Spicy Oven Baked Fish and Sweet Potato Fries

     Today has been a day of reflection and reminiscing.  My Nanny passed away yesterday and I have been wracking my brain trying to remember.  While her body has been here for the past few years, her mind slipped away a long time ago.  I remember the day she showed up on our back porch, scared because she couldn't remember what to do with her pills.  I remember her smell, the shape of her fingernails, her smile, and the way her turn in Scrabble always took forever because she had to find the perfect word-consulting multiple dictionaries to assist her.  When we were little, we never had a babysitter.  Fortunately, we lived in the same town as both sets of our grandparents and if our parents needed someone to watch us, we went to one of their houses.  I remember Nanny tucking us in and singing lullabies that I now hum to Wren and try hard to remember the words to.  She lived a long life filled with a lot of love, a love that is evident in looking at all of the people that are here today as a result of her and my grandfather.  It is that love that I will remember.  As my family begins to trickle in from all over the country, I'm looking forward to the stories and memories that will be shared.

  
Spicy Oven Baked Fish and Sweet Potatoes
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients
1 lb fresh white fish (I used cod)
1 lb sweet potatoes cut into 1/4-1/2 inch sticks
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp butter, melted
salt and pepper

Method
Preheat over to 425 degrees
1. Line two large baking sheet with foil.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, chili powder, and a pinch of salt.
3. Spread the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
4. While the sweet potatoes are baking, place the milk and flour in separate shallow bowls.  Combine the bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons of chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a third shallow bowl.  Pour the melted butter and stir to combine.
5. Dip the fish first in milk, then in flour, and then back in the milk.  Lastly, dip the fish in the breadcrumb mixture and then place on a second baking sheet.
6. Flip the sweet potatoes and  put the fish into the oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are golden brown and the fish is flaky.

The Taste Test
     We didn't find this dish to be particularly spicy but it was tasty.  Whenever I make sweet potato fries, they never come out very crispy.  I think I read something about soaking them in water before baking... I didn't think of trying that until it was too late.