GF Cod Fish Sticks w/ Baked Sweet Potatoes and Spinach!

First off tonight, I’d like to clarify some confusion.  I know my banner says I’m a gluten free vegan. Well, when I created this blog I was vegan. However, I’ve added back in ocean caught fish and pastured farm fresh eggs to my diet, thanks to The Maker’s Diet, which promotes healing during anUlcerative Colitis flare. Protein = building blocks for healing, cell growth and renewal. I just wasn’t getting enough protein on a strict vegan diet. OK…That is all:)

Ash Wednesday is such a beautiful day. I remember last year when I was in NYC –*tear*–I walked down the busy streets and passed hundreds, if not thousands, of New Yorkers adorned with the ashes from Mass. It was such a beautiful sight. It was comforting, knowing that you are all part of the same family. I have never felt closer to my fellow New Yorkers than that. It was so refreshing to see the professions of faith, simply through a little bit of dirt on your face:)

Alright…now to the food!

bright colors, bright flavors!

Tonight, I made Gluten Free Fish Sticks! —-squealing breaks—- what?!? Aren’t fish sticks deep-fried, horrible for you, and full of gluten? Well my friends, that is typically the case. However, I cook for a happy tummy, and have recreated this recipe to be GF, low fat, and uber delicious! In this entire meal, there are only 2 tsp of EVOO!!

Crispy, Crunchy, GF Cod Fish Sticks!

So how did I make these fantastic delicacies? Well, first of all, we had the most BEAUTIFUL wild, ocean caught, cod fillet from Lobsta Bakes. I cut it into sticks, and seasoned with salt and pepper.

Then I proceeded to bread it. You’ll need 4 bowls.

1) bowl of plain, unsweetened almond milk

2) bowl of GF AP flour

3) bowl of 1 beaten egg, (or 2-3 egg whites)

4) bowl of GF bread crumbs (I put a GF bun in the food processor and made crumbs)

Put the cod sticks in 1–2–3–4, and then place on an olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, flipping once.

check out the gorgeous, light and crisp SP chips!

Next, the sweet potato chips! With a mandolin, I *carefully* sliced 2 sweet potatoes into very thin disks. (Try to find sweet potatoes that are even and tubular). In a bowl, mix the chips with 1 tsp of EVOO, salt and cumin (to taste). Toss, and place in an even layer –not overlapping– on 2 olive-oil-sprayed baking sheets. Place in a 375 degree oven for roughly 10-15 minutes, flipping once, and until crisp.  The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your disks. When they are removed from the oven, place on a plate and immediately sprinkle with salt.

Finally, I served my zesty wilted spinach.

I sautéed:

1 small onion: diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 or 7 button mushrooms, sliced

3 big handfuls of baby spinach

I sautéed the onion in 1 tsp EVOO with salt and pepper. I added in the mushrooms after about 5 minutes. Part way through the cooking process, I added 2-3 T white wine and let that evaporate. Finally, I added the spinach to the pan. In order to create steam to wilt the spinach, I added to the pan 1 T dijon mustard dissolved in a large splash of water. I then covered the pot with a lid to trap the steam and wilt the spinach.

You can hear the crunch through the computer!

This meal was just such a treat.  It was hard to believe that it was healthy and low fat! The crispy, crunchiness of the fish sticks was just so satisfying! And the cod was absolutely delectable…sweet and flakey.  And the breading itself added such a depth of flavor that complimented the sweet cod.  The sweet potato chips were also just fabulous. They were light and crisp — almost like eating air! It was hard to believe they were baked and not fried! And the subtle cumin flavor highlighted the sweet cod and zesty spinach just perfectly. Speaking of, the spinach was tangy and so pleasant to the palate.

At the end of the meal, my dad said, chuckling, “If you could get people in Wisconsin to eat this at their Friday Night Fish Fries, you’d cure heart disease and obesity!” That’s a pretty tall order, but hey, I was flattered to be compared with Wisconsin’s legendary FNFF’s.

To get the chips super thin and crispy, a mandolin is an essential tool. The one I use has a hand guard, which I think is invaluable. I have sliced my thumb pretty badly without it. You may feel like you don't need it, but I learned the hard way...better safe than sorry! Here's the one I use:

Happy Tummies!