Fish...It's What's for Dinner
The past few months, I have been trying to make meatless meals in this house. But, as it turns out, I gave birth to carnivores. Steak loving, medium rare carnivores. So, since a meal without a piece of meat is hard to pull off, I have tried to lean back on red meats, moving to white meats and more and more fish.I like fish. I didn't use to know what to do with it, except throw it on the grill, which was fine in the summer. I'm always cold in the winter and dread standing outside so I toss everything into the oven and bake the hell out of it.
When I got the chance to join the Gorton's Seafood Challenge, I knew the timing was right. I headed over to the supermarket to stock up on all the new and delicious items that Gorton's has added to their line up.
But, I was stumped. There were only a few things in the frozen case near the live lobster tank, and I was feeling deflated. On a whim, and because maybe nobody really looks for frozen fish in the fresh fish section, I headed to the frozen food section on the opposite end of the market.
And there it was, in all it's glory. Option after option of frozen fish - cod, tilapia, shrimp, haddock. To bake, to saute, even, dare I say, to microwave.
I could have anything I wanted. But, my family of gluten free fiends, could not. No breaded items for us - though there are lots of good and healthy options if that's what you're craving. As for GF, we had a lot of choices!
I also have a lactose intolerant child, so the safest bet for us were all of the grilled fish options. Since we like to walk on the wild side, we grabbed the shrimp scampi. (Heck, Syd can take a chewable lactose pill to help with the butter. It would be worth it!)
We're interested in more than just inching away from the high fat of red meat. Gorton's has a 20 at 200 (or Less) program where they offer 20 mouthwatering meals at 200 or fewer calories per serving. My kids don't need to count yet, but it's good to get started on a healthy journey at an early age.
The Shrimp Scampi fit the bill, coming in at 120 calories per serving, and lots of healthy omegas. Dinnner was on its way!
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On the left above is what one box of scampi looks like just before you turn up the heat...on the right are the side dishes we picked...GF mac and cheese for the kids, GF parmesan risotto for the grown ups. The results? Dinner was absolutely delicious! BUT, to be fair, this is what I learned.
1) The box says it has three servings. My husband can eat a whole box by himself. So, while he doesn't get to say he ate a meal that was fewer than 200 calories, luckily I had two boxes so the whole family could have some!
2) There is a LOT of garlic butter sauce when the shrimp are cooked. It was soooooo good over the risotto but the kids ate theirs separately from their mac and cheese, and they thought it had too much sauce on it. So, I'd suggest tossing it with plain pasta or rice the next time around so it can soak up the yummy sauce.
We've got a few more fish in the freezer to try this week, like this Gorton's Simply Bake Tilapia, which comes in its own bag to cook in, helping it to retain its moisture and nutrients! Check out the commercial:
Want to try one of the new 20 at 200 or less? Enter to win your own Gorton's dinner by telling us what fish your family loves to eat. The winner will be chosen on Friday, April 5th and will receive:
5 product coupons PLUS a branded spatula, oven mitts and an apron all from Gorton's! (This contest is only open to residents of the US, please.)
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Be sure to check out Gorton's on FB, Twitter and Pinterest, as well as their website, which recently got a makeover. Lots of great tips and recipes over on the Gorton's Pinterest boards, and you can get in the game too but taking Gorton's Weekly Seafood Challenges. (You could win a YEAR of free seafood!)
Additional entries for liking and following the social media accounts, just be sure to mention it in the comments section here and leave your handles for reference!
** I received no compensation for this post and all opinions are completely my own. I did receive free products for review. **