Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Flavorful Fish


You'll never fry a fish again!
My biggest push with food is flavor; people tend to be skimpy when it comes to
using spices, and/or they rely on only one
(like salt) and overdo it!

I'm also a huge fan of marinades, and
applying rubs for a minimum of a full day
so that the meat in question is saturated
with flavor all the way through.

For fish, I use tilapia or swai fillets--which
you can get huge frozen bags of, skinned
and boned and sometimes even individually
wrapped--in bulk for a decent value.

(For those of us without funds or proximity
to partake of fresh fish markets, these are
ideal!)

I take my fish, defrost it unwrapped, and
lay it out in a shallow pan. I'll lay a solid
layer of herbs and spices across them,
quite liberally applied (but of course, you
know your system and taste buds best, so...)

I typically use the following for baking fish,
since I love hot and spicy food;
*sea salt
*ground pepper
*mild curry
*cayenne pepper
*soul food seasoning
*garlic powder
*onion powder
*paprika

I then spray the fish with no-stick cooking spray
to adhere the seasoning to the fillet.
Then flip and repeat the ritual for the other side.

When finished, I put a bit of red hot sauce, olive oil,
and orange juice in the pan with the fish, and slosh
it gently to disperse it evenly.

Cover your pan and place in refrigerator. You should
turn your fish at least once, preferably more often to
soak it through.

Cook fillets in a preheated 425 degree oven for 8-to-12 minutes,
or longer depending on desired crispness or the thickness
of the fillet. You can also place the oven on broil for the last
few minutes to get that golden brown coloring.

And most importantly, if you serve a meal of this delicious
flavorful fish, do not allow guests to slather their god damned
condiments on it. Beyond insulting, it's death to taste buds
and undoes all your hard work!

Meal ideas:
Place baked fish on a bed of brown rice, serve with a side of
mixed veggies.

For a different style, go with some caramelized onions added
to the top, or make it a 'Mexican' dinner with some salsa and
sour cream added.

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Saturday, March 9, 2013

California Fish Wraps


Tempura Batter
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup cold water
-1 cup whole wheat flour
-1 sugar substitute pack
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon sea salt
-1 teaspoon garlic
Mix briskly and set aside.

Tilapia
Take an average size tilapia fillet and slice it down the middle
You'll use approximately 1 large-sized fillet per person.
Marinate with small equal amounts of;
-hot sauce
-sea salt
-paprika
-orange juice

Raspberry spread
-1 cup raspberry yogurt
-1 tsp Worcester sauce
-1 tsp minced garlic
-1 tblsp sour cream
-1 tblsp mayonnaise

Cole slaw
-2 cups Tri-color slaw mix/fresh cabbage
-2 tblsp mayonnaise
-1 tblsp orange juice
-1 tblsp lemon juice
-2 tblsp sweet relish
-6 diced banana peppers
-2 tblsp chopped onion
-1 tsp celery salt
-1 tsp pepper
-1 tsp sugar

Take two whole wheat flour tortillas, heated, and lay in your plate.

Take the fish fillets and dunk them in the tempura batter.
Drop them with tongs into a deep pot of boiling canola oil.
(You only need a few inches of oil, but I use a deep pot so they
won't splatter as much.)

Fry them several minutes, then turn. When a few more minutes
pass, take them up (they'll float when ready, and be golden brown)
and set them on a wire rack or paper towel to drain. Let them cool
several minutes.

Spread 2 or 3 tablespoons of the raspberry spread on the tortillas
place the drained and slightly cooled fish across the middle of the
tortilla. Top with cole slaw, jalapenos, shallots, salsa, and shredded
cheddar cheese to taste.

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