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The Stapleton/Clark Go-To Meal = Fish + Vegetable + Cottage Cheese + Toast.
Take any fish (salmon, cod, halibut, tilapia, etc.), season as desired (we use a lot of Lemon Pepper and Garlic Salt) and bake/roast in the oven. I highly suggest trying tarragon or marjoram with regular salt and pepper as a different seasoning alternative on seafood. Place the fish on the baking sheet (see note below). We usually bake at 425 degrees for 15-30 minutes depending on the type of fish (tilapia bakes a lot faster than cod), the size of the fish fillet (a thin piece of tilapia will usually be done in 15-20 minutes whereas a thicker piece of cod may take 25-30 minutes) and the desired level of doneness (I like done. No questions). (0 SP for the WW people as I use 0 SP spray on my pans).
Fish is a hard thing for many people to purchase. We usually purchase our fish in two piece increments, one for each of us. We started purchasing our fish at Central Market and then we ventured to Costco. Costco was more cost effective because some seafood is seriously not cheap! Then we learned about Fish Fixe from one of my Weight Watchers members. Once a month Fish Fixe ships a box of 16 individually packaged 6oz servings of seafood on dry ice. You open the box and move the fish to the freezer! The contents of the monthly boxes change based on what’s available. For example, the May delivery had salmon, yellowfin tuna, gulf snapper, jalapeno crab cakes, shrimp and handpicked lobster meat. The June delivery swapped the lobster meat for halibut. The 6oz servings are divided into eight separate bags with cooking instructions and funny commentary from Fish Fixe. It makes it that much easier to have delicious seafood in the freezer, ready to go! If it sounds intriguing and you just want to give it a try, I’d appreciate you using my referral link for Fish Fixe. This way you get $10 off and I also get $15 towards Fish Fixe products. When you make your purchase with Fish Fixe, they will send you the same link so you can get all of your friends on board too! I should give the legal disclaimer that Fish Fixe does not know that I wrote this post, I was not paid for this post. I use our hard earned money to buy our Fish Fixe boxes but I have learned that great small businesses grow with word of mouth so I thought I would give credit where due. Now back to the food…
Next, take any vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, etc.), chop to desired size, place in a mixing bowl, season as desired and bake/roast in the oven. We usually use at least 1-2t of olive oil and the spices of your choice. We have also ventured into the realm of flavored olive oils and vinegars but that’s for another post. Mix the oil and seasoning with the vegetable and let sit for 5 minutes or so just to marinade and soak up the flavors. Then spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet (see note below). We usually bake/roast at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending on the vegetable and the desired level of doneness. I like my vegetables slightly crispy (especially Brussels sprouts) so I usually am closer to 20 minutes. (1-2 SP depending on the amount of the olive oil used as the marinade).
Two important notes: (1) Time the fish and vegetables together so they are done around the same time. One stop cooking! (2) Use small (or large, if you are cooking for a family) cookie sheets, cover in foil and spray with nonstick spray for ease of use and cleanup for both the fish and vegetables.
Cottage Cheese. I have a preference for Breakstone 2% cottage cheese. (2 SP for 1/3c or 3 SP for 1/2c). Who doesn’t have a preference for certain brands? Especially when it involves cheese….
Toast. I am a carb fanatic and bread snob. We usually buy some variety from Central Market. Rosemary, Nine Grain, Seed Sensation, etc. It is 2 SP per slice. Though admittedly, I’m contemplating making my own bread ever since I saw a recipe on NYT that does not require a bread maker. But we shall see how that ambition pans out.
And that’s it. Done. You have dinner. The prep time is literally 5-10 minutes, adding in the cooking time gives you a meal in 30 minutes or less. There really is no excuse for not having a healthy dinner at home.