If you’re not familiar with cooking fish, it can seem like a challenging task. However, with these few simple tips and recipes, incorporating fish into your diet is easy. Remember to balance it with lots of fresh vegetables, whole grains and legumes!

By Debbie Stepler

After reading the paper last week, everyone knows eating fish is good for you. The fats in fish are thought to help prevent heart disease – the number one killer today– as well as Alzheimer’s and strokes.

But it seems many people are afraid of cooking fish at home. Buying, storing and cooking fish isn’t difficult. It just requires a little knowledge.

Smell it!

When buying fresh fish, it should smell sweet. You should feel like you are standing at ocean’s edge. Any strong “fishy smell” means the fish is past its prime. Do not buy it!

Look at it!

Whole fish should look like it was just pulled from the water. Bright eyes and firm flesh are signs of freshness. Watch for brown spots and discoloration.

Freeze it!

Fresh fish should be kept in your refrigerator only a day or two. It’s very perishable. If you are going to keep it longer than that, wrap the fish well in freezer paper and freeze.

Fish that you buy frozen, keep frozen until you are ready to cook it. Fish can be thawed in the refrigerator, under cold water, or in the microwave. Cook as soon as you thaw.

Great tip!

Place frozen fish in a bowl and cover with milk. Then cover and let it sit in refrigerator overnight. The fish will have a wonderful fresh caught taste. Discard milk after fish thaws.

Don’t Over Cook It!

The most important thing to remember when cooking fish is not to over cook. Because fish have very little connective tissue and fat, they are quite delicate when cooked.

Use a reliable test to check if the fish is done. Insert a fork gently in the thickest part of the fish and twist. The flesh should separate along natural lines when done.

Here are a few recipes to try. I included a trout recipe since fishing season is right around the corner

Glazed Salmon

• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 T. Maple Syrup
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 t. chipotle salt
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. pepper

Mix all together. Coat two 6 oz. salmon fillets. Place in shallow baking pan and place under broiler about 6 inches away from the heat. The sugar in the maple syrup will caramelize and gives it a nice glaze. It’s so easy! Enjoy!

 

Trout

• 1 lb. trout fillets
• 1 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1T. lemon juice 1T. finely chopped onion
• 1/4 t. salt paprika
• 1T. olive oil

Put the olive oil in shallow baking pan. In small bowl combine sour cream, cheese, lemon juice, onion and salt. Spread over fish. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until fish flakes with fork.