Buttermilk Country Fried Chicken with Cucumber Salad Many buttermilk fried chicken recipes call for marinating the chicken overnight, but not this one. Here, a dip in the buttermilk and a dredge in flour is all you need to get the golden, crunchy coating everyone loves. The bright cucumber salad balances out the meal. 1/4 cup halved and very thinly sliced red onion 1 very small clove garlic Kosher salt 1 Tbs. canola or vegetable oil, plus 1 to 1-1/4 cups for frying 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. buttermilk 1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 heaping cup sliced) 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3/4 lb. total), pounded to an even thickness (about 1/2 inch thick) Put the onion in a small bowl, cover it with very hot water, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Roughly chop the garlic, sprinkle it with a generous pinch of salt, and mash it into a paste with the side of a chef's knife. In a medium bowl, whisk the mashed garlic, 1 Tbs. oil, 2 Tbs. buttermilk, the lemon juice, dill, 1/4 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Toss the cucumber in the bowl with the dressing. Drain the onion, toss it with the cucumber salad, and let sit to allow the flavors to meld. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and, in another shallow bowl, mix the remaining 3/4 cup buttermilk with 1 tsp. salt. Season the chicken with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk and then dredge it in the flour. (You can let the chicken sit in the flour while the oil heats; gently shake off excess flour before cooking.) Choose a skillet (preferably cast iron) that's large enough to fit the chicken. Pour in oil to a depth of 1/4 inch (about 1 cup for a 10-inch skillet or 1-1/4 cups for an 11-inch skillet). Heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering and the chicken sizzles briskly when a corner is dipped in the oil, cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to paper towels and pat lightly to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle the chicken with a pinch of salt and serve it with the cucumber salad.

Pepper Shrimp in Peanut Sauce (Recipe.com) 1 pound fresh or frozen shrimp in shells 8 ounces farfalle (bow-tie pasta) or linguine or 1 cup long grain rice 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup orange marmalade 2 tablespoons peanut butter 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 tablespoon cooking oil 2 medium red, yellow, and/or green sweet peppers, cut into strips (about 2-1/2 cups) 6 green onions, bias-sliced into 1-inch pieces Chopped peanuts (optional) 1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp; rinse and pat dry. Set aside. 2. Cook pasta or rice according to package directions; drain. 3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small bowl stir together water, orange marmalade, peanut butter, soy sauce, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper. Set aside. 4. Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat on medium-high heat. Add pepper strips and green onions; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove and set aside. 5. Add half of the shrimp to wok; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque; remove and set aside. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. 6. Stir sauce; add to center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; keep sauce warm. 7. In a 4-quart Dutch oven or kettle combine cooked pasta or rice, vegetable mixture, and shrimp; cook over medium heat until heated through, tossing gently to mix. Serve shrimp mixture on dinner plates. Top with sauce. If desired, sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Makes 4 servings.

Another "skinny" recipe. I like the sound of the sauce. I'll probably bake the fish like I ususally do. BROILED TILAPIA WITH THAI COCONUT CURRY SAUCE (Adapted from Cooking Light) Servings: 6 Serving Size: 1 piece fish plus sauce Old Points: 5 pts Points+: 6 pts Calories: 225.2 Fat: 6.9 g Protein: 35.5 g Carb: 5.6 g Fiber: 1.1 g 1 tsp dark sesame oil, divided 1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper 1 cup chopped scallions 1 tsp curry powder 2 tsp red curry paste 1/2 tsp ground cumin 4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tsp Asian fish sauce 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 6 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets salt Cooking spray Preheat broiler. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and scallions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, Asian fish sauce, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro or basil if using. Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges.

Quick and Easy Weeknight Paella (Better Homes & Gardens) This is easily made for a weeknight meal, using a rotisserie chicken and packaged rice and vermicelli mix. 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 1 package chicken-and-garlic rice and vermicelli mix (5.9 ounces) 1 cup frozen bell pepper and onion stir-fry (from 1-pound bag) 1 3/4 cups chicken broth 3/4 cup water 1 dried bay leaf 1/2 poundfully cooked chorizo sausage, cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 cup frozen baby sweet peas 1 deli rotisserie chicken (2 to 2 1/2 pound), cut into 6 serving pieces 1 cupcooked deveined peeled medium shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed 1. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add rice mix and stir-fry vegetables; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice mix begins to brown. 2. Stir in broth, water, bay leaf and seasoning packet from rice mix. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 5 minutes. 3. Stir in sausage and peas. Add chicken pieces. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 10 minutes. Stir in shrimp. Cover; cook about 5 minutes or until shrimp and chicken are thoroughly heated. Remove bay leaf before serving. tip: High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Increase water to 1 1/4 cups. In step 3, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook about 13 minutes.