Last Night Fish Fry Friday.. Make that Fish Bake Friday

Fish on Friday is a big thing here in Milwaukee. It goes back to the original large Catholic community whom could only eat fish on Fridays. Where ever you look there is a fish fry for sale on Friday. The most popular is Serb Hall. The only problem with that is the cost. Expect to pay upwards of $12.00 per person for a fish fry. With a family of four that isn't the most budget friendly option. Luckily I have an affordable option. My grocery store had buy one get one free packages of Tilapia on sale last week. A package will feed my family. I love Tilapia because it has a similar mild flavor to catfish and a low cost.

I have my husband defrost the package so I can make it and bake it when I get home. Working late is a challenge. I try to get all my meals on the table by 6PM so I rely on the crock pot a lot. Baking is a great alternative to frying fish and saves some calories. I use a breading "Frying Magic" which gives a light crispy coat in the oven. All I have to do is dip the fish in egg wash and into the bredding and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

notice the paper plates! I hate doing dishes lol!

I also made some of our favorite fried onion rings. Yes, I made and exception and fried these but I double drain them on paper towels to make sure we aren't getting all the fat. My daughter whom doesn't like onions loves these.

Haystack Onion Rings

2 large onions
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp Zatarains Creole seasoning
salt for seasoning
1 1/2 cup oil for frying

Heat the oil on medium low heat on the stove top. Mix the seasoning with the flour. Cut the onion into small pieces. Big enough not to break the rings. Separate the rings and add to the flour seasoning. Test the oil by putting a small amount of batter into it. If the batter floats and has bubbles around it, it's ready to use.

The temperature of the oil will drop a bit when you place the onion rings in. I place about 10 in at a time and us a slotted metal spoon to move them around so they won't stick together. Adjust the heat if you notice they are getting too brown. They should cook within 3-5 minutes. Drain on paper plates lined with paper towels. You may have to flip them over onto another paper towel lined plate to remove more grease. Season with salt when they come out of the fryer. This method also works well for other veggies like zucchini.