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

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 

New Orleans Gumbo Wanna Be

This is my very loose interpretation of a New Orleans Gumbo. The kids couldn't get enough of the shrimp and the flavors were wonderful!

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup uncooked converted rice

2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 lb boneless skinless chicken cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 lb smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/2" slices
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold water
1 lb uncooked medium peeled and deveined shrimp
1 large green pepper chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Preparation:

In rice cooker, stir in rice, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook according to rice cooker directions.

In a Dutch oven, combine the tomatoes, chicken, kielbasa, thyme, pepper, bay leaves, and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Combine flour and water until smooth; gradually stir into chicken mixture. Stir in shrimp and green pepper. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and gumbo is thickened. Discard bay leaves.

Stir rice mixture into gumbo and serve immediately.

Serves 8

Derived from Sam's Club



Slow Cooker Jambalya

I have never made jambalaya before, and will make this one many more times.  The flavors were amazing, and that was even without the ground red pepper!  When I reheated it for lunch the next day, I couldn't get it in my mouth fast enough!

Ingredients:

1 lb lean turkey sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bell peppers, coarsely chopped
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup sliced celery
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 pkg McCormick Slow Cookers Savory Pot Roast Seasoning Mix
1 cup water
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (optional)
1/2 lb large peeled and deveined shrimp
1 1/2 cups instant rice

Preparation:

Place sausage, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and celery in slow cooker.  Top with chicken.  Mix seasoning mix, water, and red pepper until well blended.  Pour over chicken.  Cover

Cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

Gently stir in shrimp and rice.  Cover.  Cook 15 to 20 minutes longer on high or until shrimp turn pink and rice is tender.

Serves 12



*Derived from McCormick

Asian Sesame Salmon

The first bite of this salmon had the whole family saying, "Wow". Daniela, who is normally my Mikey, did not want to try it at first, but once the bribery kicked in, she discovered how much she liked it! What a super quick, healthy, and filling dish! I'll be making this again and again . . .

Ingredients:

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced onion

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

1/3 cup of honey

1/3 cup sliced green onions (optional)

2 Tbs soy sauce
2 lbs salmon filet

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375. Mix honey, green onions, soy sauce, and all of the spices ( with the exception of the red pepper, if using) in a small bowl until well blended. Add red pepper to taste.

Place salmon in foil-lined 13x9-inch baking dish. Spoon honey mixture evenly over salmon.

Roast salmon for 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Baste with remaining honey mixture after about 10 minutes.

Serves 6

*Derived from McCormick recipes



Shrimp Florentine Pasta

My kids love, love, love shrimp, so when I saw this recipe, I got all excited!  A guaranteed success!  I'm going to make this one again, with some changes though. The original recipe said to omit the fat and salt, but I found the fettuccine too dry and it clumped terribly, my suggestion is to add olive oil to the water when cooking.

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked fettuccine
2 Tbs butter
1 lb large shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 Tbs chopped garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 oz fresh baby spinach

Preparation:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well and keep warm.

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp, garlic, and crushed red pepper (if used). Cook until shrimp is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add cooked pasta, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and spinach. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until spinach starts to wilt, stirring to combine.

Serves 4

*Derived from Cooking Light

Chicken Andouille & Shrimp Jambalaya

Let me start by saying a couple of things: 1) I've never had Jambalaya (I know, how is that even possible??) and, 2) I cheated on the rice and cooked it in a rice cooker.  This is, after all, a blog from a mom who works full time and still wants to get tasty and interesting food on the table.  All in all, though, this was a really good meal that had the kids and the hubby smiling.

Ingredients:

1 cup long-grain rice (brown or white, your choice)
6 cloves garlic, 3 grated and 3 thinly sliced (I used minced from a jar)
Salt and pepper
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Pkg (12 oz) chicken apple Andouille sausages (the original recipe called for spicy chicken, but I have a 4 and 5 year old, they don't quite do spicy), 1 link finely chopped and the rest thinly sliced
2 bunches green onions, white and green parts chopped separately
2 large bell peppers finely chopped
3 ribs of celery finely chopped
1 pt grape tomatoes; half finely chopped and half quartered
1/2 lb peeled and deveined medium shrimp

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, ring 2 cups water to boil with the rice, grated garlic and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.  Lower the heat, partially cover, simmer 25 minutes.  What I did was put 2 cups of water and1 1/2 cups of rice, along with garlic and salt and pepper in the rice cooker and set it to cook.

In a dutch oven, or a large pan with a lid (which is what I used), heat the olive oil on medium-high.  Add the chopped sausage and cook for 1 minute.  Add 2 tbs water, the sliced garlic (or minced garlic), the green onion whites (or just 1 bunch of the chopped green onions), bell peppers, and celery.  Lower heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.  Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, uncovered, until the tomatoes release their juices, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the rice, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low heat, stirring until rice is tender, about 10 minutes.  Here is where I deviate from the plan a little.  The rice, from having cooked in the rice cooker, is already tender.  So I simply added the rice, and cooked, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the sliced sausage, the shrimp, and the quartered tomatoes; add 1/4 cup of water (or more) if pot is dry.  Cover and cook over low heat until the sausage is heated through and the shrimp are opaque, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the scallion greens on top.

Serves 4

*Derived from Every Day

Fish with Pico Garlic Rub

I try to make fish a staple in our house, and sometimes I think I'm as picky as the kids.  Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy seafood.  But the texture has to be just right, or, well, I'll refuse to eat it like the kids.  And that never sets a good example!  With this fish recipe, however, it's not a problem.



Ingredients:

Rub

2 Tbs garlic powder

2 Tbs parsley flakes

1 tsp Spanish style paprika

1 tsp chili powder (can be omitted for less heat)

1/2 tsp sea salt

 

Fish

1 1/2 lbs tilapia fillets (or other, similar, white fish)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 lime wedge

Preparation:

Mix rub ingredients in a medium size bowl, set aside.

Coat fish with flour (I find this to be easiest in a gallon size zip lock bag).  Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Place fish in skillet, cook for 3 - 4 minutes.  Turn and brush on garlic rub.  Cook 3 - 4 minutes.

Remove fish from skillet, squeeze with lime juice and serve immediately.

 

Serves 6

*Derived from Sam's Club