Fish Sticks & Tartar Sauce

Fish sticks are a classic kid’s food. We grew up eating them at home and in the school cafeterias. But, as a child you don’t really notice that fish aren’t really the shape of a 1” by 3” rectangle. Also you don’t seem to notice the lack of flavor and well, basically, as a kid you don’t seem to notice that frozen fish sticks suck!

I am a huge fish lover and I love making my homemade fish sticks with of course homemade tartar sauce. When I was first starting to cook, my mom got me a cook book just for kids. In that cook book was a recipe for making homemade fish sticks! I loved it! But, that recipe actually was a somewhat unhealthy. So, I created my own and that is what I give you today!!

What You’ll Need for the Fish Sticks:

1 Package of Tilapia

3 Eggs

2 Cups of Italian Style Bread Crumbs

½ teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning

1 Cup of Flour

What You’ll Need for the Tartar Sauce

1 Cup of Mayo

2 Tablespoons of chopped Parsley

2 Teaspoons of Mustard

½ Teaspoon of Pepper

1 Teaspoon of Salt

2 Teaspoons of Dill

1 Small Jar of (Sweet Midget) Pickles, minced

2 Teaspoons of Pickle Juice

2 Teaspoons of Lemon Juice

What You’ll Do for the Tartar Sauce:

§  Whisk all of the ingredients together in the bowl…it’s that easy.

§  I like to make the Tartar Sauce first and place in the refrigerator so all of the flavors can marry!

What You’ll Do for the Fish Sticks:

§  Make a dredging station. (You can see a more detailed how-to here!)

§  Add the Old Bay Seasoning to flour.

§  First, cut the fish into two pieces, right down the middle

§  Next, dredge the fish in the flour, egg, and then bread crumbs.

§  Place on a baking sheet that has been spread with a non-stick cooking spray.

§  Bake on 375° for 15-20 minutes

I love making homemade fish sticks for my family and friends when I can! It is such an easy meal to make that looks like it took some time! Let’s be honest, not many people make their own fish sticks and you could definitely impress your friends!

Enjoy

-SW

Corn Bread

Alright Alright Alright, it is time for some cornbread lovin’.

Last week, as you should know, we had 5 alarm chili. With that 5 alarm chili I made Cheddar-Jalapeño Corn Bread. And well, here it is….

Oh! By the way, it is simple to make and makes a lot too…thought you should know!

What You’ll Need:

2 boxes of corn bread mix

½ cup of frozen corn kernels

¾ cup of shredded cheddar cheese

½ jalapeño (deseeded and minced)

2 eggs

2/3 cups of milk

3 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of butter (not pictured)

What You’ll Do:

ü  First dump the corn bread mix into a bowl

ü  Add the two eggs and milk

ü  Whisk until combined

ü  Add the corn, cheese, and minced jalapeño

ü  Mix until all is combined

ü  Next, grease a loaf pan and add the corn bread batter

ü  Bake on 400° for 40-45 minutes

ü  When the corn bread has 8-10 minutes left, add butter and honey in a small pot and cook until both are melted.

ü  Once you pull the bread from the oven, pour the honey-butter mixture over the top

Like I said earlier, I made this for the 5 Alarm Chili that Josh and I made. This would go great with a traditional chili or a great side for any comfort meal.

Also, instead of using a loaf pan, you could use a 13X9 pan or a muffin tin.

Enjoy

-SW

5 Alarm Chili

Okay, I am sorry that I have been MIA lately. Between a busy December and small vacation back home visiting with my family; I am now back in blog business. For this blog I have chosen a chili recipe that Josh and I made together. This is our take on 5 Alarm Chili. We got this recipe from a television program called Cook’s Country. Yet, we’ve made a few small changes to it to fit our palate.

The five alarms: Cayenne Pepper, Chili Powder, Chipotle Peppers, Jalapenos, and Ancho Chilies

Personally, it is not that spicy. It has more heat to it than spiciness.

What You’ll Need:

28 ounce whole peeled tomatoes

3 ½ cups of water

3 cans of pinto beans (drained and rinsed)

1 ½ cups of beer

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons of chili powder

2 Spanish onions (chopped)

2 ounces of chipotle peppers

2 teaspoons of adobo sauce (in the chipotle pepper can)

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 jalapeños (minced, save seeds from one jalapeño)

6 cloves of garlic (minced)

3 dried ancho chilies

1 pound of ground beef

What You’ll Do:

·        First, you need rehydrate the ancho chilies. Place the whole chilies in a bowl with 1 ½ cups of water in the microwave. Heat until the peppers bend and become soft. Then cut off the tops and deseed. Cut the flesh into 1 inch pieces.

·        In a food processor or blender, add the tomatoes, 2 cups of water, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and ancho chilies. Blend until smooth and set aside.

·        Next, brown the ground beef in a pot with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper.

·        Once browned and cooked through, drain the fat from the meat and set aside.

·        Add the chopped onions and minced jalapenos (and seeds from one pepper) to the same pot with 2 more teaspoons of olive oil. Cook until the onions are very tender and translucent.

·        Once the onions are done, add in the minced garlic, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and sugar. When adding the seasonings make sure you are constantly stirring.

·        When all combined, add in the beer. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 3 minutes. This will help cook out the alcohol taste.

·        Next, add the ground beef back and the pinto beans too.

·        Lastly, add the tomato chili sauce.

·        Let everything come to a boil and reduce the heat on low for 15 minutes.

This chili has tons of flavors layered within each bit and you will soon find out why it is called five alarm chili.

We ate ours with corn bread, crackers, and topped with cheese.

Enjoy

-SW