Here is a terrific Southwestern entree that can be prepared in less than 20 minutes. The secret of this recipe is “oven frying” the fish, which means baking it for a short time in a very hot oven to crisp the outside without overcooking the inside.
To crush the tortilla chips in a hurry, and without a mess, place them in a zip-type plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin or, alternately, buzz them through a food processor fitted with metal blade.
Leftover snapper fillets can be served cold over shredded lettuce or cabbage, topped with salsa and a dollop of sour cream for a taco salad. You can also heat them and add them as a taco filling in hot corn tortillas with lettuce or cabbage, cilantro and salsa.
SOUTHWESTERN SNAPPER
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
If you can’t find red snapper, you can use any firm-fleshed fish, such as bass, catfish or halibut.
4 red snapper fillets
1 cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon each: ground cumin, salt, see note
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup prepared salsa, warmed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut each snapper fillet in half, rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Combine tortilla chips, chili powder, cumin and salt on plate or in shallow dish; mix well. Combine lime juice and oil in shallow bowl. Dip each fillet into lime juice-oil mixture; press each into seasoned tortilla crumbs to coat.
2. Place fillets on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick vegetable oil spray. Sprinkle fillets with any remaining tortilla crumbs. Bake until crisp and fish flakes when tested with fork, about 10 minutes.
3. Spoon warm salsa over center of snapper fillets; sprinkle with cilantro.
Test kitchen note: Omit salt from recipe if using salted tortilla chips.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……… 365 Fat ………. 14 g Sat. fat …. 1.9 g
% cal. from fat … 34 Chol. ……. 80 mg Sodium ….. 555 mg
Carb. ……….. 13 g Protein …… 46 g Fiber ……. 1.9 g
Q. Can this recipe be improved for us? My husband and I have heart problems. Thank you.
Loretta Sullivan, Chicago
MANICOTTI
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 jar (32 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, diced
1 large egg, beaten
8 manicotti, cooked according to package directions, drained
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook beef, onion and garlic in large skillet over medium heat until beef is browned. Stir in parsley, salt and oregano. Add 1/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Cool slightly; stir in mozzarella and egg.
2. Spread 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce in bottom of 11- by 7-inch or 9 by 9-inch baking pan. Stuff manicotti with meat mixture; place on top of sauce. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti.
3. Cover pan with foil; bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 600 Fat ………… 28 g Saturated fat .. 12 g
% calories from fat .. 41 Cholesterol .. 110 mg Sodium ….. 2,060 mg
Carbohydrates …… 51 g Protein …….. 39 g Fiber ……….. 6 g
A. Your flavorful pasta recipe is perfect for a cold winter evening. I substituted ground turkey breast for the beef because it is mixed with other filling ingredients and the beef flavor is not necessary. I would omit the salt because the sauce and cheese are high in sodium but you can leave it in if you wish. To further lower the fat and cholesterol, I used egg whites, less Parmesan and low-fat mozzarella cheese.
BETTER MANICOTTI
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1/2 pound ground turkey breast
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon each: salt, dried oregano
1 jar (24 ounces) low-fat spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound low-fat mozzarella cheese, grated
2 large egg whites, beaten
8 manicotti, cooked according to package directions, drained
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook turkey, onion and garlic in large non-stick skillet over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink. Stir in parsley, salt and oregano. Add 1/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Cool slightly; stir in 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and egg whites.
2. Spread 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce in bottom of 11- by 7-inch or 9- by 9-inch baking pan. Stuff manicotti with turkey mixture; place on sauce. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti.
3. Cover pan with aluminum foil; bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle evenly with remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheeses are melted and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ………… 510 Fat ……….. 22 g Saturated fat .. 9 g
% calories from fat .. 38 Cholesterol .. 70 mg Sodium …. 1,525 mg
Carbohydrates …… 45 g Protein ……. 35 g Fiber ………. 5 g
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