Oven "Fried" Fish and Chips

I don't love fish and chips because I don't usually love deep fried foods, but I love these. The crunchy coating adds something special to these. The recipe originally called for corn flakes, but that is not something I typically have on hand so I use crushed corn chex. They have more crunch than cornflakes and more flavor. The fries are wonderful dipped in mustard. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup crushed corn cereal
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 Medium Potatoes
4 fish fillets (I typically use tilapia)
Italian dressing
Mayo or plain yogurt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Combine breadcrumbs, cereal, and cheese in a shallow dish.
3. Cut each potato into 8 wedges. Coat potatoes with a little Italian dressing so crumbs will adhere to them. Dip potato wedges in crumbs and place on a creased baking sheet.
4. Bake potatoes for 25 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, lightly apply fish fillets with mayo or yogurt and coat with remaining crumb mixture.
6. Place fish on a broiling pan. When potatoes are done place fish in the oven with potatoes. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Total cooking time: 40 minutes. Serves 4.

Beef and Sugar Snap Stir-Fry

This is a great way to use those yummy peas that are in season. The key to this recipe is to cut the steak as thin as possible.

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons  rice vinegar, divided
• 2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce, divided
• 1  (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced across grain
• 2  teaspoons  sugar
• 2  teaspoons  hoisin sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 2  teaspoons  toasted sesame oil, divided
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  teaspoon  bottled minced ginger
• 1/2  teaspoon  minced garlic
• 1  cup  chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2  cup  matchstick-cut carrot
• 1  (8-ounce) package fresh sugar snap peas
• 1/3  cup  chopped green onions

Preparation

1. Combine 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and beef in a large bowl. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sugar, hoisin, salt, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef mixture to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes or until done. Place beef mixture in a bowl. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 15 seconds. Stir in bell pepper, carrot, and peas; sauté 3 minutes. Add vinegar mixture and beef mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in green onions.

Steamed rice with green onions: Cook 1 cup white rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup chopped green onions and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds.

Avocado Aioli (Dressing, Sauce)

The traditional aioli recipe is similar to mayo, so somewhat high in fat. A couple of weeks ago, I saw a TV segment (sorry, I can't remember which show) making a few recipes from The Biggest Loser ranch. This Avocado Aioli was used on shrimp tacos, if I remember correctly, but it was designed to be a salad dressing. I have used it as a salad dressing, on chicken, on fish, and as a spread on sandwiches. It is great with any of those things!

1 avocado

1/3 c. plain Greek style yogurt

1 T. basil

2 t. garlic

1 t. lemon juice

1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper (I used fresh ground pepper)

The original recipe just says to combine everything in a food processor until smooth. I've made it a couple of times now, and have experimented with the order that I added the ingredients. I found that it mixed a little bit better when I did the avocado and lemon juice first, then added the basil, garlic, salt and pepper, and then added the yogurt last.

The recipe directions also suggest that you put the dressing in a condiment bottle and keep it in the fridge so it's quick to grab and squirt on salads, etc. Since we're at the beginning of BBQ and picnic season, I was able to find a condiment bottle pretty cheap. It's working very well to have it that available.

Italian Lasagna

A Disclaimer: This isn't a quick recipe. But it is healthy and delicious.

Ingredients:
Ragu Sauce (See below)
Lasagna Noodles
Medium White Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella or Italian Cheese Blend
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Start with a good ragu sauce. If you don't want to go through the trouble of making one from scratch, brown 1 lb ground meat, add 1 jar of spaghetti sauce.

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. (We prefer whole wheat noodles.) Place noodles on wax paper or aluminum foil to prevent them from sticking together.

Make Medium White Sauce:
   2 Tbsp butter melted in pan
   add 2 Tbsp flour and cook until bubbling.
   add 1 cup milk and salt and pepper to taste. Boil and stir continuously until thick (about 1 min).

Pour a few Tbsp of ragu on the bottom of a greased 13x9" pan. Arrange half of lasagna noodles on the bottom of pan. Layer half of ragu, white sauce and mozzarella. Repeat. Top with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Cook at 375º for 1 hour.

Butternut Squash Soup

Everyone at our house has been suffering from bronchitis. Fun times. When I am sick there is nothing I want more then soup. I know that chicken noodle is the expected thing, but this is one of the most comforting soups I have ever eaten. The only ingredient you can't compromise on is the fresh ginger, it won't have the same flavor or curative powers. 1 regular onion can be substituted for the leeks (the flavor won't be as mild), chicken broth can replace the veg, and any type of squash can be used. You can bake and scoop the squash up to a day before or take the SUPER easy route and use 2 cans (28 oz each) of pumpkin. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 400º.
Place cut side down on an baking pan:
   1 medium to large butternut squash (~3.5 lbs.) halved and seeded.
Put about 1-2" of water in pan to prevent browning. Bake until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Let cool, then scoop the pulp from the squash skin and discard skin.
Meld in a soup pot over medium-low heat:
   3 Tbsp unsalted butter or oil
Add and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, 5-10 min
   2 Large leaks (white part only), cleaned thoroughly and chopped
   4 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
Sir in the squash along with:
   4 cups vegetable stock or broth
Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and breaking up the squash with a spoon for 20 minutes. Put in small batches in the blender and puree until smooth, setting aside after each batch. Return to pot and stir in:
   2 cups vegetable stock or broth
   1 1/2 tsp salt
Heat through. Ladle into warmed bowls. Garnish with:
   Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
   Croutons
   Parmesan cheese goldfish (my favorite)

Tandoori Spiced Pork Roast

I have modified this recipe to be prepared in the slow cooker. It is so easy and my kids loved it. This Indian spiced pork smells and tastes delicious.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon garlic oil
2 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 Pork roast or tenderloin about 3 lbs.

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except pork in small bowl. Place pork in slow cooker; coat all sides with spice mixture. Add 1 cup water.

2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours on low. Serve over rice.

Slow-Cooked Pinto Beans

I never make beans, mostly because I forget to soak them overnight. A Mexican girl in my ward made these beans for a church event and they were so delicious I had to get the recipe. The best part is that they require no soaking. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup bacon fat, she pared it down to 1 Tbsp because she didn't like how the left overs congealed in the fridge. I eliminated the bacon fat all together and substituted liquid smoke to give it that smokey flavor. If you don't have liquid smoke, smoked paprika would also work. They turned out great. Adding the bacon fat back in would give the juice more body, which some people like, but I don't care. The girl who I got the recipe from said that she likes to make these the night before and have beans and eggs for breakfast and then make enchiladas that night. If you want to use fresh onion and garlic, you can, but I like the plain, chunkless beans. I made these with fish tacos and a side of asparagus, it was super delicious.

Ingredients:
2 cups dry pinto beans
7 cups water
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp liquid smoke (more or less to taste)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a slow-cooker and cook on low for 10+ hours. Makes ~7 cups beans.