Can anyone give me a tasty way to cook fish other than breading it and frying? Fish is not anything my husband and I love, but it is good for us and if I can find a way to make it eatable, that would be terrific! My email address is [email protected]ks!
I love fish. I eat it baked in the oven. We eat lots of salmon fillet and sometimes talapia. The whole family enjoys it. I just crush up some fresh garlic, spread it on the fish. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder. I then squeeze on lots of fresh lemon juice. Bake at 350' for about 30 minutes and that is that. Tasty and healthy and easy.
For an easy meal, I like fish broiled (or grilled, if I can get my SO to fire up the grill, which is rare). Sometimes I season it with various seasoning mixes. Other times I just season it with salt and pepper, but the top it with salsa or chutney.
Sauces for Fish
Here are some of my other favorite sauces for fish: Caper Sauce: Heat 1 tsp olive oil over med heat in large skillet. Add 6 oz sliced onion and cook until tender. Add 1 14-oz can diced tomato, 1/4 cup pimiento, 2 tbsp capers, 1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to boil and cook until liquid is reduced. You can poach the fish right in this sauce. Orange-Rosemary Sauce: Combine 1 tbsp orange juice, 3 tbsp light mayo, 3 oz finely chopped red onion (saute it with cooking spray if you don't like raw onion), 1 tsp finely shredded orange peel, 4 oz diced orange, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. This is great served over seared tuna, but would work with other fish as well. Makes 2 servings at about 130 calories per serving (70 calories if you use mayo that is only 10 calories per tbsp). Caper-Yogurt Sauce: Combine 1/2 cup non-fat yogurt, 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint, 1 1/2 tsp capers, 1/4 tsp bottled minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 servings at about 20 calories each. Mustard Sauce: Combine 2 tsp whole-grain, dijon, or other gourmet mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1/4 tsp tumeric, 1/4 tsp ground red pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Brush over fish during last few minutes of cooking. Makes 2 servings at about 10 calories each.
Breading for Fish
Here is a great, low-calorie breading for fish: Combine 2 tbsp cornmeal, 1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt (like Lawry's), 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp ground red pepper, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, and 1/4 tsp black pepper in large ziploc bag. Place fish fillet in bag and toss to coat. This recipe should coat 4 6-oz fillets and comes in at about 20 calories per serving/fillet. Once the fillets are coated, you can bake, grill, or broil them.
Marinade for Fish
Here is a great marinade for fish: Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp ground ginger, and 1 tsp bottled minced garlic. Marinate fish from 1/2 hour to several hours, depending on fish and how strong you want the marinade flavor to be. This will marinate at least 4 6-oz fillets and comes in at about 20 calories per fillet/serving. Once marinated, you can bake, grill, or broil the fish.
More Ambitious Fish Recipes
I also have several fish recipes that are a little more ambitious but also a little out of the ordinary.
Fish in Coconut Milk
2 cups canned light coconut milk
1 tbsp olive oil
6 oz diced onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chili pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and diced
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Thai green curry paste
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 lb firm white fish fillets (such as cod or halibut)
Heat oil in large skillet. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and pepper and cook a minute or so longer. Remove from heat and allow pan to cool slightly. Add the Thai green curry paste and the coconut milk. Return to heat and bring to a low simmer (be careful not to overheat or the coconut milk will separate). Add the fish and simmer until cooked. Makes 4 servings at about 225 calories per serving. Serve over rice, if you want. Note that the Thai green curry paste is very spicy, so start with a small amount, taste the broth, and add more if you want it spicier.
Broiled Salmon and Fresh Berry Sauce
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup orange juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper (or black pepper)
1 lb salmon
1 tbsp corn starch
2 cups fresh raspberries
Combine all ingredients except salmon and raspberries in a bowl and whisk well. Add salmon and marinate for half an hour.
Remove salmon from marinade (reserve marinade) and broil.
While salmon is cooking, heat reserved marinade in saucepan. Mix cornstarch with small amount of marinade then add to the saucepan and continue heating until sauce is somewhat thickened and heated through. Add raspberries and cook 1 minute more. Pour sauce over salmon. You may want to serve this in bowls, as even with the cornstarch, the sauce is soupy. Makes 4 servings at about 320 calories each.
Mexican Cod and Potato Stew
2 oz (about 1 large) diced shallots
1 tsp olive oil
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb sweet potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
chicken broth as necessary
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lb cod or other firm white fish, cut into 1-in pieces
Saute shallots in olive oil until tender. Add tomatoes, potatoes, cumin, salt, pepper, and enough chicken broth to just keep potatoes moist. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes are done. Add corn and cilantro. Add cod, cover, and simmer until fish is cooked (about 5 min).
Last edited by BlueToBlue; 10-21-2007 at 08:17 PM.
We love eating fish. We just had fresh Talapia tonight. I bake it in the oven. I use the I can't believe it's not butter (spray) to spray it with. Then I lightly sprinkle with garlic salt and a bit heavier with Old Bay seasoning (you can find it near where they sell fish). That's it! We had frozen green beans and corn (I hate canned stuff and prefer fresh when I can get it, but frozen isn't bad), along with baked potatoes baked in the oven (with those, I rub lightly with butter, stab them, sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake naked in the oven (no aluminum foil). They come out very, very, very yummy!!
There are so many delicious ways to cook fish, it's hard to know where to start!
One of our favorites is blackened catfish. You sprinkle your catfish with plenty of creole seasoning (you can use Emeril's essence or something like that, OR, if you're thrifty and have 3 minutes of spare time, you can make your own--see below) and then just saute with a little cooking spray. It's DELICIOUS and very, very simple.
BAFF'S BLACKENING AGENT (great for fish, chicken and creole-inspired veggie stews)
This makes about a 1/2 cup and it lasts forever in a sealed jar.
Mix together:
2 tablespoons paprika
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne
1 ½ teaspoons white pepper
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
If you don't like things too spicy, reduce or eliminate the cayenne. It's a very handy spice blend to keep around.
Last edited by baffled111; 10-21-2007 at 10:27 PM.
We like baked fish with just lemon squeezed over and a good sprinkle of SEASONED SALT blend, which you can purchase anywhere. The spice recipe by BAFFLED is similar, it's just not as hot.
The other is to mix 4-6 crushed whole wheat crackers with a bit of melted butter/margarine (1 tbl) or oil with SEASON SALT (1 tsp); and sprinkle over fish after you have squeezed a bit of lemon on them. Note: you can omit the butter/oil if you want; it is optional.
Both these ways are great and very, very easy; bake as you would normally; until cooked and flakey. I agree with ROCKINROBIN; her idea is very similar to mine and my DH just loves fish this way.
I'd like to add - if you try different ways of preparing fish, and you just do not like it, please don't force yourself to eat it because it is good for you. There are plenty of ways to get all of the nutrients in fish (such as essential fatty acids) without eating fish, and fish is in no way a required food for weight loss. After many attempts at cooking fish, in many different ways, and always feeling like I was eating icky diet food, I gave up. Would it be good if I ate fish? Yes. But I am not happy when I do, so generally, I don't. I like shrimp, so I'll eat that, and three or four times a year I'll have a piece of salmon. But generally, I just don't eat it, because I don't care for it.
I've found that forcing myself to eat something I don't like because it is healthy is, for me, a binge trigger...the meal feels incredibly unsatisfying and I end up trying to fill the void with some other food later. Just not worth it, for me, even if fish does have health benefits.
Last edited by mandalinn82; 10-22-2007 at 09:26 PM.
Location: Im in Spain but Im English, have lived in Spain for 15 years
Posts: 98
Height: 5"11
I cook wholemeal pasta and add flakes of fish to if after it is drained, with a fat free tomato sauce mixed in, I give DH and my son cheese with it too and bake it in the oven, I skip the cheese!
I agree that forcing yourself to eat foods you can't stand makes dieting seem like punishment and makes giving up too easy. However, I think fish is one of those foods that often are not prepared very well, so people assume they don't like fish.
I was never a big fan of baked fish, but my mother baked it to death. (Hint, baked cod does not have to be baked in those frozen little bricks, and doesn't have to bake for an hour). The first time my husband made fish for me, he pulled it out of the oven so soon, I expected it to still be raw.
If you like fried fish, I make a really good "shake and bake" style fish. I don't shake, as that would break up the fish, but I pour light ranch dressing into a ziploc bag with fish fillets (enough to coat, if you put in too much dressing it won't hurt anything you'll just waste dressing). Then I mix seasoned bread crumbs (or plain bread crumbs and seasonings) with wheat germ and bake at 350 until just flakey (usually about 20 minutes or so, unless the pieces are very thick). Instead of bread crumbs you can use cracker crumbs, dry mashed potato flakes, cereal crumbs...
oops, left out a step. You put the crumb mix on a plate, dip the fish in each side and place on a cookie sheet that you sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Then lightly spray the tops of the fish before putting in the oven.
I made these 2 recipes recently and they were both wonderful:
MAPLE SALMON
INGREDIENTS
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound salmon
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2. Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.
Salmon in Parchment (I couldn't find parchment at the last minute and used tin foil, worked great)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
3 large carrots, julienned
1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded (I used purple cabbage, turned everything purple!)
4 (6 ounce) fillets salmon
I also added a little cayenne to spice it up a little
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Add 3 large julienned carrots and 1/2 head shredded Napa cabbage; toss to combine.
Set four 15-inch squares of parchment on work surface. Use a slotted spoon to mound carrot mixture on one side of each sheet; reserve liquid in bowl. Roll 4 salmon fillets (1 1/2 pounds total) in reserved liquid. Place a fillet on each pile of vegetables; season with salt and pepper.
Fold parchment over contents; pleat edge to seal, forming a half-moon. Bake on a baking sheet 20 minutes. To serve, cut paper with kitchen scissors to open.
Calories: 304 kcal
Carbohydrates: 8 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Fat: 16 g
Protein: 30 g
Sugars: 3 g
I would agree with the other posts. There are many ways to get in the nutrients fish provide. My son takes a supplement that is fruit flavored cod liver oil! He drinks it in his orange juice and doesn't complain (he needs it for focus issues).
That being said, is there a fish you prefer over others or do you just not like the taste at all. Let me know and I am sure I can help you with a couple of recipes. I would have to imagine tilapia would be a good choice since it is mild.
Need Ways To Cook Fish
