Fish..fish..fish. I’ve always had this mindset, that I can’t be a good cook if I don’t know how to cook a good piece of fish. I have never liked fish, and this has always been an inner (very ridiculous) struggle for me. I enjoyed my first piece of fish when I went through a phase of only eating clean. My first go around was with tilapia; I did quite a bit of research on “how to like fish” (yes I really typed that into my google search bar), and everyone recommended that I try tilapia first. At the time, I was following Jamie Eason’s Livefit Program and I tried her Fish in Foil recipe. I have two problems with eating fish. One, I don’t like it to smell fishy. Two, I can’t get over the fact that I’m eating fish. This last reason makes absolutely no sense, because I eat cow, pig, chicken, etc just fine! When I cooked the Fish in Foil recipe, I really enjoyed the flavor but I just couldn’t get past the fact that I was eating fish. My second go around with fish was in a sushi roll. I’ve always enjoyed vegetarian sushi rolls, but I ventured out and tried a Spicy Salmon Roll. I absolutely loved it. So, I’m getting there. Slowly but surely.
Yesterday, I created my own fish recipe that I really enjoyed and catch this…I wished that I had made extras! I didn’t know I was eating fish, and it was totally (kind of) healthy! I also, pulled another fast one on the fiancee, and made a delicious Celery & Carrot Salad and he liked it. I’m beginning to think that the words “celery” and “carrot” just sound gross to him, and that’s why he doesn’t like them. All of this was made on a whim, and basically created because I needed to get rid of the celery and carrots in my fridge…so without anymore jabbering, here it is!
Pan-Seared Tilapia
Ingredients
Tilapia (however many you would like)
1/2 cup of flour (just add more flour if you need more)
Lemon & Pepper Seasoning
Lemon juice of about one lemon
EVOO
1/2 tablespoon butter
1. Combine the flour and Lemon & Pepper Seasoning. I am not sure how much seasoning I used – I just based it off it being visible when combined with the flour.
2. Melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add in the lemon juice and about two tablespoons of EVOO. If you don’t have a lemon, don’t fret – it won’t dramatically impact the flavor. I actually used the juice in the squirt bottles for this one.
3. Pat dry the Tilapia fillets (be careful, they like to fall apart), and dredge them in the flour and seasoning mixture until completely covered. Add them into the pan.
4. Cook until browned on each side. I flipped mine about every 2 minutes for a total of 4 times. The key here is, make sure they are browned (not burnt, browned). The best way to make sure that you don’t burn them, is to constantly check the pan and make sure that there is enough liquid in the bottom. Add some more lemon, butter, or EVOO if you need to. The flour on the outside of the fish really sucks up the juices. It was kind of like an “Ah-ha” moment for me here.
Carrot & Celery Salad
Ingredients
3 Stalks of Celery, sliced thin
12 baby carrots, sliced thin
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, thinly diced
Italian Seasoning
Crushed Red Peppers
1/2 tablespoon butter
EVOO
1. Add the butter into a pan at low heat, once the butter has melted add in the minced garlic. Make sure that the pan is at a low temperature, or the garlic will easily burn. Saute for 30 seconds. Now add the onions, and allow to saute for 30 seconds more.
2. Place the celery and carrots in the pan, and drizzle with EVOO. Now add in the Italian seasoning, crushed red peppers, and the apple cider vinegar. Turn the heat up to medium high.
3. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.
We ate this with some oven fries that I seasoned with paprika, and it was magnificent.
Is there anyone else out there that has taught themselves to eat fish?
fee's bites 