Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

This is a really decadent breakfast!  I got the idea from an Atkins diet book but I wouldn’t personally suggest this for weight loss.  I tis a great Sunday morning treat though.

1 loaf thick bread - I like a french or Italian loaf
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 tbsp strawberry jam
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp canola oil

• Heat oven to warm setting.  Line a baking sheet with foil; place in oven.  Coat loaf into 8 thick slices.  Make a pocket in each slice, taking care not to cut through to the opposite side.
• In a bowl, mix cream cheese and jam until blended.  Fold in berries and cinnamon.  Evenly dived mixture into bread pockets.
• Mix cream mixture, eggs, vanilla and salt in a shallow bowl.  Dip bread slices two at a time into mixture until saturated.  
• Heat 1 tbsp each butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet.  Cook slices in batches, 5 to 6 minutes per side, until golden brown.  Do not crowd skillet.  Add more butter and oil to skillet as needed. Transfer cooked slices to baking sheet to keep warm while cooking remaining slices.

Shrimp and Sweet Potato Fritters

These are delicious!  Crispy on the outside, smooth and rich on the inside…..and i love anything that has sweet potato in it :)  From Food and Drink Summer 2011.

4 cups orange fleshed sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup raw shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 10 medium shrimp)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
2 tbsp fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes (I left these out)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
4 cups vegetable oil for frying

1. In a large pot of unsalted water, boil potatoes over high heat.  Once they are tender, drain well, allowing them to sit in colander for 10 minutes for water to drain off.  Return to pot and mash.
2. Measure 2 cups of the mashed potatoes into a large bowl.  Add shrimp, salt, hot sauce, ginger, green onion, coconut, cilantro, egg, flour, bread crumbs and baking powder.  Gently fold together all the ingredients until well blended.  Allow mixture to rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before frying.
3. IN large pot or deep fryer heat oil to 350F.  Carefully drop fritter batter by heaping tablespoons into the oil using 2 spoons, 1 to scoop and the other to help push the batter into the oil.   Place 5 or 6 fritters into oil at a time and fry until golden on both sides, place fritters on paper towel to drain, and repeat with remaining batter until all are fried.

Fish Fillets in Batter

I enjoy having the kids help me in the kitchen.  It is a lot messier, but they learn so much!  I do the frying here but the kids can measure and coat the fish.

Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 lbs. fillets of haddock
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Dash nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Add about 2 inches of oil to a saucepan or a frying pan and heat to 375F.  Wash fish and cut into serving size pieces.  Sift flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg into a bowl.  Add eggs and milk and beat until smooth.  Batter should be quite thick.  Dip fish into batter then drop into hot oil, two pieces at a time.  Fry until batter turns a deep golden brown.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.