Friday Night Fish and Chips

Usually every Friday is pizza night in this house. That's not me, it's my husband. He loves his Friday night pizza. And to be honest, pizza never raises a complaint from the kiddos, so I love Friday night pizza too. But last night, my husband was away for dinner. The girls and I like fish and since my husband is not a big fan, I took the opportunity to make this fish and chips recipe. Coming from a small town (actually a farm outside of a small town) I loved a good fish fry. There was no shortage since every club and organization from the Lions Club to 4-Her's had a fish fry fundraiser. Now that is some good fish. And all you can eat too. I'm also partial to the deep-fried, beer-battered variety that is often featured on the menu at an Irish pub. Neither of those fit with the resolutions that I keep mentioning, so I consider this recipe an excellent substitute. It's baked, not fried which cuts some major fat and calories.

Begin by making the "chips". Cut 2 large baking potatoes into 8 wedges each. Then, toss with 1/4 cup of light Italian salad dressing.


Arrange them on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. I line mine with foil before I spray for an easier clean up. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.


Now brush light Miracle Whip onto one side of the fish. Dip that side into Shake n Bake extra crispy coating mix.


Now turn the fish over and brush the other side with Miracle Whip and coat with Shake n Bake.


Remove the potato wedges from the oven. Turn them over, arrange them around the outside of the baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Shake n Bake. Place the fish in the center of the sheet. Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the fish flakes and the potatoes are tender.


Ideally, I would have made coleslaw to go along with the fish and chips. I was dying to hack a head of cabbage to bits with my food processor. However, I'm the only one in my house that eats coleslaw, so I opted for a veggie that the family would eat instead. These saucey Sweet Glazed Carrots from Kraft Food and Family were yummy. The recipe calls for 8 medium carrots, sliced diagonally. I had a bag of crinkle cut carrots taking up room in my freezer, so I used those.


In a bowl, mix the glaze ingredients: Catalina dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.


When the carrots are cooked and tender, add the glaze and cook an additional 5 minutes until the sugar is melted and the carrots are evenly coated.


Before serving, toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons of parsley. And here it is. Baked fish and chips and sweet glazed carrots.


Kraft Food and Family Easy Baked Fish and Chips

Prep Time: 10 min.
Total Time:45 min
Makes:4 servings

What You Need
2 large baking potatoes (1-1/2 lb.), each cut into 8 wedges
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1 pkt. SHAKE 'N BAKE Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix, divided
4 white fish fillets (1 lb.)
1/4 cup MIRACLE WHIP Light Dressing

Make It
HEAT oven to 400°F. Toss potatoes with Italian dressing, then 1/4 cup coating mix. Spread onto large baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 20 min.

MEANWHILE, spread remaining coating mix onto large plate. Spread fish with 2 Tbsp. MIRACLE WHIP; press, dressing-sides down, into coating mix. Repeat to coat other sides of fish. Place on rack of broiler pan.

ADD fish to oven with potatoes. Bake 15 min. or until fish flakes easily with fork and potatoes are tender.

Nutrition Information: Calories 280 Total fat 4.5 g Saturated fat 0.5 g Cholesterol 70 mg Sodium 1000 mg Carbohydrate 33 g Dietary fiber 3 g Sugars 4 g Protein 25 g Vitamin A 4 %DV Vitamin C 15 %DV Calcium 8 %DV Iron 15 %DV

WW Points: 1/4 lb fish + 4 potato wedges= 5 pts.

Sweet Glazed Carrots from Kraft Food and Family (can you tell that I'm a fan?)

Prep Time:10 min Total Time:20 min
Makes:8 servings, 1/2 cup each

What You Need
8 medium carrots, peeled, diagonally sliced
1/2 cup KRAFT CATALINA Dressing
2 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 Tbsp.
Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley Make It

COOK carrots in boiling water in large saucepan 5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Return to saucepan.
ADD dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; mix lightly. Cook on low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently until carrots are evenly glazed. STIR in parsley.

Nutrition Information :Calories 80 Total fat 3 g Saturated fat 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 290 mg Carbohydrate 13 g Dietary fiber 2 g Sugars 10 g Protein 1 g Vitamin A 130 %DV Vitamin C 4 %DV Calcium 2 %DV Iron 4 %DV

WW pts per serving: 1

Cornbread Stuffed Sweet Red Peppers

Oh yeah! Loved this recipe. The subtle sweetness of the red pepper played perfectly against the salt in the stuffing and the spice in the sausage. I'm even looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.

Here are the red peppers. I almost wrote these long, flat peppers off when I saw them "on special" at the front of the produce section. I had the shorter, fatter peppers in mind for this recipe. How would I stuff these? It's not like they'd stand up in a baking dish. As it turns out, I needed to slice them in half lengthwise, which solved the problem of how they would stand up. But even before I remembered the recipe instructions, I'd made my decision. These peppers were $1.99/lb. The prettier, shorter, rounder version were priced at $6.99/lb. At that price, I'll keep the five bucks in my pocket and make the skinny ones work.



Cut them in half lenghtwise and seed.


Place the pepper halves, cut side down in a baking dish that will fit into your microwave. Add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and microwave on high for 4 minutes. I did mine in 2 batches. They wouldn't all fit into the dish that fit into my microwave.


To make the stuffing, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add 1 small chopped onion.


And corn cut off of 1 ear, about 2/3 cup. I used 2/3 cup of thawed corn from my freezer. Cook for 4 minutes.


Next you'll need 3/4 lb. of Italian turkey sausage links. I used 2 and 1/2 links. I'll use the rest on my Friday night pizza and the Sunday night Manicotti. The recipe calls for "hot" Italian sausage. However, I used the milder version in consideration of my two young diners with the sensitive taste buds.


You can also buy Italian turkey sausage in 1 lb. bulk packages. My grocery store didn't carry the bulk version so I needed to remove the casing. Just slice down the center of the sausage and peel away the casing. The former Beavis and Butthead fan in me has a few immature comments for the following procedure. Heh heh-heh heh. But the grown up mommy in me will remain mum. I know that most of my readers will thank me.


Toss the sausage into the saucepan with the butter, onion, and corn and cook for 5 minutes or until no longer pink.


Now, add 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer.


Stir in a box of cornbread stuffing mix, until combined.


Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.


Load the dishwasher and chop 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley while you wait. Toss that parsley into the stuffing when you're ready.


Divide the filling evenly among the peppers.



Top each pepper with about 1 1/2 tablespoon of grated cheese. I substituted Monterrey Jack cheese in place of the recommended Pepper Jack.


Bake the stuffed peppers at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender.


Corn Bread Stuffed Peppers from Family Circle magazine
6 servings Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 18 to 20 minutes
Microwave: 4 minutes
Ingredients
3 large sweet red peppers
1-1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium-sized ear of corn, kernels removed (about 2/3 cup)
1 small onion, chopped
4 links hot Italian turkey sausage (3/4 pound total), casings removed
1 box (6 ounces) corn bread stuffing mix
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup shredded pepper-Jack cheese (about 2-1/2 ounces)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Slice peppers in half from stems to bottoms. Remove seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, cut-side down, in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish and add 1/2 cup water to the dish. Cover dish with plastic wrap and microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Remove dish from microwave, carefully remove plastic and drain off water.

2. Melt butter in medium-size pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add onion and corn and cook for 4 minutes. Add sausage, breaking apart with a wooden spoon. Cook 5 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. Add remaining 1 cup water and bring to a simmer. Add stuffing mix and stir once or twice. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand 5 minutes. Uncover; gently stir in parsley.

3. Flip peppers over. Divide filling among peppers, mounding mixture slightly, about 1 cup for each. Top peppers with grated cheese, about 1-1/2 tablespoons for each stuffed pepper.

4. Bake peppers at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and peppers are tender. Serve warm.

Per serving: 318 calories, 13 g fat, 19 g protein, 37 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 980 mg sodium, 63 mg cholesterol

That's 7 WW points per serving. : )

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

I love chimichangas. I love my favorite jeans too. And I miss them right now. In an attempt to cut some calories, I am featuring this baked-not-fried version of the traditional chimichanga. I'm not sure how much it's really going to help with all of the eggnog and fudge that I'll probably consume over the next few weeks, but at least for one meal we can feel a little less guilt. Plus, these are really good!

Begin by combining 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken breast, 1 cup of salsa, 1 small chopped onion, 3/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano in a skillet.


Stir and simmer until the mixture is heated and most of the liquid has evaporated.


Place 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and top with 2 tablespoons of reduced fat cheddar cheese.


Fold in the ends of the tortilla and roll them up. Place the chimis seam side down in a baking dish. Bake them for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. This gives the shell a nice little crisp so that you can pretend they're fried like "real" chimichangas.


While the chimis are baking, make the sauce. Simple and fat free; it's flour, broth, chicken bouillon, fat free half and half, and green chilies.


Mix the fat free half and half and flour until smooth.


Bring 1 cup of chicken broth to a boil with 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon granules and a little pepper. Stir the half and half mixture into the boiling chicken broth.


Cook and stir until thickened.

Stir in one 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies.



Serve the chimichangas topped with the delicious, creamy sauce. You don't even miss the fat...really.


Baked Chimichangas

2 1/2 c. cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 c. salsa
1 small, chopped onion
3/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
6 warm flour tortillas
3/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar

Simmer the first 5 ingredients until heated and most of the liquid has evaporated. Place 1/2 cup of the mixture on each tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons of cheddar. Roll up. Place seam side down in a baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Sauce:
Boil 1 cup of chicken broth, 2 t. chicken bouillon granules, and a little pepper.
Combine 1/4 c. flour and 1 c. of fat free half and half until smooth. Stir into the broth. Cook and stir until thickened. Add 1-4 oz. can of chopped green chilies.

1 Chimichanga with 1/4 cup of sauce = 423 calories, 9 g fat, and 7 g fiber. That's 8 points for all of you Weight Watchers.