Guilt-free Fish 'n' Chips!

Here is a yummy, healthy alternative to the traditional deep fried meal. *Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
1/2 C light sour cream
2 T light mayo
1 T lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 shallot, finely chopped (or sub yellow onion)
Salt & pepper
1 large sweet potato (about 1 1/2#), halved & cut into wedges
1 1/2 T EVOO
3 T finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cooking spray
1/3 C cornmeal
1/3 C whole wheat breadcrumbs
3/4 C buttermilk
4 - 5 oz skinless, boneless tilapia filets, cut lengthwise in thirds

1. Position racks in upper & lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix together sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, shallot, 1/2 t salt & 1/4 t pepper. Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with foil. On one, toss sweet potatoes with EVOO & 1 T parsley. Season with salt & pepper. Spread into a single layer and bake on lower rack until tender & crisp around the edges, about 20 min. **You may want to flip them over halfway through to avoid burning so check them when you put the fish in.
4. Meanwhile, spray your other foiled baking sheet with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, breadcrumbs, remaining parsley, 3/4 t salt & 1/4 t pepper.
5. In another bowl, combine fish and buttermilk, turning to coat. One at a time, coat fish with the cornmeal mixture & place on baking sheet. Spray fish with cooking spray & bake on upper rack until golden brown, 12-14 min. Serve with the fries and dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Semi-Homemade Manicotti

Obviously, I love Italian food. I also love shortcuts on these long days. I just popped this one in the oven. Overall, it takes just over an hour to prepare! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 C ricotta cheese
1 3/4 C shredded mozzarella
3/4 C grated romano cheese (use parmesan in a pinch)
1/3 C chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 T milk
3 large eggs
1 C water
3/4 C flour
3 C store-bought meat sauce (I use 1 jar of Classico Italian Sausage)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 C mozzarella, 1/2 C romano, parsley & milk.
2. Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium heat. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk the eggs with water. Whisk in flour.
3. You may need to brush the skillet with a dab of oil... ladle 3 T batter onto the skillet then tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread out the batter.

Cook 1 minute, flip & cook 1 minute more. Repeat with remaining batter, stacking the crepes on a plate.
4. Spread 1/2 the meat sauce into a 9x13" baking dish. To save some time, in between pouring the crepe batter, spoon cheese mixture down the center of each already done crepe.

Roll closed & arrange into baking dish.


5. When your baking dish is full, top with remaining meat sauce and cheeses.

Bake for 25 minutes. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Deconstructed Lasagna

The Spring semester is the busiest time for me so I just don't have time for elaborate meals. I had a craving for lasagna the other night - who ever has time for that!? :) This is another Rachael Ray recipe that satisfied my taste for the traditional. Fusilli is hard to find sometimes, so sub bowtie pasta if needed!

Ingredients:
kosher salt & pepper
1# long fusilli pasta (or a little less if you're using bowtie)
2 T EVOO
1# lean ground sirloin
1 small carrot
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 C beef broth
1 - 28oz can crushed tomatoes
a few leaves of fresh basil (or sub a dash of dried)
1 C ricotta cheese
1/2 C fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 T butter
2/3 grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (or regular parm)

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot, salt it & add pasta. Cook to al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add beef, crumbling to bits as it cooks until lightly browned (3-4 min).
3. Over the skillet, grate in carrot, onion & garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened then stir in beef broth, tomatoes & basil. Let simmer.
4. In small bowl, stir together ricotta & parsley.
5. When pasta is done, drain & return to pot. Stir in butter then the parmesan & meat sauce. Serve over a dollop of the ricotta mixture with a hunk of toasty garlic bread alongside! MMMM!

Granted, it's not quite as good as the real thing, but it gets the job done! Enjoy! :)

Lean, Mean Meatloaf

When I have the time, I prefer my "beefed up" meatloaf recipe. If you're short on time, though, this one is quick to prepare and DELICIOUS!! It's also healthier without the sugar & sodium-heavy traditional ketchup topping, not to mention that substituting oats for breadcrumbs boosts the fiber content! Enjoy!! *Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
3/4 C rolled oats (regular oatmeal)
1 onion, quartered
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
1 - 12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg plus 1 egg white
salt & pepper
1 1/2 lb. 93% lean ground sirloin
***I substituted 1# ground turkey breast!

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a food processor, coarsely grind oats & transfer to a large bowl. Add onion to processor & finely chop.
3. In a sm-med skillet, heat EVOO over med heat then add onion & cook, stirring, until softened (about 5 min). Meanwhile, puree roasted peppers in processor, setting aside 1/3 C.
4. Whisk the remaining puree into the oats along with the onion, 6 T parmesan, parsley, egg & egg white, 1 1/2 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper.
5. Crumble the meat into the bowl and stir to combine.
6. Transfer mixture to a 5x9 loaf pan, spread the reserved puree on top & bake for 50 minutes.
7. Sprinkle remaining parmesan over the top and bake another 5 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.