Tammy: Main Dish
Parker's Fish and Chips
Source: Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook
2002
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: Supposed to be Under 10 Minutes
Ingredients/Directions: Lay 3 lbs. of cod fillets on cutting board. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper ( I didn't really use pepper because Lissa doesn't like it). Cut fillets in 1 1/2 x 3 inch pieces.In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup + 2 TBSP flour, 1 TBSP Baking Powder, 1 tsp Lemon Zest, 1 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk in 1 cup water and 2 XL eggs.
Pour 1/2 inch Vegetable Oil into a large frying pan and heat to about 360 degrees. Dip each fillet into the batter, then place carefully into hot oil. Don't crowd pieces. Keep oil between 360 and 400 degrees. Cook fish on each side for 2 - 3 min, until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
Comments: Sounds so easy right? That is what I thought. This will be a definite winner...... wrong! Let's look at the many ways that I messed this one up. First of all, I asked for 3 fillets at the grocery store. Not 3 lbs. Big difference. I didn't realize my mistake until I was about to start cooking. I had to run to the store to get 2 more lbs of fish. The fish was really hard to cut. I don't know if maybe there was something wrong with the fish itself, but this was a challenge. Next mistake.... I didn't have a thermometer for my oil. Big, big mistake. Next time I will use my deep fryer that has a thermometer. Because of that, my fish took forever to cook. They shrunk to almost nothing. We called them "fish nuggets" and most of the pieces wound up chewy, not flakey as you would expect. Oh well! Chalk it up to lack of experience in fish cooking. Uuuuggghhhh! What I thought would be easy was a total pain. I might try a different fish next time. Maybe, it just wasn't very fresh. It was tough to begin with and I think that added to the chewiness of the end product. Also, the batter was good, but was not thick. I might try a different batter next time that is really thick and crunchy. I need a winner in the main dish category. I have tried it twice, and both times did not really work. Well, third times the charm :)
Comments by Lissa: Well...another entree bites the dust! Haha I couldn't eat much of it because the flavor turned out great but the fish was super tough for some reason, even when she cooked it for a shorter period of time. I give Sis props for trying to fry fish for the first time, but something definitely went wrong. Maybe we had a bad batch of fish or used the wrong kind of fish....Any suggestions of the best fish to use?
Comments by Mom: Overall I thought the fish turned out great. It was very tasty. I just think either we had one package of old fish or we cooked it too long. Then the second package of fish was fresher and was not as tough as the first one. Fish does not take very long to cook at all. It seemed like it cooked forever. Also using a deep fryer may have been the other secret.
Melissa: Side Dish
Serves 6
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 MinutesSource: Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook
Ingredients/Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub 4 large baking potatoes, then cut them in half lengthwise, then each half into thirds. Place on a sheet pan with 4 TBSP Olive Oil, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp minced fresh garlic, and 1 tsp, minced fresh rosemary leaves. Toss all ingredients together, making sure all potatoes are covered with oil. Spread in a single layer, cut side down.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning to the other side after 20 minutes. Bake until they are lightly browned, crisp outside, and tender inside. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
Comments: I thought these were going to be like french fries, but they turned out to just be potatoes. The flavor was great, they were super yummy! The only thing is that they were really big so I cut the potatoes in half and then cut each half into fours. I would use these in addition to any entree, so easy to prepare and cook. Looks like my potatoes were the winner of the evening. Yesssss!!! =)
Comments by Mom: The potato wedges were extra yummy. I thought they were great. I want to make
them myself as they seemed super easy to prepare. They had the greatest taste.
Comments by Tammy: Can I say, Yum? These were great! So delicious, so easy, and can go with almost anything. I think the only thing that I might change is to let them cook a little longer to make them slightly crunchy on the outside. That is completely preference though, because having them soft is fabulous too. Good job sister. This one is definitely a keeper!!!
Janice: Dessert
Serves 4-7
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Source: Best Recipes by Ceil Dyer
1 6 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 6 oz. package butterscotch morsels
2 Tbs. peanut butter
4 cups Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal
Melt chocolate, butterscotch morsels and peanut butter
together in top section of double boiler over hot but not
boiling water, or in heavy saucepan over very low heat,
stirring constantly until well blended. Remove from heat.
Add Rice Krispies: stir until well blended.
Drop by level measuring tablespoon onto waxed paper or
buttered baking sheets. Let stand in cool place until firm.
Makes about 4-dozen Choco-Scotch Clusters, 1-1/2 inches
in diameter.
Note: Mixture may be pressed into buttered 9 x 9 x 2 inch
square pan. Cut into squares when firm. Yields 3 dozen
1-1/2 x 1-1/2-inch Choco-Scotch Clusters.
Comments: This was a very lite and delicious dessert. Everyone seemed to love it. It was so easy to make and it was such a hit. I have already made it again.
Comments by Tammy: This dessert was good. I do have to say that the butterscotch flavor, personally, is not my favorite. I think that I would have like it better if the butterscotch chips had been replaced by peanut butter chips. My husband and daughter, however, could not get enough of them. I love the texture of them and the chocolate flavor. It is one of those desserts where you could easily eat several servings before realizing you ate too much :)
Comments by Lissa: This dessert was yummy and different, never tried anything like it before...that's for sure. But, I agree with Sis though, butterscotch is not my favorite and I would have like to try it with peanut butter as well. But what can we say, we are peanut butter lovers! However, I am very proud of Mom for straying away from the 5 ingredient cookbook and trying something different, even though I still think it was too easy for her. But it was funny to watch her try and melt the chocolate on our make-shift double broiler (or whatever it's called). Haha Love Ya Mom ;)
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