Beer Battered Fish

Once again, the season of Lent is upon us, and many of us Mid-westerners tend to go out for fish on Friday nights. Up until now I had made plenty of broiled or baked fish, but had not tried making fried fish. I found this recipe for beer battered tilapia in a magazine and decided to give it a try since I had all the ingredients on hand. It turned out to be as good or better than any fish we've had at a restaurant! It is probably healthier too, since it is fried in olive oil. I'm sure most restaurants use cheaper, less good-for-you varieties in their big fryers. The batter turns crisp and golden brown, and very delicious. I used tilapia, which was excellent, but I also plan to try using cod and haddock. We liked the batter from this recipe so much that I think we might try making our own cheese curds with it as well! Enjoy!

Ingredients
Olive oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
2/3 cup beer
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tilapia or flounder fillets, about 5 ounces each (I thawed out tilapia fillets from a frozen package)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Put enough oil in large skillet to fill about 1/2 inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat.
  

• In a shallow dish, whisk together 1/2 cup of the flour, beer, egg, and baking powder. Place remaining 1/4 cup flour in a separate shallow dish.

• Season both sides of fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Dredge fish in flour, turn to coat both sides and then shake off excess flour. Dunk fish in beer mixture and turn to coat both sides.

• Add fish to hot oil and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until cooked through and opaque. Remove fish from oil. Place on a paper towel lined plate.

Yield: 4

Chocolate Mint Cookies

These cookies were fun to make and disappeared quickly from the cookie jar! If you are fond of the popular "Thin Mint" girl scout cookies, you should try this recipe. Although they have a softer texture, and are not dipped in chocolate, the taste is very similar. Best of all, these cookies are healthier than most. This recipe is definitely a keeper!



Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Cooking spray


Directions:

• Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda in a small bowl. Stir together well with a whisk.
  

• Combine the brown sugar and next 5 ingredients (brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, applesauce, vanilla, and peppermint extract) in a medium bowl. bBeat with a mixer at high speed for 2 minutes. Beat in the egg white. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until well-blended.

• Coat your hands lightly with cooking spray. Shape the dough into a 6-inch log. Wrap log in plastic wrap and freeze 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut the log into 24 (1/4-inch) slices, and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

Yield: 2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

CALORIES 76 (22% from fat); FAT 1.8g (sat 1.1g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.1g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.7g; SODIUM 33mg; PROTEIN 1.2g; FIBER 0.2g

Source: Cooking Light, MAY 2001

Chicken with Mushrooms, Prosciutto, and Cream Sauce

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and decided to try it after reading the excellent reviews. I used low fat sour cream to make it healthier. I served it with roasted asparagus (using the same method as this recipe for roasted broccoli) and spaghetti noodles with sauce from the chicken on it. We thought it was really good and hopefully you will too!


Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
6 chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
6 slices prosciutto (thin sliced)
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 cup sour cream


Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Drizzle melted butter into a casserole dish. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic. Wrap prosciutto around chicken thighs, and place in casserole dish. Place mushrooms and remaining garlic on top of chicken.
• Bake for about 1 hour, until juices run clear. Remove chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• Pour drippings from casserole into a skillet set over medium-low heat. Wihisk in wine and sour cream, and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until warmed through. Pour sauce over chicken and enjoy!
  

Source: Allrecipes.com