, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.  Repeat procedure with remaining 2 Tbs oil and fish.

Combine dipping sauce ingredients and remaining salt and pepper;

serve with fish if desired.

Serves 4

*Derived from Cooking Light

Bourbon Glazed Chicken

This has quickly become my "go to" grilled chicken.  I've used a whole chicken (as the original recipe states); boneless, skinless thighs; and most recently a whole mess of legs.  So far, the best has been the boneless, skinless thighs.  They turn into these  wonderfully tender little bits of goodness.  A testament to how good these are is the fact that my kids are positively covered in the sauce when dinner is done, which makes this the perfect outside meal!  Oh, almost forgot!  A good friend of mine was making this recently and she and her daughter pulled a Julia Child, bourbon for the chicken, bourbon for me!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs canola oil 

1 small yellow onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup bourbon

1 chicken, about 4 lb cut into 8 pieces (I purchased a whole, cut up fryer. Much easier)

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Bourbon Glaze:

In heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm oil.  Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in ketchup, molasses, vinegar, and bourbon.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low, simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Grill Chicken:

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Lightly oil grill rack.  Place chicken, skin side down, on the rack.  Position legs, thighs, and wings closest to the heat.  Cover and cook, turning pieces occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer reads 170, about 50 minutes.  During last 10 minutes of grilling, brush pieces generously with sauce.  Remove from grill and serve immediately.

Serves 4

*Derived from Williams-Sonoma

Bacon, Onion,and Mushroom Pizza

Who doesn't like pizza?  And this is not your average pepperoni!  My kids were not crazy about it because of the onions.  My husband and I, though, really enjoyed it.  It was also really easy to put together and warmed up well in the toaster oven the next day for lunch.  Always a bonus!

Ingredients:

1 (11 oz) can refrigerated French bread dough

2 tsp yellow cornmeal

2 cups sliced onions

1 (8 oz) pkg pre-sliced cremini or baby bell mushrooms

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

6 bacon slices, cooked and coarsely crumbled

Preparation:

Find lengthwise seam in dough.  Beginning at seam, gently unroll dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.  Stretch dough on a lightly floured surface.  You can either make a 12" round pizza or a rectangle one as I did.  Transfer to pizza pan or large baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.

Preheat oven to 425.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chopped bacon and cook through, remove to a paper towel and drain.  Next, add onion, sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove to a bowl.  Add mushrooms and sauté until liquid evaporates.  Add mushrooms to onion mixture; toss.  Spread onion mixture evenly over dough, sprinkle with bacon and cheese.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

Serves 6

*Derived from Cooking Light

Mushroom, Beef, & Rice Skillet

First let me say, Why is it so hard to keep track of the remote?  Wait, no, that's another conversation!  Ok, I don't generally like to use boxed ingredients, but sometimes (like swim night, or after karate class) it's just needed.  This one has fresh vegetables, so I feel better about it.

Ingredients:

2 pkgs beef Rice-A-Roni

1lb extra lean ground beef (can use ground chicken or turkey)

2 cups sliced mushrooms 

3 tsp minced garlic

1 chopped bell pepper (approx 1 cup)

1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)

Preparation:

Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions

In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground meat, mushrooms, and garlic about 2 minutes.  Stir in bell pepper.  Continue cooking 4 to 6 minutes until meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Combine meat mixture with Rice-A-Roni; stir in corn and let stand 2 minutes.

Serves 4

 

*Derived from Rice-A-Roni

Bacon Deviled Egss

I have always believed that bacon makes everything taste better and this is no exception. How have I lived 40+ years and never experienced / thought of this?!? Let me tell you, this is amazing. You will be a bacon god if you serve this at your next picnic, potluck, or get-together. You will be loved. And you will be the most popular person there!

Ingredients:

12 eggs

1/2 cup mayonnaise

5-6 cooked bacon slices, 3 finely chopped and the rest roughly chopped for garnish

1 Tbs chopped parsley

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp dried mustard

Pinch ground black pepper

Preparation:

Place eggs in a single layer of saucepan. Add approximately 3" water. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, remove for heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Drain. Submerge eggs in cold water. When eggs have cooled, peel under cold running water.

Slice eggs in half lengthwise, carefully remove the yolks, keep egg white halves intact.

Place yolks in a bowl and mash with mayonnaise until creamy. Stir in finely chopped bacon, parsley, salt, mustard, and black pepper.

Spoon yolk mixture into egg white halves (use a teaspoon or a small scoop). Garnish with bacon. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 12

Derived from HGTV Gardens

Tortilla Chicken Casserole

I'm always looking for dishes that will give me the most bang for my effort, i.e., very little effort, enough for lunch the next day, and it has to reheat well. This does not disappoint!  You can also see from my ingredients, I used as many shortcuts as possible :-)

Ingredients:

8 flour (of any variety) or whole wheat tortillas

3 cups cooked chicken

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
19oz black beans (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 cups corn (frozen, canned, fresh)
1tsp Mexican blend seasoning ( can sub chili powder for more heat)
3 cups salsa
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbs finely chopped cilantro (can sub parsley)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray casserole dish large enough to fit tortillas, with cooking spray. Heat olive oil, sauté onion and red bell pepper for 5 minutes, until softened. Mix in seasoning, remove from heat and stir in black beans and corn.

Serves 12

Derived from FoodieFamily.com

Parmesan Tilapia

I've made this a couple of times once with frozen this time with fresh. Fresh fish is a must! I've also found that cod or red snapper holds up better than tilapia.

Ingredients:

2 lbs tilapia (can be cod or red snapper)

2 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (I used shredded which I had on hand and it worked just as well)

4 Tbs butter, at room temperature

3 Tbs mayonnaise

3 Tbs finely chopped green onions (optional)

1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/4 tsp dried basil

Black pepper to taste

1 dash hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat broiler. Lay fillets flat on nonstick broiler pan. Brush fish with lemon juice. In bowl, combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions, and seasonings. Mix well with a fork.

Broil fish 3-4 minutes or until almost done. Add cheese and broil another 2-3 minutes or until browned.

Serves 4

*Derived from Food.com