Pan Fried Crappie

Happy Valentine's Day! My valentine and I went out to dinner a couple of nights ago to avoid the rush (thanks for dinner, Mom and Dad!). We discovered a restaurant new to us that we will be returning to many times!

Tonight, we went for a boat ride, which was far colder than we expected, with hopes to catch dinner. Good thing Norris caught fish last night because we had no luck tonight! After the chilly boat ride, we came home and cooked together. We were done in less than twenty minutes and it was one of the best meals we've had in a while. We tried a little different method than usual and we'll be using it again.

 

 

 

Pan Fried Crappie

 

canola or vegetable oil for frying (about 1/2 inch deep in skillet)

crappie fillets

1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed (used Ninja to make a fine crumb)

1 cup flour

seasonings

2 eggs

 

Season flour and crackers. Set up breading station with a plate of flour, then eggs, then saltines.

Heat oil to about 375 F.

Dip fillet in flour, then eggs, then crackers, then fry for about 45 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

Baked Parmesan Tilapia

This is a very simple and quick weeknight dinner that's also pretty good for you. I have to admit that it would probably be better sauteed or fried, but I just stuck with the baked since I don't like frying and I was trying to save a few calories. But, as we all know, fat=flavor, and a little fat added in this recipe would most likely result in an awesome dish! I really liked the crunchy exterior--I followed Bella's directions for the coating of the fish, then sprayed a 9x13 glass pan and placed the fish in it. I sprayed the top of the fish with cooking spray and baked it at 425 for about 8 minutes on each side. When I flipped it, I sprayed the other side of the fish, too.

Baked Parmesan Tilapia

(again, just click the recipe name for the link to the original, since I didn't change anything!)

Spaghetti with Clam Sauce

This was another of Norris' requests--something he grew up eating and wanted me to make. I kind of knew before I made it that I wouldn't be eating it, but gave it a go anyway. Remember, I'm all about the textures, and the texture of the clams just don't agree with me. I did try it though, and the flavor was very good! Norris really liked it and wants it again, which is always a good sign. He said his mom would blend the clams with the sauce, so maybe I'll try that next time to alter the texture. This recipe is from Epicurean. It's a quick and inexpensive weeknight dinner!

Spaghetti with Clam Sauce

(I didn't make a single change to the recipe since I'd never had it before, so the link gets you to the original!)

Tilapia with Lime-Jalapeno Butter

Still trying to clear things out of our freezer and refrigerator! The ironic part has been that I've made some of the best meals we've had lately while trying to "get rid" of things! I love this fish with the lime-jalapeno butter on top. It only has a light coating and then a little of the butter goes a long way, so while it might not be the healthiest way to consume fish, it can't be the worst either. Balance it out with a serving of vegetables and it's a great meal.

Pan Seared Tilapia with Lime-Jalapeno Butter

3 (4 oz) skinless tilapia fillets
1/4 tsp salt + pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (mixed together)
~2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

2 tbsp butter (room temp)
2 tsp minced red onion
1/2 tsp lime zest
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp minced jalapeno
salt and pepper to taste

Combine butter, onion, zest, juice, jalapeno, salt, and pepper and put in the refrigerator. I like to form a ball by wrapping it with plastic wrap before I put it back in the fridge.
Pat tilapia dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in seasoned flour mixture.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat until sizzling (not smoking!!--you should see ripples in it, but no smoke coming from it). Saute the fish, flipping after 2-3 minutes or after the underside is light golden brown. The total cook time for both sides should be around 5-6 minutes.
Serve with a small dollop of lime jalapeno butter--it will melt right across your fish and give it fantastic flavor!

adapted from this epicuriuos recipe and a recipe from Bonnie!

and because I think this is funny...trying to pick up the dogs. This is how we weigh them (Bear now weighs 70 lbs, Bruno 65!) Bruno is not a fan of getting picked up, but Bear LOVES it just like the big cow that he is!

okay, Bear looks GIGANTIC in this picture!

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

We had my grandparents and aunt over for a birthday dinner since both grandparents have birthdays in September. We just barely squeezed it in actually in their birthday month since tomorrow is October! My grandpa loves fish, but grandma's allergic, so I thought it would be fun to serve him some salmon. I just made the same recipe with chicken also and baked it a little longer. I really like the pistachios on top, and served on top of the Israeli couscous (will post recipe tomorrow), it's a great overall combo. It's also light!
I made my own "pesto" but just combined fresh basil leaves and olive oil in my food processor.
I absolutely love this stuff!!

Pistachio Crusted SalmonServes 6
6 (5 oz) boneless, skinless salmon fillets
1 lemon
Salt and pepper
½ cup basil pesto (commercially prepared or homemade)
1 cup roasted, shelled pistachios, chopped coarsely

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Using tweezers or your fingers, remove any bones running down filets. Place the filets on the parchment and season lightly with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a light squeeze of lemon juice. Spread pesto sauce over the tops of the filets. Firmly press the chopped pistachios into the salmon to form a crust.
3. Bake on rack in middle of preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the filets. The salmon should just flake a bit and no longer be transparent in the center. Let rest a minute or two before serving.

from Epicurean

His: Seafood "Salad"

While making some things to have in the fridge for throughout the week, I had to include Norris in the planning, obviously! We don't necessarily like the same things. We both like the main dishes, but I'll make more veggie based dishes for myself and more starchy based dishes for him for sides. I made this recipe from my All Recipes book for him a few times last summer and fall, and he was requesting this again this week. I call it his "salad" because I guess you call it a salad because everything's mixed together? Hey, it keeps us both eating more at home, and I like to make things that he likes, too!

see, look at all those colors you can get from using different kinds of cheese... :)

Crab Salad III

(there are probably a million out there, but this lady must have been the third to submit hers??)

3 cups cooked pasta

3/4 cup light mayo

1 T white vinegar

1 t lemon juice

1 1/2 t Splenda or other sweetener

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t dried dill weed

1/2 t dried basil

1/2 t dried oregano

12 oz. imitation crabmeat (I used shrimp that I chopped up)

1 small green pepper, diced (this is where I really started to stray..didn't use!)

1 sweet onion, diced (yeah, didn't use that either)

1/2 c diced black olives (nope)

5 radishes, diced (definitely not)

1 tomato, seeded and diced (you guessed it..)

1/2 c diagonally sliced celery (if I would have included this, it would have sat in the fridge until I threw it away)

1/2 c shredded cheese (had to add this to make up for the veggies, of course! I used some mozzarella and some sharp cheddar)

In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, vinegar, lemon juice, Splenda, garlic powder, dill, basil, and oregano.

Add pasta to bowl and toss to coat. Add all the other ingredients, refrigerate, and serve cold.

Apple Cobbler: the quick and healthy way

Last night I made tacos for dinner. Not very ambitious, and more concerned about setting up our new Wii and Wii fit, to be honest!
I also painted the front door, which is my current house project. It used to be a medium oak color, and I am painting it white. It is taking forever to dry, so it is turning into a week long project to get enough coats on there. I will post pictures later.

Now for the "recipe":
1 apple (I prefer galas or pink ladies for this)
spray "butter"
splenda
cinnamon
oatmeal (about 3 T)

1. Set oven to 425 F.
2. I cut up the apple with an apple corer, then cut each slice in half after that (length wise). I arranged them in a very small pyrex dish.
3. Spray lightly with the spray butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and splenda.
4. Cook this in the microwave on high heat for 6 minutes.
5. Remove from microwave, add just enough oatmeal to lightly top the apples (I used about 3 T). Sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top. (I also think this would work if you just dumped a low sugar maple and brown sugar oatmeal on it!)
6. Put this in your preheated oven for 7 minutes.
7. Enjoy! If you really want some yum factor, add just a little vanilla frozen yogurt or fat free no sug. added ice cream. Even my husband loved this!!