This “southern” fare is fairly healthy…..The catfish has a crunchy coating with a flaky inside and the collard greens are delicious! Believe me, if you’ve never tasted collard greens, this is the recipe to try. And if you have had them before and didn’t like them, give them one more taste with this….so good! Both recipes are quick and easy to prepare and the entire meal (with corn on the cob) comes in at $8.97 for a family of four.
SPICY CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CATFISH –
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 for approx $5.00
Ingredients:
- 4 catfish fillets
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix cornmeal, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes in shallow dish. Preheat a large oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the two tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pan. Season the catfish with salt and pepper and coat completely in cornmeal mixture. Add the coated fish to the skillet and sear for two minutes on each side, then transfer the skillet to preheated oven. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, until fish is firm to the touch and opaque. *If you want a little more heat to the fish, you could add another teaspoon of cayenne to the cornmeal mixture.
COLLARD GREENS WITH BACON
(based on recipe from Simply Recipes)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4 for approx $2.64
Ingredients:
- 2 strips bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inches
- 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- dash or two of hot sauce
- 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 pound collard greens (or kale or chard) stems removed, sliced into 3-inch strips
- 1/2 cup chicken broth – use GF broth for a gluten free meal
Directions:
Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon in the skillet until it jut begins to brown around the edges, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook until they have softened and are just starting to brown.
Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the collard greens and the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the temp to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness. Season to taste with additional vinegar and hot sauce if desired. Serve with some of the pan juice from the skillet.