I’m always on the lookout to add more seafood recipes to my repertoire. It’s sooooo good for you, but the Husby is picky (no salmon, no scallops, no fishy-tasting fish) and making a seafood dish typically means I have to make a different meal for the Fruitaholic. The original recipe I received for the swap called for flounder, a fish I’d never had. I was intrigued albeit a bit nervous that it could be one of the fishier fish but I was determined to try it.
Note my disappointment when Whole Foods didn’t carry it. Luckily, they have a great fishmonger who chatted with me about my preparation intentions and suggested a similar fish, sole (another I’d never tried). She assured me it was a mild whitefish – something I know the Husby would eat. I could just tell him it was tilapia if he questioned it. The only other thing holding me back was his hatred of capers, but I just made sure to de-caper-ify his portion. Oh well, that just meant more capers for me (note: upon being served, he told me he could have just picked the capers off. I always create more work for myself.)!
After poaching the fish, I removed it from the pan and let the remaining sauce reduce for a few minutes before pouring it over our plates. It was awesomely tangy and I might have eaten half of a demi-baguette trying to savor every last drop. Even the Fruitaholic took a few bites! In my book, that’s a winning dish!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 1 Large Shallot, finely chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. Capers, drained
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
- 3/4 Dry White Wine
- 3/4 Cup Chicken Stock
- 3/4 Lb. Sole Fillets (or 6-8oz other white fish)
- 1 Lemon, thinly sliced
- Handful Seafood Herb Blend (or flat leaf parsley), chopped
- Crusty bread, for mopping
Instructions
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the capers, Worcestershire sauce and wine to the pan. Cook for one minute, then stir in the stock.
Arrange the fish in the skillet and scatter with lemon slices. Poach the fish for 10-12 minutes, until firm and opaque.
Remove fish from skillet and transfer to serving plates (deep plates or shallow bowls are suggested). Let the sauce reduce 3-5 minutes, then pour over the fish. Garnish with herbs and serve with crusty bread.
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http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/poached-sole/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
Lately, I’ve started to pay a bit more attention about what the family is eating – meaning, trying to stay away from most processed foods and instead filling up on foods that are fresh and attempting to make some of our processed favorites myself. Doing so takes a lot of time and preparation, and I try to fit it in when I can. Had I known that making my own granola bars would be so ridiculously easy, I would’ve stopped buying the boxed kind long ago!
I loved that this recipe from the swap uses just a handful of common pantry ingredients, most of which I already had in my possession. They came together quickly and easily. And the best part? They tasted soooooo much better fresh than the ones that sit on the shelf for who knows how long.
Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 4 Tbsp. Butter
- 2 Cups Oatmeal
- 1 Cup Crispy Rice Cereal
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
- 6 Tbsp. Mini Chocolate Chips, divided
- 1 tsp. Coconut Oil
Instructions
Lightly grease an 8x8 pan. Set aside.
Melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it bubbles. Reduce heat to low and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
In a large bowl, combine the oatmeal and crispy rice cereal. Pour the butter mixture on top and stir until well coated. Stir in 3 Tbsp. of the mini chocolate chips. Spoon the mixture into the baking pan, then spread out and press down with a spatula to smooth.
In a microwave safe bowl, heat the remaining 3 Tbsp. chocolate chips in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Stir in the coconut oil to thin. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the granola. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to set. Cut into bars.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Source -
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/chocolate-chip-granola-bars/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
Fried chicken is one of my ultimate comfort foods. It’s so outrageously bad for you but so deliciously good. I’m constantly searching for a worthy substitute that won’t clog my arteries. I’d seen this one in an issue of Cooking Light but never got around to making it so I was pretty thrilled to get it for this week’s swap.
While fried chicken this was not, the toasted panko gave it a crispness that many other oven-fried recipes lack. And the buttermilk helped keep the chicken nice and juicy. I think I must’ve skimped on the rosemary because I was expecting there to be more of a pronounced flavor but it remained nice and light. It was easy to prepare and the short list of ingredients was a plus in my book. And for just about 300 calories per cutlet? Your arteries will thank you.
Walnut and Rosemary Oven Fried Chicken.
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Panko
- 1/4 cup Buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1/3 Cup Walnuts, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
- 3/4 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, minced
- 4 Chicken Cutlets
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and arrange a wire rack on top of it.
Place a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the panko and, stirring constantly, cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the panko crumbs.
Whisk together the buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix together the panko, walnuts, cheese, rosemary and salt and pepper.
Coat the chicken in the buttermilk mixture then dredge through the panko mixture, being sure to coat evenly. Place the chicken on the wire rack and bake 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
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http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/walnut-and-rosemary-oven-fried-chicken/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
As a mom of two, life is often quite hectic. The Fruitaholic is on Spring Break this week and the Husby is working so in order to keep from killing each other, I’ve made sure that we stayed super busy. So busy, in fact, that I completely forgot about this week’s swap until Sarah posted a reminder. With what felt like every minute of every day scheduled and no vacation in sight, I had little time nor motivation to cozy up in the kitchen so I picked something I knew would be super quick and easy to make in what little time I found myself with.
Fortunately, these energy bites fit perfectly into our busy lifestyle. Most days we’re rushing out the door to get the Fruitaholic to school on time, which means I barely have time to put on clean clothes let alone eat anything for breakfast. Lunch is pretty much the same: The Fruitaholic eats at school and I run errands with the Baby Burrito while he’s there so I inevitably end up running through a drive-thru before our next activity.
But tossing a couple of these into my bag before we leave for the day is about as quick and easy as it gets. And it definitely doesn’t hurt that they’re really good and infinitely adaptable. I’m going to try chopped almonds and dates in the next batch.
Jen, I totally owe you a ‘real’ recipe since I took the easy way out but I’m glad that I found something new to help ease the craziness of my life right now!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Coconut Flakes
- 1 Cup Rolled Oats
- 1/3 Cup Ground Flaxseed
- 1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
- 1/3 Cup Honey
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
Instructions
Add the coconut flakes to a skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until toasted, 4-5 minutes.
Add the oats, toasted coconut, flaxseed and chocolate chips to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Stir, then add the peanut butter, honey and vanilla and mix until well combined. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Using a cookie scoop, form the mixture into balls. Store the bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Source -
1.4
http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/no-bake-energy-bites/ The Jey of Cooking | http://www.thejeyofcooking.com
