Healthy ways to cook fish

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

I am looking for ways to cook fish other than deep fat frying them, or frying them. I had to change the way I eat as my last physical showed I am borderline high cholesterol and prediabetic, and I am only 36 years old. So instead of being put on medications, my wife and I made a lifestyle change. This is not a diet since why would you go through all the work of a diet and go back to old ways and add the weight back on and old bad unhealthy habits. As of this morning I have lost 25 lbs in 2 months, just by changing eating habits, whole grains, fat free foods, more fruits and vegetables, etc. HOLY SMOKES grocery shopping this way is NOT cheap!! We plan on a graden this summer and want to catch more fish to eat.

So what I am asking is what are other ways to cook fish? We currently have buying Talapia fillets and bake them in the oven. The fish I will be cooking are mostly Crappies, Bluegills, Walleye, and an occasional Northern.

So lets hear the recipies, seasoning you use, baking methods or even on the grill. I do not have a smoker so that is out.

Any help is greatly apprecisted!!

[tgruenke]

I did walleye on the grill on top of a cedar plank. I soaked the cedar planks first so they would only smoke. I put spices on top of the fillets. It was delicious. I'm assuming you could do that with Salmon as well as many other species of fish.

[Walleyehooker]

I cook walleyes in the microwave once in a while and they turn out great.I was really scepticle at first till I tried it. You just have to watch them as it only takes a couple minutes to turn from opague to white and the meat flakes.Sprinkle on whatever seasoning you like and maybe a little lemon.

[OnAFly]

I've done just lemon pepper and salt before. Place it on a piece of lubed tin foil and onto the grill. Turns out pretty good.

[pikestabber]

Wrap them in bacon, dip in melted fudge, roll in crumbled pork rinds, then deep fat fry in salted motor oil. Okay, bad suggestion...

Actually, I agree with Walleyehooker re: microwaved fillets. Brush on something low-fat like cocktail sauce if you like it, or just sprinkle with fresh herbs/spices. They come out moist, cook fast, and taste really light without any microwave "funky" taste you get when nuking chicken or beef. I was pleasantly surprised at how good they are this way. Another quick, tasty way is a dash of salt and pepper on top, then jam garlic slivers into the meat and broil them on a tinfoil lined cookie sheet. My favorite pike recipe ever is to lay down a fillet on heavy duty foil, add layers of fresh onions and garlic, then liberally spread on cocktail sauce. Seal the packet, place on a cookie sheet, and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. The sauce thins out and actually steams through the fillet. Good stuff.

[Redlantern]

I use the foil method too. Olive oil spray on the foil, sliced carrots on the foil, fish fillets on that, dill, maybe some onions, pepper and butter buds. Wrap it up and on the grill it goes. Can also be done this way in the oven but I prefer the grill.

[Walleyehooker]

When doing them on the grill in foil I also like to add things like asparagus,sliced yellow squash,onions,broccoli,tomato or anything else you might like.I like a dab of basil pesto sauce in mine but you can spice it up any way you like it. I also do these in the oven.

[Harmonica Bear]

Pretty tough to screw up fish in foil on the grill, darn near anything you do with it spice wise will turn out good, the fish will anyway.

2nd the Microwave walleye. I was a total sceptic,especcially with my $100+/lb walleye filets , very pleasantly ssurprised at the result

[OnAFly]

HAha, yeah, the cost per fillet is always high when you think about it!

Another:

slice red potatoes and place in bottom of lubed foil.

Slice onion and place on potatoes

place fillet on onion and salt & pepper

place lemon slice on fillet

Wrap foil tightly so steam can not escape or you potatoes won't cook through.

Place on grill for 15-20 min and you're good to go. These are very nice for shore lunch as it makes little mess. You just have the foil left over as garbage.

[Whisker Trout Slayer]

Thanks guys this is exactly what I was asking about. I would guess you can do the same with panfish but won't take as long to cook as they are smaller.

[OnAFly]

Good luck with the healthy ways. After watching my dad go through a heart attack at the ripe old age of 37, I've been eating like this ever since.

Yeah, it takes some getting used to, but for the most part, I eat pretty good Just cutting out high fat stuff or switch over to fat free/low fat is actually pretty painless.

Of course, I do still eat some fatty stuff on occasion.

[SkunkedAgain]

At 26 my doctor said that I had high cholesterol. Funny how that was within a year of buying a deep fryer. I mothballed the deep fryer and stopped eating french fries if I went out to eat. My cholesterol plummeted. Now I just consider french fries as a treat and don't eat them often.

As for fish, you've heard it all above. You can bake, grill, saute, or microwave fish. Anything you do will be fine including with panfish. Especially with those, you can do a little bit of olive oil and saute them up nice and crispy without batter. Just add some spices on top and experiment. Grilling walleye is great even without foil as you can get the skin crispy!

[BobT]

Walleye is also good broiled, baked, or poached. Terrific in soups too. Look up a recipe for Kalamojakka and give it a try.

[BobT]

Quote:

Grilling walleye is great even without foil as you can get the skin crispy!

I love fish grilled that way. Especially with a little black or even cayenne pepper.

[thirdeye]

I really like broiled, baked and grilled fish and ate them this way before getting in the same boat as you guys as far as reducing frying and trying to eat healthier. Foil is most likely my favorite tool, either open faced or sealed in a pouch. When I do crave fried fish I season the fish first, then use a very light sprinkling of cornmeal based fish fry.... very light. Then I pan fry in a minimum of oil (usually a few sprays from the canned olive oil) and cook them until they are just 145° in a textured skillet (these take way less oil). A good thermometer is really a lifesaver so you don't overcook most things. This little bit of coating is enough to get some flavor I miss.

[Get'n Jiggy]

My brother introduced me to Grape Seed Oil a while back, it has a lot of the same qualities

as olive oil without the taste or smell, which I just don't like. This stuff is WONDERFULL

IMO, a little goes a long way and food has no added flavor from the oil.

[buddha]

I take my fish and cut up in small 1" to 2" chunks, rinse them off and dry. I coat/shake with Andy's red, that's it, no milk or beer or any liquid. I bake at 425 for 10 to 15 or till done. The coating creates a nice crust but since there is no grease it's nothing but pure fish and the Andy's is more cornmeal based so it's not heavy and fairly healthy.

[reinhard1]

i like using the same stuff.coats nice and is tasty. i have used it on chicken from time to time also. good luck.

[Jackpine Rob]

I have been playing around a little trying to come up with a gluten-free coating, and my last batch wasn't half bad. 2/3 Corn Flake crumbs, 1/3 brown rice flour. Fillets went into milk, then seasoned, then the coating, and then fried in canola oil. For seasonings I added paprika, lemon pepper and some garlic powder.

I'd eat it again. I'm thinking a guy could bake or broil also with a light spritz of Olive Oil from the spray can.

[reinhard1]

i have to look for that brown rice flour. i have used rice flour but haven't found brown rice flour. maby i just haven't been looking for it. thanks. learn something all the time. good luck.

[archerystud]

I like to chop up some fresh garlic and mix with a little olive oil. I put the fillets in a "fish basket" that I put on the grill. I then brush the fillets with the olive oil/garlic mixture and cook them on the grill until they get a little crunchy on the edges.

[reinhard1]

i like that idea. cant go wrong with garlic and more garlic. good luck.

[rocstar]

Microwave Fish in Lemon Butter

Here is a simple/healthy microwave fish recipe that works well with just about any fish without the mess.

In a 12x8x2 inch microwave dish arrange fillets with thickest, meaty areas to outside edges of dish. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and Old Bay Spice.

In a microwave measuring cup, melt ½ stick (or a little more) of butter. Blend in a good Tablespoon of chopped parsley and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and pour over fish fillets; coat well.

In a sandwich bag, crush a half cup or so of buttery crackers or a combination of saltines, Ritz Crackers, corn flakes, oyster crackers or whatever you have. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the fish.

Cover dish with wax paper and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Rotate dish and microwave another 4 minutes (or 5 minutes if the filets are thick).

How about some tartar sauce you can make up yourself: Miracle Whip, Sweet Pickle Relish, dash of Lemon Juice and some dill weed.

Serve with Cole Slaw, Pickled Beats and Toasted French Bread.

[rocstar]

Here's another one.

Take your fillets and put a little lemon pepper, dill weed and Old Bay Spice on them. Lay on a large sheet of tin foil. Slice up some sweet onions and a few strips of green pepper and lay on top. Add some fresh green beans or asparagus. Sprinkle with real parmesan cheese on top, wrap up tight and bake in the oven or on the grill for 30 minutes or so.

After cooking walleye like this on one trip to Canada several years ago, our group hasn't fried fish ever since and its easy to wrap up several packs ahead of time, cook all at once while everyone enjoys their beverages and you can all eat at once.

Don't forget the cole slaw and pickled beets! Oh yes and the home made tartar sauce..

[rocstar]

Fish Soup By the Pail Method. Works good for a big group.

The following fish soup recipe can be made with just about any filleted fish. The trick is to not overcook the fish as it does not take long once you put it in the hot broth.

The proportions of carrots, celery and onions are not all that important and you can add more of what you like most. You can also add potatoes if you like but I would go easy on them. I like more carrots and celery and less potatoes. The big question is how big of a pot you have to work with.

The secret ingredient to start out with is Chicken Broth. Go to Wal-mart or wherever and buy a couple of large cans or some have it in boxes.

Here are the ingredients:

2 Large Cans or Boxes of Chicken Broth.

3 Cups of Chopped Carrots.

3 Cups of Chopped Celery.

1 Large Onion (cubed).

1 or 2 Cups of Potatoes (if you like).

1 Stick of Butter.

Add some Parsley Flakes.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Maybe a little Curry Powder if you like the smell of it.

Bring all this to a boil and let the vegetables cook until just about done. Don’t let them get too soft!

Cut up your filleted fish into chunks. I like lots of fish (1 fish per person) and you can always add more to the left over broth. When the vegetables are cooked and you are ready, dump the fish in and add one or two cans of Condensed Milk, Cream or Half and Half. Be careful not to burn the pot as the milk will burn on the bottom if you have it too high.

Stir and keep a close eye on it. It only takes a couple of minutes and don’t wait until the fish starts to flake or it will all fall apart. Taste the fish to see if you think it is done.

Serve with toast.