Realistic Resolutions with Gorton's

Hello my blogger friends.  Here we are, at the end of January.  Did you make resolutions for 2015?  I know I did.  One is to eat healthier.  No fad diets, no extreme measures.  Just healthier, more balanced.  And it was perfect timing for Gorton's Simply Bake fish fillets to enter my house.  Thanks to the people over at Gorton's for sending me some free samples to try!  We're big fish people in our house and I always love trying new ideas with seafood.

I have to tell you guys, I like this product a lot.  It was very simple to prepare - pull it out of the freezer (each fillet is in its own foil packet), pop it in the oven for 20 minutes, and you have a lovely fish fillet ready for eating, or using in another recipe like I did.  I wanted to try using a fish fillet like this in another recipe, Salmon Cakes. Something simple, fun, and different.  The salmon came out of the oven, it was perfect.  It bakes in a butter sauce which gave it great flavor and texture.  The only thing I wish that were different is that there was only salmon available in the store.  I was hoping for some tilapia to make some yummy fish tacos.  But all I could find was salmon.  

Back to resolutions.  Gorton's has teamed up with Spark People to challenge people to get healthy in 2015.  It's called the Realistic Resolution Challenge.  Spark offers a free app to allow you to track your calories (through food and through exercise) while helping you to lose weight.  They have recipes, groups, and a whole bunch of things to get you on the right track for 30 days.  AND as part of this challenge, they would like to offer one of my readers a prize pack of a cookbook, a DVD, coupons, and more to get you started on your 2015 health resolutions!  To enter, simply leave a comment below with your resolutions, follow Gorton's on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, and share your posts using #RealisticResolution.  The winner will receive a package containing 2 full-value product coupons for Gorton's seafood products, an insulated tote, the SparkPeople Cookbook, the Spark Book, and the SparkPeople Boot Camp DVD!  The giveaway ends next Friday, so don't wait!  Get going!  Get healthy!  Get Gorton's and make some healthy resolutions for this year!

UPDATE 2/2/2015:

CONGRATULATIONS, KAYSEA WADLEY!

Please contact me via email to receive your prize!

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Gorton's Grilled Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa

Fit Friday returns with another Gorton's Seafood recipe.  I also have the winner for the Real Fabulous
Giveaway!  (Psssst...you have to read all the way to the bottom to see the winner.)  I am so in love with Gorton's products.  They are so versatile and simple to prepare.  Add a great side dish like this salsa, or the Cilantro Lime Rice that I served up with it, and you have an easy weeknight meal.

The salsa is fruity, but you have to make sure you get a good mango.  Look for one that is slightly soft,
golden and red in color.  If they are ripe, they will sometimes have a fruity aroma around the ends.  Be careful when cutting up the avocado and when you toss the salsa - too much handling can make it mushy.  This recipe is super simple and so light and fresh.  It's perfect for the Summer, it's gluten free, and perfect for anyone looking to improve their diet.

Gorton's Grilled Salmon

with Avocado Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

2 packages Gorton's Grilled Salmon
1 mango
1 avocado
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro finely chopped
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. olive oil
Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Chop mango into small chunks (if you haven't ever cut up a fresh mango, there is a great tutorial here.)  Chop avocado into small chunks as well.  Put both in a medium bowl.  Add red onion, cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Toss gently to mix.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge until ready to serve.

2. Prepare salmon fillets according to package instructions.

3. Place salmon on plate and spoon salsa over the top.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4

And now, for the winner of the Real Fabulous Giveaway.........Congratulations to...........

LAURIE MURLEY!

Laurie, please email me with your address so I can get your prize mailed off to you!  Congratulations again, and thank you everyone for entering!

This giveaway is sponsored by Gorton's® Seafood.  

I have been compensated for my time in product.  

All opinions are my own and 100% true.

#RealFabulous #sponsored

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Fit Friday - Gorton's

I'm back with another review and giveaway with Gorton's Seafood!  I absolutely love these guys.  Their products have only gotten better over the years (I remember eating Gorton's fish sticks when I was a kid), and this year they have an awesome campaign that they are doing.  It's called Real Fabulous.

Real Fabulous means making food that makes me feel the best I can about myself.  Healthy food that will taste good and that I can enjoy, while helping me feel better all the way around.  And seafood is a perfect way to do that.  Gorton's has a line of grilled fish that makes it easy to prepare healthy food for your family.  For my review, I opted to prepare a recipe that was shared with me through Gorton's - Grilled Fillet Pear Salad.








The salad was amazing.  I had my doubts about the fish in the combination, but it was such a lovely addition. The warm fish, in a garlic sauce, was a great way to tone down the sweetness of the fruit.  The fish did not dry out, it didn't have an overbearing fishy taste, and the texture was like you took a fresh piece of fish from the butcher.  Definitely a great way to start the new year off right and "Real Fabulous!"

To get you started out on your own fabulous year, Gorton's is sponsoring my first giveaway of the year.  And while you're at it, make sure you visit their website to download coupons and recipes to help you in making some awesome, simple seafood.  They are also having a Real Fabulous Sweepstakes.  But in the meantime, enter the giveaway here to get you started, and then grab their recipe for Grilled Fillet Pear Salad below.






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grilled Fillet Pear Salad

Ingredients:

2 boxes Gorton's All Natural Garlic Butter Grilled Fillets
1 large pear
1 bag salad greens
1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
4 slices pre-cooked, low sodium, bacon, crumbled
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare dressing by whisking together vinegar, olive oil, allspice, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

2. Prepare Gorton's Fillets according to package instructions.

3. While fish is cooking, core and slice the pear.  Divide the salad greens evenly among servings and lay pear slices over greens.  Sprinkle with dried cranberries, bacon, and goat cheese.

4. Remove fish from oven and cut into pieces.  Add to salad.  Drizzle with salad dressing and serve immediately.

Serves 4

This giveaway is sponsored by Gorton's® Seafood.  

I have been compensated for my time in product.  

All opinions are my own and 100% true.

#RealFabulous #sponsored

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Shrimp Po'Boys (Gorton's Review)

I am so excited for this post.  Recently I was approached by Gorton's Seafood to review some of their products.  Without a thought, I knew exactly what I was going to make.  Let me first tell you a little about Gorton's.   Gorton's was founded in 1849 in Gloucester, Massachusetts.  Does that name sound familiar?  It should!  It's only one of the most popular fishing ports in the United States, and the oldest.

They have a couple mottos.  The first is "Wicked Good Seafood."  If you've been to Massachusetts or hear someone from Boston talk, you would hear the word "wicked" used frequently.  Another motto that I think really says something about the company is "Trusted Catch: Preserving Our Resources for Future Generations."  That means that Gorton's adheres to strict quality control measures that helps to preserve our oceans for the future.








Gorton's Seafood offers an entire line of frozen seafood products including the product I'm using for this recipe: Crunchy Butterfly Shrimp.  And the recipe is Shrimp Po'Boys.  It's a funny name really, po'boys.  I was first introduced to a po'boy when I was in grade school and was served one for lunch.  Simply put, it is a sub sandwich.  More eloquently put, the term "po'boy" refers to a type of sandwich and was coined in a New Orleans restaurant owned by Benny and Clovis Martin, former street car conductors.  In 1929, during a four-month strike against the streetcar company, the Martin brothers served their former colleagues free sandwiches.  The Martins' restaurant workers jokingly referred to the strikers as "poor boys", and soon the sandwiches themselves took on the name.  But when you say it in a lovely Southern dialect, you pronounce it "Po'Boy."  

I have always known the Po'Boy to be loaded with shrimp because in Biloxi, Mississippi, where I lived, shrimp was the meat of the market.  But one thing you cannot forget is a Remoulade Sauce.  In the South, remoulade is a base of mayonnaise and pickles.  It can be altered to be as spicy as you would like.  This recipe is on the low end of the spectrum - I usually prefer to add a little more to give my sandwiches a kick.  

Shrimp Po'Boys

Ingredients:

1 box Gorton's® Crunchy Butterfly Shrimp
1/2 cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
1 large tomato, halved and sliced thin
2 subway rolls, sliced lengthwise to create a pocket
Remoulade Sauce (see following recipe)

Remoulade Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. dill pickle relish
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. pickle juice
1/8 tsp. Tobasco Sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Bake shrimp according to directions.  After baking, using kitchen shears, clip tails off of shrimp.

2. Make Remoulade Sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Assemble sandwiches.  Sprinkle cheese inside bread.  Line inside with tomato slices.  Add shrimp.  Top with lettuce and Remoulade Sauce.

Serves 2

So what did the family think of Gorton's Crunchy Butterfly Shrimp?  K1 simply couldn't wait to get those shrimp in her mouth.  Notice the sandwich - the shrimp are missing because she devoured them first!  I love this kid.  She makes my job so much fun.

Want some free Gorton's product for yourself and a trip to Boston?!  Go enter their Wicked Good Seafood sweepstakes!  You can also visit their website to download coupons, recipes, and check out the other fantastic products they offer!

*In exchange for my review, I have been provided with free product from Gorton's. 
#gortons #wickedgoodseafood

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