A Southern Style Sunday Fish Dinner

Today I made a fish dinner with Barramundi Fish, Scalloped Potatoes, Spinach, homemade corn bread, and our new favorite Tomato and Herb topping. Of course, you also need Wendy’s Sweet Tea to top it all off.

Well, I am no chef, but I do like to cook and eat.  Wendy said it reminded her of a Southern Sunday dinner similar to ones she used to have in the Summer living in Virginia.  Some of the thoughts behind the recipes came from my mother’s cooking.

Items on Tonight’s Southern Style Dinner Menu:

• Pan seared Barramundi Fish
• Scalloped potatoes
• Spinach
• Cheesy homemade corn bread
• Tomato and herb topping for the fish (this is a modified version of a topping Wendy made for her entry into a recipe contest called Quick Mediterranean Crostini and I thought it would go good on the fish.)

Pan Seared Barramundi Fish:

Ingredients:

• 2 fillets of Barramundi Fish (we get the frozen package that goes by the name of the fish)
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw fish thoroughly and pat dry.
2. Season fish with your favorite seasoning (I used McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning)
3. Heat medium sauce pan until hot.
4. Spray both sides of fish with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray.
5. Seared fish for approximately four minutes per side.

Scalloped Potatoes:

Ingredients:

• 1 can of Del Monte Sliced New Potatoes (normally I would use fresh potatoes, but we did not have any)
• 1/2 cup milk or light cream
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Dash of salt
• Dash of pepper
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Grease small baking dish and add ingredients.
4. Top with shredded cheese.
5. Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Spinach:

Ingredients:

• 1 package of frozen spinach
• 1 or 2 chicken bullion cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of water

Cooking Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients into a medium size sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to middle low and simmer for 40 minutes.  Stir occasionally and make sure it does not dry out.

Homemade Corn Bread:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup shredded cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
3. Grease a small baking dish.
4. Pour ingredients in baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Tomato and Herb Topping:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon green onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons curly parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• Dash of salt
• Dash of pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Dash of garlic powder
• Juice of half a lime

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Set topping in refrigerator until ready to use.

There you go. Nothing fancy; just plain, simple, and tasty food.  At least in my opinion.  The whole meal takes about 30 to 40 minutes to make.  If you are like me, I modify recipes as I see fit to meet mine and Wendy’s taste.  Experiment and see what you come up with.