Fish is a tasty way to get protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. We have two quick and easy recipes to share with you.
The fish we’ve chosen — salmon and swai — are fatty fish, so you’re getting those healthy Omega 3 acids.Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, so this type of fish helps you get that important Vitamin D, too.
And each recipe uses just a few ingredients, so you can whip them up on a work night.
Blackened Pesto Salmon
Blackened Pesto Salmon may be the easiest fish recipe this side of frozen fish sticks, but it has a delicious, complex flavor from the pesto. You can buy prepared pesto in tubes in many grocery stores, but we’re also giving you a recipe for pesto in case you want to add your own touch.
Blackened Pesto Salmon
1 piece wild-caught salmon per person
1 T prepared pesto per person
Place salmon on a sheet pan sprayed or brushed with olive oil. Spread 1 T pesto onto the fish. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn fish over and cook an additional 2-3 minutes to get the blackened look and distribute the flavor. Serve with your favorite simple fruits and vegetables.
Small Batch Walnut Pesto
1 c. fresh basil
2 T walnuts
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, pressed
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Pecan Crusted Fish
The classic French method of preparing fish — a la meuniere, or miller style — uses flour-dredged fish in a simple lemon and butter sauce. We’ve replaced half the flour with ground pecans to increase fiber and protein plus healthy fats.You can buy pecan meal, but you can also grind nuts in a coffee or spice grinder.
We used butter to keep the classic flavor, using less than the traditional amount, but you could switch to olive oil.
4 filets mild fish such as sole or tilapia
1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
1/2 c. pecans, ground, or pecan meal
2 T butter
juice of 1 lemon
Grind nuts if you’re not using pecan meal, and combine with flour in a shallow dish. Lay fish into the mixture and press into the fish.
Melt butter in a skillet and lay fish in a single layer. Pan fry for 10-15 minutes, until fish is opaque on the sides. Turn fish and cook for an additional 5 minutes or to desired degree of doneness. Remove fish to plates.
Scrape up brown bits on the bottom of the skillet and pour in the lemon juice. Stir and pour over fish.