A Tasty Fall Meal
As a general rule, I always make my kids try the food I make. I threaten no dessert, no book before bed, earlier bedtime or a combination of the three. If it looks strange or it smells different trying new food can initially be off putting to a kid, but my thought process is that if I’ve used fresh, delicious ingredients and I like the way it tastes, in most cases my kids will too. Even though I hate to force my kids to eat, in most cases, after they get over the initial fear of trying the food, they end up enjoying it and eating their dinner.
Cripsy Talapia is a favorite in my house. My 6-year old always gets excited when I tell her I’m making her “favorite fish” and even my most difficult 4 1/2 year old son loves this.
4 pieces of tilapia
flour
salt
pepper
olive oil to coat the bottom of a large frying pan
optional:
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste
lemon
The Fish
Take about 2 tablespoons of flour and spread it on a dinner plate.
Rinse the tilapia in cold water and pat dry with paper towel.
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Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of an uncoated (I call this type of pan a “stick pan”) or non-stick pan. There should be a thin coating of olive oil. Turn on your heat to medium to heat up your pan. By the time you put the fish in the pan, it should be very hot but not smoking.
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Place the tilapia in the flour. Pour a generous amount of salt and some pepper on the side facing up. (If your kids are very sensitive to spice, you might want to avoid the pepper completely.) Flip the tilapia and flour-coat the side you’ve just put the salt and pepper on. Gently shake the fish to get off the excess flour. Once both sides of your tilapia are lightly coated with flour, place the fish in your hot pan.
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Repeat this process with as many pieces of fish will fit in your pan. (I can usually fit about 2 pieces at a time in my pan.)
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After you place the fish in the pan, set a timer for 4 minutes. (I set the timer after I place my last piece of fish in the pan.)
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After 4 minutes, flip your fish to the other side and cook for another 4 minutes.
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Remove from the pan and place fish on tin foil in your oven to keep warm while you finish cooking the rest of your fish.
Note: If you’re using a stick pan, the fish should release pretty easily from the pan and it should be golden brown and crispy. If you’re using a non-stick pan, the fish might not be as crispy but it will still be delicious.
Optional Sauce
When all the fish is finished cooking, you can make a pan sauce by pouring the dry white wine into your pan (I use a $5 of Gallo Sauvignon Blanc). Let the wine simmer four about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the cream and butter and stir together. Add the salt, pepper, taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed and lemon if you want.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
In the US we get all of our produce year-round but lately, I think there has been a trend toward using seasonal produce. I know I think about this more and more and it always appeals to me to see “locally grown” attached to my produce. Sweet Potatoes are a great vegetable to find locally in the autumn months.
2 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes under running water, dry with a paper towel and cut into roughly 3/4 inch chunks. You don’t have to get crazy with the size. I happen to like a smallesh chunk so they cook fairly quickly and they are bite size. Toss the in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a non-stick baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the oven for about 40 minutes or until tender.
- Serve hot.
Easy Smores
Even though this next recipe is produce-free, and for most it might be the ultimate summer dessert, it reminds me of fall, lighting fires and toasting marshmallows in our fireplace. This is a quick and less hazardous way of making smores, but my kids still love them. If you’re feeling adventurous and you have a fire extinguisher handy, go for the real thing and toast the marshmallows in your fire place. However, do not fireplace toast if you use fake logs to start your fires.
Marshmallows (not minis)
Hershey Chocolate bars
Graham crackers
Break your graham cracker in half and place a piece of chocolate on the bottom and a marshmallow on top of the chocolate. Place in the microwave for about 20 seconds until the marshmallow is just starting to puff. Remove, put the other half of the graham cracker on top and serve immediately.
