Friday Fish Fry's Don't Just Happen During Lent

Tonight for dinner I decided to make a variation on my Grandma Neva's fried fish. She used to make it with walleye, and regular all purpose flour. I made it with what I had on hand: Swai (a Vietnamese catfish that is sold super cheap down here in Phoenix) and gluten-free oat flour. I also like to cut mine up so they are more like fish nuggets! In Minnesota, where I'm from, fish is a staple for two reasons: 1. There are lots of Catholics and so during Lent fish is the only kind of meat you can eat on Fridays and 2. There are lots of lakes (most of which are not man-made!) and so the supply of fish is higher making it less expensive to go catch your own. These two reasons intertwine when you consider that Catholics love anything that saves money. Note that this is not to say that our Money Market accounts and retirement funds are overflowing. Instead what I mean is that Minnesota Catholics pay less attention to the total on the bill than the total saved on the purchase. Who cares if you bought $200 worth of fine china that you'll never use when you realize that if you had paid original price it would have cost you $800!?! So if they can tell the neighbors that they saved $300 on groceries this year by purchasing an $17 fishing license, then by golly we're going fishing! Even here in Phoenix a big bag of frozen Swai fillets will only set you back about $10, and usually contains at least ten fillets. Hence fish meets my goal of being cost saving, and because it is low calorie/low fat/high protein I find it a sensible meal too - even after adding some breading!

Ginger

This is Only a Test....

Here at law school its finals season. What does that mean? It means that I've started a blog about cooking in order to clear my head of thoughts about failing all of my classes (which I inevitably will do if I don't stop blogging and get back to studying). However, in order to express my joy about studying and eating simultaneously, I have decided I should share with you a couple of my favorite study foods and how I like to prepare them. The focus during stressful times like this is on foods that are healthful, simple, and comforting (though not necessarily all at the same time).

First, let's talk about protein. If nothing else it's fuel for your butt muscles which do a lot of sitting during prep for finals. I like to opt for lean meats like venison, chicken, and seafood. Protein keeps me running without weighing me down. One of my favorite ways to eat chicken is to cut a boneless, skinless breast into cutlets (or buy pre-cut) and then bake them with just the slightest amount of oil on the bottom of the pan to keep them from burning/sticking. After they've cooked I toss them in a buffalo wing sauce and devour them with the help of some non-fat plain yogurt - it's tangy like sour cream! Oddly enough, nothing makes me feel better than a belly full of buffalo sauce.

Second, regardless of whether or not it's finals time, I always find myself on the lookout for sweet decadence. While I'd like to say that chocolate cake, fudge brownies, and Oreos are a daily part of diet, it seems my waistline can't afford it. Because I have trouble putting limits on these goodies, I often allow myself to spend a bit more money in order to buy prepackaged serving sizes. My recent favorites include Skinny Cow brand ice cream cups in Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavor (150 calories), and Betty Crocker's Warm Delights Minis in Decadent Chocolate Cake flavor (150 calories).

Now everyone who knows me knows I don't always stay on track. Occasionally studying for an exam like my Federal Income Tax makes it impossible not to stock up on cookie dough. But the important thing is that the more you try, the more you'll succeed.

Ginger