I first found out about Clean Eating magazine last year when I attended an early morning fitness boot camp. The trainer, Anne Perkins, who was conducting the camp highly recommended it. I took her word for it and I've never regretted it. The recipes are amazing--low calorie, yet filling, and very tasty. You should take my word for it--just buy one issue. I'll bet you'll be thinking you never knew eating healthy could be so appealing.
Last night I made Sauteed Fish Sticks with Dill Potato Chips and Mustard Slaw. I was a bit nervous since previous attempts to feed my children frozen fish sticks blew up in my face spectacularly. I have the pickiest eaters in all of history. Surprisingly, they both loved the fish sticks. They were willing to try the potato chips, but they were a no go--disappointing because they were really good! There was no chance that they would even consider putting something called mustard slaw anywhere near their plates. I'll reserve my review for after the recipe.
1 Slice whole-grain bread
1/2 lb yellow potatoes, scrubbed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried dill
1/4 head cabbage, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
4 small radishes, halved and thinly sliced
1 large Braeburn apple (or other thin apple) cut into thin matchsticks
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 egg
3/4 pound boneless, skinless tilapia fillet, rinsed with water and patted dry
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a food processor, process bread into crumbs. Set aside.
2. Slice potatoes as thinly as possible. Spread slices out evenly on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 1/2 tsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt over top and use fingertips to rub oil and salt into each slice. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. As soon as potatoes come out of oven, sprinkle with dill and lightly toss to combine.
3. Prepare slaw. In a large bowl mix cabbage, carrot, radishes, and apple. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard and 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss with cabbage mixture.
4. Prepare fish sticks. Crack egg into a medium bowl. Chop tilapia as finely as possible and add to egg. Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs to tilapia mixture, then use hands to thoroughly combine.
5. Divide fish mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a rectangular stick about 2 1.2 inches long. Pour another 1/4 cup bread crumbs into a large or flat-bottomed soup bowl. Dredge each stick in bread crumbs pressing lightly to coat both sides.
6. Heat remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet for 1 minute on medium. Add fish sticks to pan and cook, covered, for 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Use heatproof tongs to gently flip sticks over and cook for another 3 minutes or until both sides are golden brown. Serve with potato chips and slaw.
Serves 4. Hands-on time 35 minutes. Total time 45 minutes
2 fish sticks, 2 oz potato chips and 3/4 cup slaw: 269 calories. If you want the rest of the nutrition info go out and get the April/May 2011 issue of Clean Eating magazine. I know this seems low, but I was not hungry for the rest of the night after eating this around 6:30 PM. It was very satisfying.
The verdict--delicious! This might just be my very favorite Clean Eating recipe I've tried so far. I substituted halibut for the tilapia (my tilapia had been in the freezer an undetermined amount of time, and I wasn't sure about it's suitability for human consumption). The fish sticks were crispy, and not too fishy. I loved that I could make something that I loved when I was a kid so easily.
The chips were by far the best part for me. I love potato chips, and now that I know how to make my own, I may never buy them again. I used my madoline, which made the slicing fast and easy. Also, if you don't like dill, don't use it, though Jeremy, who hates dill loved the chips. One note about the chips--they took a lot longer to cook than the recipe said they should. After 30 minutes of baking I turned on the broiler to brown them up faster. I think I may need to measure the temperature of my oven! Also, I know it seems like you're sprinkling a very small amount of oil on the chips, but don't worry--it's more than enough. I could probably have cut out the last 1/2 tsp.
Finally, the mustard slaw. I know the appearance of the work mustard may turn some people off. Don't let it! There is no discernable mustard flavor in this dish. Jeremy, who also hates mustard and would never eat it willingly even said that he couldn't taste the mustard. Trust me his sense of taste is very sensitive--I can't sneak anything past that guy.
So, are you going to try it? I hope you do, and let me know what you think!
