Fried Catfish Recipe

Fried Catfish Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

4-6 catfish fillets, about 1-2 pounds
1 cup milk or buttermilk
Salt
3/4 cup fine cornmeal (do not use coarsely ground cornmeal)
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
Oil for frying (use peanut oil if you can)

METHOD

1. In a heavy frying pan (I prefer to use cast iron), pour enough oil to come 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Turn your oven to 200° and lay a cookie sheet inside. Place a wire rack on top of the cookie sheet.

2. While the oil is heating, soak the catfish in the milk or buttermilk. Mix the cornmeal, flour and spices together. (Or you can substitute your favorite seasoning instead.) Let the oil reach 350 degrees — a good test is to flick a little of the dry breading into the oil, and if it sizzles at once, you're good to go.

3. Once the oil is hot, sprinkle the catfish fillets with salt and dredge them into the breading. Shake off the excess and gently lay into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes, depending on how thick the fillet is. Use a metal spatula and gently turn the fish over and cook for another 2-4 minutes. Cast iron heats up and stays hot, so monitor the heat as you fry; you may need to lower the heat on the burner at some point.

4. Once the fish is ready, move it to the oven while you cook the rest of the catfish. Keeping the fried catfish warm in the oven will help keep it crispy. When they're all done, serve at once with your favorite hot sauce, cole slaw and some hush puppies.

Source: simplyrecipes

Fried Chicken with Spinach and melted Mozzarella

Fried Chicken with Spinach and melted Mozzarella

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

500g chicken breast, pounded thinly

300g fresh spinach

3tbsp olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

200 g buffalo mozzarella

METHOD

1. Wash your spinach and trim it carefully.

2. Prepare your chicken breast by marinating it in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chilli flakes, minced garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper. Put it aside.

3. Add the oil and garlic in a small pan and preheat it over medium heat. The garlic has to turn lightly golden, do not burn it, it will get bitter. At this step you can add more herbs (rosemary, chilly, oregano) that you like.

4. Add the fresh spinach to the pan and cook it for 5-8 minutes on medium heat with 1/3 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and allow the spinach to cook down. Place the spinach into a separate plate.

5. In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and place the chicken breasts. Brown them on each side for 4-5 minutes. While still in the pan, top the chicken breasts with the cooked spinach and add slices of mozzarella. Place the lid on the pan to allow the cheese to beautifully melt.

6.Serve with a tossed salad or keep some of that fresh spinach ad drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.

Source: Freecookingrecipes

Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta

Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 6-8

We've used fresh spinach in this recipe, but you could easily use frozen. Just defrost and drain.
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INGREDIENTS

12-16 ounces dried short pasta (bowties, penne, gemelli, etc)
4 chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
Salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped, about 1 cup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine or stock
8-16 ounces of fresh spinach*, washed, long stems removed and chopped
Black pepper
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup (or more) pesto

*To wash spinach, fill up a clean sink basin with cold water and let the spinach soak in the water. Move it around a bit to loosen any dirt. Fresh spinach is usually pretty dirty, so you may need to do a couple of soakings. Remove the spinach and shake off excess water. Lay the spinach leaves down on a clean towel and pat dry.

METHOD

1. Bring a large pot of salted water (add enough salt so that the water tastes salty) to a boil. Add the dried pasta and cook until al dente.

2. While preparing the pasta, cook the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and brown the chicken breasts on both sides over medium-high heat. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onions cook, slice the chicken into strips. Put any pieces that are cooked all the way through in one pile, and put the ones that still need a little cooking in another pile.

4. When the onions are just beginning to brown, add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the white wine or stock and boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced by half.

5. Add the spinach and the undercooked pieces of chicken to the pan. Using tongs, turn them over to coat them with the juices in the pan. Continue to cook, turning and stirring often, until the spinach is wilted and the chicken cooked through, about 2 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat and add some black pepper, the pile of cooked chicken pieces and the pesto. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta put it in a large bowl. Add the cream to the saute pan and stir well to combine. Add the contents of the pan to the bowl with the pasta and mix well. Serve at once.

Source: Simplyrecipes

Ham and Cheese Empanadas

Ham and Cheese Empanadas

These savory turnovers are easy for kids to assemble and even easier for them to eat (their name comes from the Spanish word empanar, "to bake in pastry"). Empanadas can be found throughout Latin America in a variety of sizes, shapes, and flavors. Assemble them with smaller pastry rounds for an appetizer (empanaditas) or use larger wrappers for a lunchtime treat or side. (Adapted from "The South American Table," The Harvard Common Press, 2003.)

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

8 ounces cooked ham, chopped

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

8 ounces mild Cheddar or Jarlsberg, shredded

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Pinch of black pepper

1 package empanada wrappers (we used Goya brand) or 2 packages

Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry shells, thawed

Egg wash made from 1 large egg lightly beaten, combined

with 1 tablespoon water

METHOD

1. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and parsley, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, transfer the mixture to a medium-size bowl, and allow it to cool.

2. Add the ham, bread crumbs, cheese, sour cream, egg, and a pinch of black pepper to the bowl, and mix well.

3. To assemble the turnovers: Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center of an empanada wrapper and lightly moisten the edge of the circle with the egg mixture. (If you use a pastry shell, you'll first need to roll it out into a 5-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface.) Fold the pastry in half and press the edges firmly to seal. Crimp the edge with a fork dipped in flour and pierce the top with the fork to allow steam to escape. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, then refrigerate the empanadas for 30 minutes or freeze for later use.

Make-Ahead Tip: To freeze your empanadas, place the unbaked turnovers in the freezer on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. When frozen, stack them in sealable containers. Pop them in the oven frozen when you're ready to bake them (following step 4). Just increase the baking time by 15 minutes.

4. Heat the oven to 375°. Brush the turnovers with the egg wash and bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet on the upper oven rack until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the empanadas to cool for a few minutes before serving. Makes 12 medium-size turnovers.

Source: Familyfungo

Fish Filets

Fish Filets

Instead of being deep-fried, these flaky, golden fish filets are coated with crackers and panfried in a small amount of canola oil. Serve them plain or create a fish sandwich with a hamburger bun, a slice of Cheddar cheese, lettuce, and a small dollop of homemade tartar sauce (see recipe for Fast and Light Tartar Sauce)!

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pound white fish (such as grouper or cod)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
3/4 cup crumbs from wheat crackers (such as
Wheatsworth), preferably low-sodium and low-fat, ground in a food processor or crushed with a rolling pin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

METHOD

1. Cut the filets into 4 squares, each about 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches, rinse them, and dry well.

2. In a small bowl, add the flour. Pour the buttermilk in another small bowl. Combine the wheat cracker crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh parsley in a medium, shallow bowl and blend well with a whisk.

3. Dip each fish square into the flour, then the buttermilk, then the cracker crumb mixture. Set the pieces aside and heat a medium nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat.

4. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil in the frying pan, then place in all 4 fish squares. Fry the fish until the bottoms are golden brown (about 4 minutes), then flip over the fish to brown the other side (about 3 minutes more). If you're making sandwiches, turn off the heat, lay the cheese slices over the hot fish squares, and cover the pan for a minute to melt the cheese.

Source: Familyfungo

California Sushi Wrap

California Sushi Wrap

Introduce your kids to the art of sushi rolling with these easy sandwiches. The tortilla does double duty as a rolling mat and a tasty wrapper.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked sushi rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/4 cup chopped green onion

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas

4 sheets nori, or 2 cups spinach leaves

1/2 cup grated carrot

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut lengthwise into 4 spears (we used the European variety)

1 (8-ounce) package imitation crabmeat

Soy sauce packets

METHOD

1. In a small bowl, mix the rice with the salt, vinegar, and green onion.

2. For each wrap, heat a tortilla in the microwave for 10 seconds. For an authentic sushi taste, place a sheet of nori on the tortilla (or use 1/2 cup of spinach if your family's not game for the nori). Spread about 1/2 cup of the rice mixture on top of the nori, then add a layer of grated carrot. Next, place a cucumber spear and a quarter of the crabmeat near one side of the nori. From that side, roll up the wrap and tuck in the ends.

3. Tightly cover each sandwich in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Cut in half and serve with soy sauce for dipping. Makes 4 wraps.

Source: Familyfungo

Tuna Salad Sandwich

Tuna Salad Sandwich

Prep Time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 (6 ounce) can of tuna fish (if packed in water, drain it, and add a teaspoon of good quality olive oil)
1/3 cup of cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons of mayonaise
1/4 purple onion, chopped finely
1 celery stalk, chopped finely
1 Tablespoon of capers
Juice of half of a lemon
Pinch or two of dill
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
(optional - lettuce and sliced tomatoes)
Slices of French bread, lightly toasted

METHOD

1. Mix all of the ingredients. Serve on toast, either open faced, or in a regular sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes. For a low carb option, serve on sliced lettuce.

Source: Simplyrecipe