Memories and healthy recipes for your dinner table.
Our oldest son announced one evening during dinner that he was moving to Mexico because he loves bean burritos so much. Can you tell tacos and burritos are a reoccurring weekly menu staple at our house? This week I decided to change things up a …
In the South the term “biscuit” often refers to a light, fluffy, flaky, buttery bread usually served with breakfast. In England and other places around the world however, a biscuit is more like a hard scone or “cookie” served with tea or single serve coffee …
Nuts have been given such a bad rap for their high fat content. The truth is raw nuts do contain a heart healthy fat and are packed full of protein. Pecans are high in plant sterols which can aide in the prevention of heart disease. Plant sterols have the ability to block your body from absorbing cholesterol lowering your LDL. When eaten in moderation pecans in particular are a great source of vitamins and minerals.
The family will go nuts over these hearty Pecan Crusted Fish Sticks.
Source: Parents Magazine December 2010
1 pound Atlantic cod fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup torn whole-wheat bread pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Coat a wire baking rack with nonstick cooking spray and place on a baking sheet or in a shallow baking pan.
Cut fish into about 14 3″ by 1″ strips.
Place pecans, bread pieces and salt in a food processor; pulse until fine. Place in a bowl or on a large plate. Put flour and eggs in separate bowls.
Lightly coat cod in flour. Dip in egg and roll in pecan mixture. Put fish on rack; coat with cooking spray.
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden.
Variations:
– The eggs may be replaced with milk or water.
– Swap the flour for ground flaxseed meal.
Super Bowl Sunday is set for February 6th. If you are not heading to the Cowboys Stadium then it is time to plan your home turf game menu. This year we’ve got a pizza bar theme. The two contending teams are the Gourmet Pesto Chicken …
Last month I met some friends for breakfast at a local cafe. As a self-proclaimed pancake luver I decided to try the Dutch Apple Pancakes with sauteed apples. I was unsure with my decision because I am not a fan of the goopy sugary apple pie filling that typically smothers a beautiful stack of flap jacks at the more commercial establishments. I was more than pleasantly surprised when the waiter returned with my order. Our server placed before me three huge pancakes nestled on top of one another each one incorporated with sauteed apple slices and topped with a dollop of lightly whipped cream. They tasted as mouth watering as they looked with a crispy buttery outside and a tender pancake inside. The apple slices were actually cooked in each pancake. A clean simple dish.
Pannenkoek is a Dutch pancake that is larger and thinner than the fluffy American pancakes but slightly thicker than crepes. A traditional pannenkoek is about 10-12 inches in diameter and are usually infused with slices of bacon, sausage, fruits or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. They can be made thinner and rolled up like a crepe or eaten like a pancake with an endless combination of fillings and toppings from salmon to pizza to sweet.
We took our regular pancake recipe and thinned it out with a little more milk and butter. You can choose to saute the apples in a little butter and cinnamon sugar beforehand or use thinly sliced raw apples. Add sliced almonds or chopped pecans for an nice variation.
2 sweet cooking apples such as McIntosh, Fuji or Gala, cored and thinly sliced or cut in rounds
3 cups flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 good pinches of salt
4 eggs
2 cups plus 4 tbsp milk
5 tbsp melted butter
Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in eggs and half the milk until thickened. Add the rest of the milk to make a thin batter. Whisk in the melted butter. Mix until smooth.
Spray or heat a little butter or vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Pour in the batter to make desired sized pancakes. Immediately arrange the apple slices on top of the pancakes. Generously dust with cinnamon sugar. When tops start to set with bubbles flip over. Continue to cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more until bottoms are slightly browned.
Makes 10 large pancakes or 14 small.
Tuna Noodle Casserole is what you get at the end of the month when the monthly grocery allotment is depleted and the items in the pantry and the refrigerator are limited. As for the pasta anything goes. I used half a box of the little …
Grilled vegetables with pasta is one of my favorite ways to use up vegetables and left over meat. Except in winter when they all go in a pot for soup. This dish is a throw back to my days in college. It is cheap, quick, …
In many a household dinner has become a rush of events. From mine own experience with little ones crying from hunger, the baby begging to be held and the chaos that ensues now that mom is not looking can dampen any attempt for a peaceful family dinner. In a rush to console the masses plates, cups, silverware and napkins are piled on the table followed by a weary call to come to dinner.
Make dinnertime special by adding a little flare to the table.
– Use fun tablecloths to add color.
– Arrange a small bouquet of flowers for a centerpiece.
– Move dinner outside on a blanket or enlist a couple helpers to carry the table outdoors.
– Pull out the cloth napkins.
– Put away the plastic kid-proof plates once in a while.
The Panko Crusted Grits are very time consuming but well worth the work, that is I suppose if you really like grits. For a faster substitution cook up a pot of polenta or grits according to the following directions for Panko Crusted Grits, stopping just …