Posts Tagged ‘eat more fish’

Now We’re Cooking Tilapia, Recipe Roundup

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

seared-tilapia

It’s been a tough job, but somebody had to do it. I’ve scoured some of the best home cooks’ blogs to find these tasty and simple tilapia recipes. With easy fish recipes like these, there’s no excuse not to eat more fish at home. Click the links to go directly to these tasty entrees.

Spicy Sauteed Tilapia with Cherry Tomatoes

This gorgeous dish, courtesy of Lynda’s Recipe Box, is a perfect way to use up the cheese in the feta container. It’s also a great example of improvising a recipe. Not having the exact ingredients didn’t stop Lynda. She simply substituted with something she had on hand. There are no rules, and sometimes it’s better to take a risk on an alternate ingredient than make an extra trip to the store.

Breaded Tilapia Sticks

I like this recipe on {creative cents} for two reasons. First, it’s frugal! It’s hard to go wrong when you start with tilapia, and this recipe keeps the cost down with simple ingredients. Everything you need is probably in your pantry or refrigerator right now. I also love that this recipe is baked. I make breaded tilapia at least twice a month, but I fry mine. It’s awfully tasty, but baking would definitely cut the calories!

Broiled Tilapia with Lime Chipotle Marinade

Normally, this would be just the type of recipe I’d shy away from. Lime Chipotle Marinade? Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? But a quick glance at the Soup Belly’s ingredient list hints at its simplicity. If you can’t get fresh nectarines, I’ll bet you could substitute with canned peaches in a pinch. The other reason I chose this recipe because the blog was so beautiful. Presentation is everything, after all. I’m a sucker for food bloggers who are also amazing photographers.

Pan Seared Lemon Tilapia with Parmesan Pasta

This simple preparation from Rachel vs. “The Kitchen” showcases the flavors of the lemon and spices. Super light and flavorful, and super fast to put together. Rachel reminds us that she pulled some frozen tilapia out of the freezer for this one. Easy!

Baja Shrimp and Tilapia Enchladas

This recipe was rounded up by a blogger I’ve recently discovered, Pioneer Woman. One of her readers submitted this unique combination of shrimp and tilapia, two of my favorites. Warning, you can lose yourself quickly on this beautiful website. That Pioneer Woman seems to do everything well!

Image Credit: LAYeiser, Flickr

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Classic Recipe: Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

fishnchips2_cosmopoliticianflickr

This is your basic breaded, fried fish, made delicious with tilapia. Here’s the thing about getting your family to eat more fish - sometimes you have to compromise. While breading and frying isn’t my first choice for a healthy meal , it’s hard to deny the tastiness factor of fried fish. If your family likes it and you serve it once in a while, maybe they won’t fight you so much on the lower calorie recipes!

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning*
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tilapia fillets
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil** 

* I would personally use more, but you know how those kids will complain… If you’re going to back off on the spice, consider adding some Paprika to give it a little color. It’s mild enough that picky eaters shouldn’t even notice.

** This is totally personal preference, but I would go with olive oil. It’s supposed to be healthier, right? 

Directions:

  1. In a shallow bowl, combine the eggs and lemon juice.
  2. In another shallow bowl (or plate), mix together flour, cornmeal, Cajun seasoning and salt.
  3. Dip tilapia into egg mixture, then coat with cornmeal mixture.
  4. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry fillets for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. You might want to do this in batches if your skillet isn’t too large.

Serve it up with baked french fries and green beans. If you really want to make *certain* people happy, glop some tartar sauce onto the plate and call it good!  

Got a great recipe? Enter the contest!

Image Credit: Cosmo Politician

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Note to Baby Boomers: Eat Fish For Peace of Mind

Saturday, June 13th, 2009
peace_bitziflickr

Preserve your memories of the sixties. Eat fish!

There are plenty of great reasons to eat fish, especially as we get *ahem* up in years. Baby boomers are all about healthy living. Embracing good nutrition - including eating fish - is part of any healthy lifestyle. Here are some great reasons to feed fish to your favorite baby boomer.

Experts Agree on Fish

You’d be hard pressed to find a health or nutrition related source that did not advocate adding fish to your diet. Most fish is a good protein source with lower calories than beef or chicken. (Tilapia comes with the added double bonuses of being easy on the environment and the wallet!) But your waistline isn’t the only reason to up the fish content of your diet.

Fish Fights Memory Loss, Demetia, and Alzheimer’s

Today’s Dietitian detailed the brain related health benefits of eating fish in their March 2008 issue:

Omega-3 fatty acids may also help reduce the risk of memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease by stimulating the growth of neuron connections, which improves the brain’s ability to process and retrieve information.14 Approximately 40% of fatty acid phospholipids in the brain are DHA, and people with dementia have lower plasma phospholipid DHA levels in the brain compared with controls. Some research shows that 2.7 or more servings of fish per week or 180 milligrams or more of DHA per day is associated with 50% decreased risk of dementia.

Add to that a study in the medical journal Neurology found that eating fish can help lower the risk of cognitive decline and stroke.  Study participants who ate broiled or baked fish high in omega-3 fatty acids three or more times per week reduced their risk of having brain lesions that cause dementia and stroke by 26% compared to those who did not consume fish on a regular basis. Even adding just one serving of fish a week led to a significant decrease in risk - 13%. Click here to read more about the study.

Fish Fights Coronary Disease

The American Medical Association has long recommended increasing the amount of fish in the American diet. Several studies have identified that fatty acids found in fish can lower rates of coronary heart disease.

While it may be confusing, given recent concern over potential harm from mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) present in some fish species, it’s important not to dismiss fish out of fear. Senior Journal reported on a 2006 study that addressed these fish fears head on.

“Avoidance of modest fish consumption due to confusion regarding risks and benefits could result in thousands of excess coronary heart disease deaths annually and suboptimal neurodevelopment in children.”

Researchers Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., and Eric B. Rimm, Sc.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, compared the scientific evidence for adverse and beneficial health effects of eating fish consumption and determined that for the general population, the good outweighs the bad. They found that modest consumption (defined as 1 -2 servings per week) reduces risk of coronary death by 36% and the rate of death by 17%.

“A variety of seafood should be consumed; individuals with very high consumption (5 servings or more per week) should limit intake of species highest in mercury levels. Levels of dioxins and PCBs in fish are low, and potential carcinogenic and other effects are outweighed by potential benefits of fish intake and should have little impact on choices or consumption of seafood.”

Fish twice a week helps us stay healthy and smart? What’s not to like?

Try these recipes:

Cheesey Broiled Tilapia
The best thing about this cheesy tilapia recipe is that it’s very rich, but at the same time, very nutritious and low in calories. It was passed along to me through the mommy grapevine. I heard it originated with a nutritionist so you know it has to be good for you. And I can testify (and my husband and kids will agree) that it’s also quite tasty! Read more.

Indian Tilapia
I adapted this fish recipe from one I found a few years ago for spiced shrimp. I love the flavor of Indian spices, and surprisingly - the kids enjoy it too. The turmeric gives this fish dish a wonderful yellow color. It’s great served over rice or couscous. Read more.

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How Can I Tell When Fish is Done?

Monday, June 1st, 2009

Sometimes the reason our families don’t like eating fish at home is because we don’t know how to cook it properly. Probably the most important thing you can do when cooking fish is to be sure and not overcook it. In fact, most fish will taste best if it is just the tiniest bit underdone when you remove it from the stove, grill, or oven.

The perfectly grilled fish - Yum!
The perfectly grilled fish - Yum!

Fish that is ‘just done’ keeps its texture and flavor. Overcooking fish leaves it dry and flavorless, or worse yet - fishy tasting! Follow these tips to get your family to eat more fish.

Look at Your Fish

Cooking fish is not rocket science. It’s is done when the flesh begins to turn from translucent to opaque or white. Fish should be firm but still moist. The real trick is getting enough practice with a particular recipe to know just how long it needs.

It’s also important to note that ovens, grills, and microwaves cook differently. So the best way to determine when a fish is done is visually. Again, the perfectly done fish is opaque or white, and flakes easily with a fork.

All that said, ten minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb to start with.

Fish Keeps Cooking!

If you’re no stranger to the kitchen, you understand that food continues to cook after being removed from the heat. Fish is no different. The tricky part with fish is that because it requires such a short cooking time, the margin of error is smaller. If fish is already fully cooked when you take it off the heat, and it continues to cook, it’s likely to be overdone by the time it gets to your plate.

Go ahead and experiment. You can’t really go wrong because if you take the fish out too soon and after a couple of minutes it doesn’t get to the point where it flakes easily with a fork, you can always put it back on the heat for another minute or two. (I sometimes zap mine in the microwave when this happens.)

Testing Technique

Okay, so you’ve heard it many times: fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Except that when I use a fork, I tend to mutilate my fish into a not-so-pretty mess. Instead of my method, try slipping the point of a sharp knife into the flesh and gently pulling it aside. If it separates easily, you’re set! (Make sure to test multiple places if you’re cooking in the microwave.)

And that’s it! I hope these tips provide you a little confidence to get out there and play with some more fish recipes!

Image Credit: mccun934, Flickr

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Welcome to the Tilapia Blog!

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

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Welcome to the Tilapia Blog! I hope you’ll visit often for great tips on buying, cooking, and enjoying delicious farm raised tilapia. This versatile fish is the perfect solution to get your family to eat more fish.

Get hooked!

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