Kids Dish

I love fish sandwiches. But you don’t always have to fall back on the old fried fish fillet. Try your hand at some really cool variations - here’s one of my favorites:

Mahi-Mahi BLT - that’s right, cause almost everything tastes better with bacon!

4 long slices bacon
2 T olive oil
1 T minced garlic
4 mahi-mahi fillets, skin on (you can substitute other firm fish)
8 slices bread (I prefer multigrain but you can also use hamburger or kaiser rolls)
lettuce
2 large tomatoes, sliced
dash salt
fresh pepper
mayonnaise, oil or salad cream

Okay, it is as easy as it sounds.

Brown your bacon either in a skillet or by popping it into the microwave for a few minutes.

Brush fish fillets lightly with oil (and salt and pepper if you want) and pan saute or grill until fish is opaque (about 10-12 minutes).

Build your sandwich! Layer a fillet, bacon, lettuce and tomato on your bread, toasted or not depending on your preference (hubby likes toasted, my girls do not). Add mayo, oil or salad cream to your taste. Season with salt and pepper.

You can serve with chips, fries or pretzels and a side salad or coleslaw. It’s a perfect spring or summer lunch! And since it’s so easy to make, you can keep the layers separate and assemble on site for a family picnic.

Fish and Chips

Fish:
2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 bottle ale, cold
1-1/2 lbs firm white fish - think tilapia, cod
Cornstarch

Chips:
4 large potatoes
salt

For the fish:

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Blend in the ale until the batter is smooth.

Slice fish into strips approximately one inch wide. Dredge fish strips in cornstarch. Dip the fish into batter and deep fry in very hot oil in a fryer or Dutch oven until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain fish. I don’t have a fryer rack, so I use paper towels on a plate. As the oil drains onto the paper towels, replace the paper towels until most of the oil is soaked away.

For the chips:

Peel potatoes (or not). Slice into fry-sized pieces (to your preference, depending on whether you like them thick or skinny). Soak in cold water until ready to use. Drain potatoes thoroughly - make sure that there most of the water has been dried off or else the oil will splatter when you put the fries in the fryer. Deep fry in very hot oil in a fryer or Dutch oven until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain. Season with salt.

Make sure that you have lots of malt vinegar handy - and ketchup (the kids might not love the vinegar, my oldest daughter does, go figure). Pair it with salad or cole slaw.

My girls love soup. It’s easy to make and the epitome of comfort food. And fish chowder is a terrific warm weather or cool weather food unlike some soups that just feel very weather specific (I, for one, can only eat chili during football season).

Serve it up with oyster crackers, biscuits or corn sticks.

Yum, and good for you, too!

Fish Chowder

1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 stalks celery, chopped with tops removed
2 T tomato paste
1 pound fresh white fish, cut into chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 whole red pepper, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
dash salt
pinch black pepper
2 c water (or fish stock, if you have it)
1 1/2 c tomato juice
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, saute the onion, garlic and celery and saute until onions are transparent and tender. Stir in the tomato paste and fish, mix to coat. Add the rest of the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Slowly add water, tomato juice and Worcestershire. Bring to boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for at least one hour.

This one was easy for me. My daughter is crazy about fish. And I’ve already posted about the health benefits of eating fish.

So this week, expect lots of fish recipes. I especially look forward to fish in the warmer weather, when it’s delivered fresh (!) and not frozen. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with frozen if it’s done properly. It’s just that since I’m originally from the coast, I really do enjoy a fresh fish.

If you’re wondering how to tell fresh from fresh frozen, lightly press on the fish “meat”. If the indentation from your finger fills with water, it was originally frozen.

Of course, it wouldn’t be very green of me to mention that there are a number of species that are being overfished. It’s important to be aware of what you’re eating. You can refer to this handy chart (also available for download) for the US, which also breaks down the fish availability by region, or this list for our European friends (sorry guys, I didn’t find anything for other continents).

Now that you’ve decided which fish you’re eating, let’s get started.

First up:

Fish tacos

1 pound flaky white fish - try cod, tilapia or mahi-mahi
olive oil
2 T. chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
dash salt
pinch pepper

flour tortillas

garnish:
choose from chopped tomatoes, chopped avocados, chopped onion, shredded cabbage, salsa, black olives, sour cream, shredded cheese - or your own favorites

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I prefer to grill whenever possible. I think it tastes better, it allows me to watch the kids outside while they run around and I cook and it makes clean-up easier. So, I suggest that you grill the fish. But pan-sauteeing works well, too.

Combine the olive oil, lime juice and cilantro in a bowl. Brush onto fish (whole fillets if you’re grilling, cut into 1 inch pieces if you’re sauteeing) and let marinate for a few minutes (not too long or the lime juices may begin to “cook” the fish). Season with salt and pepper. Grill or saute until fish is flaky with a fork - on the grill, this usually takes about 4-5 minutes each side.

Remove fish from grill and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Warm tortillas in oven or wrap in foil and stick on the grill for a few moments.

I serve it by putting the toppings in individual glass bowls and then just setting them out on the table. My kids love to choose their own toppings (with a few guidelines, of course) and I find that from the youngest kids to the oldest, that providing some sense of choice makes the kids feel better about their food. There’s very little “I don’t like this” if they put it on their plates themselves.

I would suggest a side dish of rice and black beans (pinto beans work well, too). Enjoy!

fish, sustainable food, overfishing, fish tacos

I grew up on the coast of North Carolina, so I spent a lot of time eating fish and shellfish (eventually manifesting itself in a shellfish allergy, but that’s a whole other post).

For some crazy reason, I figured that my kids - being city kids - wouldn’t automatically embrace fish the way that I did. I was so wrong. My kids - especially my oldest daughter - absolutely LOVES fish.

And fish is so good for you. These are some of the reputed benefits of eating fish (and remember that I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV):

In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that you eat fish high in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice per week. If you’re fishing (yes, bad pun) for some good choices, try salmon, sardines and tuna.

And don’t be daunted by the options to cook fish. Here are two easy recipes:

Grilled Fish

Fish can be tough to grill. Choose a firm steak like salmon or tuna for best results. Brush steaks with olive oil and add 1/2 tsp of finely chopped herbs (dill goes really nicely with salmon). Grill for 8-10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.

Baked Fish

Again, choose a firm steak. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a saucepan, melt 1 T. butter and saute a few chopped mushrooms and 1 tsp of finely chopped herbs. Pour the mixture over the fish steak and bake, covered, for 8-10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.

fish, salmon, dill, health benefits, omega acids