I also noticed that not many of us cook fish at home. We simply order it when we go out, and by doing so we are never sure how much fat is used to cook it. Not to mention that some of us almost always tend to order dishes like "sole meuniere", which is basically fish flavored butter! So what can we do?
I have a number of recipes, mainly from the Mediterranean heritage, that I have tweaked a little bit to reduce the fat content and make them healthier. You have to get the courage to go to the fish market, learn to choose the freshest fish and cook it. If you do so you'll be very pleased with the results.
So, don't be afraid you'll be soon enjoying delicious home cooked fish.
FISH LIVORNESE
I used to have this dish back home at my Italian friends home, actually we always had fish on Fridays, and this was a nice departure from the regular traditional recipes that I was having at home.
Years later, as I was thinking of new ways to cook fish,(my husband is only used to fried and grilled fish) I thought of this recipe. I never knew how exactly it was done, nor do I have with me the old Italian cook book that my mammina gave me before she left for Italy, so what did I do? I tried to remember how it tasted, and came up with a recipe that we all loved. I never wrote it down, but this should not be a problem, you never cook any recipe the same way every time anyway! What also helped is that I found at the supermarket a bag of cod fillets (and later mahi mahi) that was very easy to handle: each one is individually wrapped, so you can defrost only the pieces you need. The recipe can also be tweaked to add shrimp with excellent results.
You'll need:
4 fish fillets (cod, mahi mahi, or red snapper) about 1 inch thick
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tbsp frozen mixture of onion and garlic
1 tbsp capers rinsed (or more if you wish)
1 sprig rosemary
3 sprigs thyme (or a pinch of each dried and crushed in your hand)
1 tbsp olive oil (I use extra light. It tolerates heat better and doesn't overpower the food)
1 tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, lime juice and let stand. In a shallow pan heat the oil and the onion mixture. Cook until translucent, then add the fish. Let cook on one side, then turn and add the rosemary and thyme. Try not to disturb the fish so it doesn't brake. When it's lightly browned on both sides add the tomato sauce and reduce heat. Add the capers and finish cooking. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve over yellow rice.
TIP: If you want to add shrimp, chose the largest you can find. Slice the shrimp lengthwise but not to the end, so it's butterflied. If you wish, you can also cut it all the way to have 2 slices for each shrimp (if you are using the huge shrimp, 9 count). Add to the sauce when you add the capers. Shrimp doesn't need so much time to cook. You'll notice that the shrimp slices will curl and turn white.That means they are done. You may also use smaller shrimp. In this case leave them whole and they will also be done in minutes when they will become round and lose their blue color.
YELLOW RICE
As I said before, I never boil rice and rarely cook it white. So here you have a new way to cook a fragrant and different rice dish. You'll need:
1 cup rice
1 tbsp frozen onion mix
1 tbsp oil
1 or 2 tsp turmeric
Salt
Water
In a non stick pan cook the onion mixture in the oil until translucent, then add the turmeric.Stir. When the mixture becomes fragrant, add the rice (remember: I always rinse my rice before cooking it) and stir until you hear it crackling.
Add water according to package directions. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir and let simmer on very low heat until done.
If you really want to make it fancy, stir in a handful of frozen peas just before the rice is done.
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