blackened catfish dinner

oops...i made a change to the menu tonight.  my menu = my right to change it, right?   apologies in advance, but i got a craving for roasted brussels sprouts and cheese grits, both of which sounded like perfect sides for blackened catfish, so i postponed sharing my cinnamon roasted potatoes recipe with you (but trust me...its a good recipe and worth the wait!) and decided to let my craving drive the meal this time.  here are the recipes for tonight's blackened catfish dinner: first, pop your brussels sprouts into a 400 degree oven.  cut the brussels sprouts in half, put them in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt. roast for about 45 minutes.

combine 2 teaspoons paprika, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to make a blackened rub.

pat about 1 pound of catfish dry (we had 4 fillets) and rub the blackened spice mixture onto both sides of fish.  in a large skillet sauté 1 large clove of minced garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter, then add fish.  cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

while the fish is cooking, make your grits.  follow the package directions and when they are finished cooking, stir in plenty of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.  yum!