Recipes for Easter, Lent & after from Van de Kamp’s, Vlasic & Lender’s {Giveaway}

If you are looking for some great new recipe ideas for Lent, Easter and after Passover then check out all these great recipe options!

Van de Kamp’s® and Mrs. Paul’s® Seafood make life easier for those observing Lent by offering creative meal ideas that cater to dietary needs and combat the perpetual challenge of creating fresh ideas in the kitchen. Celebrity chef, cookbook author and radio/TV personality Kevin Roberts has created a series of delicious snack and meal ideas that ensure easy preparation and nutritious dishes that the whole family can enjoy.

Try these no-fuss recipes as a great way to get kids “hooked” on fish:

FISH STICKS IN A BLANKET

Yields 4 Blankets

Ingredients:

8 Van de Kamp’s® or Mrs. Paul’s® Fish Sticks, baked

4 Taco-sized Flour Tortillas

4 pieces, Cheddar Cheese (or use your favorite)

4 tablespoons ketchup

Directions: Bake the fish sticks according to package. Heat up the tortillas so they’re nice and toasty. Add 1 cheese slice in the center of each tortilla. Spread the ketchup around tortilla, add 2 fish sticks on top of the cheese, fold and roll the tortilla around the fish stick.

CRUNCHY FISH STICKS OVER MAC & CHEESE

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 Van de Kamp’s® or Mrs. Paul’s® Fish Sticks, baked & chopped

1 box, Macaroni & Cheese (use your favorite)

1 tablespoon, milk

1 tablespoon, butter

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 small tomato, diced

Directions: Bake the fish sticks according to package. Boil the macaroni until desired doneness. Strain and move to large mixing bowl. Mix cheese sauce, milk, butter, ketchup and tomatoes with the macaroni. Chop up Fish Sticks. In 2 bowls, evenly divide the macaroni and cheese, then top with the chopped fish sticks.

ZESTY FISH STICK CRESCENT ROLLS

Yields 4 Rolls

Ingredients:

4 Van de Kamp’s® or Mrs. Paul’s® Fish Sticks

1 can refrigerated Crescent Rolls

4 teaspoons mustard

1 tablespoon butter, melted in microwave

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Separate the crescent roll dough into 4 pieces. Place a fish stick on the wide end of each roll. Add a teaspoon of mustard to each fish stick. Roll up the fish sticks so most of the fish stick is covered in the dough. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

SWEET & SALTY FISH STICK LETTUCE CUPS

Yields 4 Lettuce Cups

Ingredients:

8 Van de Kamp’s® or Mrs. Paul’s® Fish Sticks, baked and chopped

4 Iceberg Lettuce Leaves, use ones that are more cupped shaped

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions: Bake the fish sticks according to package or until heated through and crispy. Wash the Iceberg lettuce leaves and pat dry. In a medium mixing bowl, add the honey and soy sauce. Mix together and then add the fish sticks. Coat well. Fill the lettuce cups with the fish stick filling.

FISH STICK TACOS WITH AN AVOCADO CREAM

Yields 4 Tacos

Ingredients:

8 Van de Kamp’s® or Mrs. Paul’s® Fish Sticks, baked

1 avocado, peeled and mashed until creamy

4 teaspoons sour cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 corn tortillas

1 cup shredded cheese blend, use your favorite

1 cup cabbage, shredded

Directions: Bake fish sticks at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes until heated through and crispy. In a bowl, mix avocado, sour cream and lemon juice until creamy. Heat up tortillas, spread the avocado cream in the center, then add cheese, 2 fish sticks and then top with cabbage.

FISH STICK SANDWICH WITH SPICY KETCHUP

Serves 2

Ingredients:

6 Van de Kamp’s® or Mrs. Paul’s® Fish Sticks, baked

4 slices of bread or bun, use your favorite

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 slices Cheddar cheese

1 small tomato, sliced

Directions: Bake the fish sticks according to package or until heated through and crispy. Toast the bread slices. In a small bowl, mix the hot sauce and ketchup together. Spread equally on the bread slices. Now build your sandwiches. Add the 3 fish sticks, cheese and tomato slices. Plate and serve.

FISH STICK MELTS

Yields 2 Melts

Ingredients:

6 Van de Kamp’s® or Mrs. Paul’s® Fish Sticks, baked

2 slices of bread (use your favorite)

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon relish

2 slices Jack cheese

Directions: Bake the fish sticks according to package or until heated through and crispy. Keep toaster on. Lay bread slices flat. Mix the mayonnaise and relish together and spread evenly onto both slices. Add 3 fish sticks to each slice, line up side by side. Lay a piece of cheese over each set of fish sticks. Bake until bread is crispy and cheese is melted.

Quick and Crunchy Easter Dishes

This Easter, impress guests with quick and crunchy Easter snack and meal ideas from America’s favorite pickle, Vlasic® Pickles. Entertain with ease and spend less time in the kitchen and more time with family and friends. The secret weapon in all of these recipes is the crunch and unique flavor of Vlasic pickles in every bite.

You can always add that perfect crunch to any sandwich or burger by adding a Vlasic pickle on the side or as a topper, but if you want to get a little more creative, check out these innovative ideas from celebrity chef Kevin Roberts to ensure that this year’s Easter celebration is the best it can be. Kevin, a.k.a. “The Food Dude,” is author of Munchies and Kissing in The Kitchen, media personality, executive chef and owner of three successful restaurants, and was most recently seen as a finalist on the Food Network’s The Next Food Network Star.

CREAMY EGG SALAD ON ENDIVE

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 carton Eggs, hard-boiled and chopped

1/2 cup, Mayonnaise

1/2 cup, Dill Vlasic Pickles, chopped

SALT and PEPPER to taste

1 Endive, cleaned and end cut off, peel leaves apart

Vlasic Dill Pickle Spears, for garnish

Instructions: Boil eggs until hard. Cool, de-shell and add yolk and whites to mixing bowl. Chop in bowl. Add mayonnaise, chopped pickles, salt and pepper and mix well. Stuff egg mixture into the endive leaves, plate and garnish with pickle spears.

EGG SALAD MELTS

Serves 4-8

Ingredients:

1 carton Eggs, hard-boiled and chopped

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1/2 cup, Dill Vlasic pickles, chopped, for mix and garnish

SALT and PEPPER to taste

1 package Bagels, halved

4 slices Cheddar Cheese

Instructions: Boil eggs until hard. Cool, de-shell and add yolk and whites to mixing bowl. Chop in bowl. Add mayonnaise, chopped pickles, salt and pepper and mix well.

Toast bagel halves, add egg mixture on top, add cheese slice and bake in oven until cheese is melted.

CRAB STUFFED DEVILED EGGS

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 carton eggs, hard-cooked

2 (6 ounce) cans crab meat

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon sale

1 Vlasic® Baby Dill or Sweet Gherkin pickle, thin sliced, 1 inch long

Instructions: Cool eggs first, then cut in half lengthwise and remove yolks, keeping whites intact. In a large bowl mash the yolks and crab meat. Mix the mayonnaise, cumin, paprika, pepper and salt. Make sure all ingredients are nice and blended. Stuff mixture into egg whites covering entire top. Place thin slice of pickle on top of each egg mixture.

WHEN PASSOVER IS OVER…

Enjoy Custom Created Post-Passover Dishes from the Lender’s Bagel Kitchen

Break Passover with one of America’s beloved breakfast foods: bagels! Of course bagels aren’t just for breakfast though! Quench that craving for doughy goodness with a tropical twist on the ever-popular Post-Passover pizza meal or get extra creative with a brisket bagel sandwich.

Lender’s Tropical Pizza

Serves 6

Created by Food Expert and Multicultural Cooking Network Host Carla Crudup.

Ingredients:

3 pre-sliced Lender’s Whole Grain or Wheat bagels (6 halves)
6 tablespoons spaghetti or pizza sauce
3/4 cup pineapple chunks, drained and sliced
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup scallions, finely sliced
1/2 cup teriyaki chicken, finely chopped (see recipe below)

Instructions: Preheat oven to broil. Place bagels on foil-lined baking sheet. Spread spaghetti sauce on bagels. Slice each pineapple chunk twice to make slices. Place pineapple slices on each bagel to cover most of surface area. Save a few slices for the top. Top each bagel with cheese, pineapple, mushrooms, bell peppers, scallions and teriyaki chicken.

For Teriyaki Chicken, place 2 skinless chicken breast fillets in a Ziploc plastic bag , pour ½ cup light teriyaki sauce and 2 tablespoons pineapple juice over chicken, and marinade for 30 minutes. Drain marinade from chicken fillets and place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and let cool at least 10 minutes before chopping.

Place on oven rack in the middle of the oven and broil for 2 to 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.

SWEET & SOUR BRISKET BAGEL SANDWICHES

Serves 4

Created by cookbook author, media personality, restaurateur and finalist on The Next Food Network Star Chef Kevin Roberts.

Ingredients:

1 pound Brisket, sliced

1/2 cup, Sweet & Sour sauce, use your favorite

4 Plain Lender’s Bagels, toasted

Instructions: Warm the brisket and sweet and sour sauce in a pan. Toast bagels, lay flat and pile on the brisket. Make sandwich and plate!

{ Giveaway }

I have a free product coupon from each of these companies for TWO of my lucky readers. Each winner will receive a free Van de Kamp’s or Mrs. Paul’s (depending upon region of winner), Vlasic Pickles and Lender’s Bagel coupon.

MAIN ENTRY: Tell me which of the recipes above you would most like to try!

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This contest will end on 4/13/10 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S. residents only. The winner will be drawn via random.org and will have 72 hours to respond to winning notification email before I draw another winner or do a live giveaway.

Disclosure: No type of compensation was received for this post.  I simply thought my readers would enjoy some new recipes and a giveaway.