Date Night // Cajun Fish Recipe

Written with love, by Sarah-Elizabeth Stone

In the last few weeks of summer I find my free time shrinks, and the weekends crammed full of activities. It seems as though everyone is trying to grasp at those last few warm summer afternoons before the crisp, autumn breeze rolls in. In the busy hustle and bustle that the end of summer brings, date night can get pushed off to the side, or forgotten altogether. Between friends, spouses,  and kids perhaps, life can get insane at times. 

Whether it’s a quick and easy meal like this one (which only takes 30 minutes, by the way) as a starter for a long evening, or perhaps the only escape of the week, it’s important to take time out for just the two of you. Eat, drink, and laugh with one another because those long summer days are coming to a close and the threat of pumpkin spice is in the air.

Cajun Fish Ingredients

·         1 cup of olive oil

·         4-6 pieces of halibut or cod

·         ½ tbs of salt

·         ½ tbs of garlic powder

·         1 tsp of paprika

·         1 tsp of black pepper

·         ½ tbs onion powder

·         1 tbs of oregano

·         ½ tsp of thyme

·         ½ tbs red pepper flakes

Roasted Tomato Salad Ingredients

·         4-6 ripe red tomatoes

·         2-4 cups of spinach leaves

·         1 onion, cut up

·         1 cup of mushrooms

·         1-2 tbs of minced garlic

·         1-2 tbs of basil

·         1tbs of shaved parmesan

·         ½ cup of butter

·         ½ cup of red wine

 

Directions

1.       Set the oven to 250F

2.       Begin by slicing the tomatoes, and lining them on a oven safe tray, drizzle olive oil over top, and sprinkle basil and garlic

3.       Cook in the oven for roughly 30-40 minutes depending on how roasted you want the tomatoes

4.       Next heat up olive oil in a pan, leave on medium heat while you prepare the fish

5.       Mix all the spices together in a bowl

6.       Drizzle some olive oil onto the fish, and dunk into spices until fully covered

7.       Slowly lower fish into the hot oil, let cook 3 minutes a side

8.       In a separate frying pan put your chopped onion and mushrooms with butter and wine

9.       Set out spinach, layer tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and parmesan cheese

10.   Add the fish, and sprinkle salt and pepper over the plate

Beer Battered Fish (the low calorie recipe)

Written with love, by Sarah-Elizabeth Labelle

I have a confession to make – I love to bargain with myself. You know the kind where you can’t actually lose, but you’ll probably never fulfill your end of the deal? For example: one more scoop of ice cream tonight, and I’ll run up and down the stairs a few extra times, or one more hour of Netflix tonight and tomorrow I’ll go to bed super early. I find I rarely keep my end of the deal, but for those few moments I feel like I’ve won the lottery..."Of course I’ll do that tomorrow, I’ll have no excuse."

Inevitably, I find the excuse. I’m the master of the excuse (which is probably why I enjoy the thrill of the bargain). I can come up with a hundred reasons why I can’t do those extra steps after all, and for those few moments a wave of guilt comes crashing down, but don’t worry, I’ll have just one more scoop of ice cream tonight.

With that being said, there is a way to break the cycle, ladies. It starts with a great meal you don’t have to make a bargain for and you even get to eat deep fried food without trading your dessert.

INGREDIENTS

·         4 fish fillets

·         1 cup of flour

·         2 tbs of garlic powder, or minced garlic

·         2 tbs of paprika

·         2 tbs of salt

·         1 egg, beaten

·         1 bottle of low calorie beer (roughly 375mLs)

·         3 – 5 cups of vegetable or olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1.       For all you lucky people with a deep fryer, preheat up to medium. If you don’t have a deep fryer, no sweat! Just use a frying pan, fill about half way with vegetable or olive oil, and set to medium heat. Just be really careful to watch the pan the entire cooking process!

2.       In a mixing bowl, add flour, garlic, paprika and salt (feel free to add in anything else you like the taste of).  In a separate bowl, beat the egg.

3.       Add in egg to dry mixture, mix well

4.       Slowly pour in beer while stirring the mixture

5.       Stir the mixture really well, remove all the lumps: You want a cup cake batter consistency here

6.       Submerge fish into batter, one at a time, and then carefully place into frying pan

7.       Flip the fish after roughly 3 minutes, or until the opposite side looks golden brown

8.       Add some bright green veggies to your plate for a pop of colour, and a guilt free side dish