Fish contains high-quality protein and it is low in fat. It is among the healthiest foods on the planet. Fish is the best source of omega 3 fatty acids, and it is loaded with vitamin D. It is rich in riboflavin, calcium, phosphorous, and is an excellent source of minerals such as zinc, iodine, iron, potassium, and magnesium.
Health Benefits Of Fish
Fatty types of fish such as sardines, salmon, trout, mackerel, and tuna are high in fat based nutrients which include vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids. Researchers say that eating at least one serving of fish per week reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The omega 3 fatty acids present in fish is essential for the healthy development of the brain and eyes of the growing fetus. These fatty acids also aid in healthy brain function. They reduce the risk of depression, Alzheimer’s’ disease, dementia and diabetes.
Fish consumption delays aging of the brain. People who eat fish regularly have more gray matter in the brain centers that control emotion and memory.
Regular consumption of fish is linked to lower risk of type 1 diabetes and several other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Omega 3 fatty acids present in fish prevent inflammation which is the principal cause of autoimmune disease.
Eating fish may increase your sleep quality, especially the fatty fish like salmon. Researchers speculate this could be due to its vitamin D content.
The omega 3 fatty acids in fish lower the risk of macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness. Fish may even reduce the possibility of asthma in children. Research studies show that regular consumption of fish is linked to 24% lower risk of asthma in children.
Having seen the benefits of eating fish, here are some great fish meal ideas for you try out.
Fish Meal Ideas for Dinner
Easy Baked Fish Fillets (Variation 1)
Recipe: Holley Grainger, Food editor myrecipes.com
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Method
- To prepare the creamy topping for the fish, add some lime juice to the mayonnaise, as well as onion powder and pepper. Stir it to combine the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 425 degree Celsius. Neatly lay the fish in an 11 x 7-inch baking tray.
- Gently spread the mayonnaise mixture all over the fish. You can use any firm white fish. Haddock, cod, and grouper work well for this recipe. Add fresh bread crumbs over the fish.
- Finally, drizzle some melted butter this helps to brown the bread crumbs. Bake the fish for about 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Sprinkle some fresh parsley and a squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy for your dinner.
Herb Crusted Fish Fillets (Variation 2)
Tutorial: Celebrity Chef Ramsay Gordon
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius. Boil some baby potatoes in a saucepan, drain, add a knob of butter and set aside. To enhance the flavor, season the fish fillets with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Fry the fish for one minute on each side in a few glugs of olive oil. Remove from pan onto a baking tray. Sauté cherry tomatoes and onions for 5 minutes in olive oil. Add fresh basil, season with salt and pepper.
- Make a delicious mixture of grated parmesan, chopped parsley and bread crumbs. Generously layer the fish with cherry basil salsa and top it with breadcrumbs mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 6 minutes. Drizzle a circle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the plate and serve the fish with baby potatoes on the side.
Quick Fish Cakes
Recipe: Jamie Oliver
Makes: 12 cakes
Total time: 25 minutes
Method
- Quick fish cakes taste great at any time of day and have a delicate balance of Indian and British spices. Peel and grate the potato and roughly chop the fish.
- Mix it with flour and season with salt and pepper. Shape into patties and chill it in the fridge. Fry the fish cakes in olive oil, for 2 to 3minutes on each side until crisp and golden.
- Drain off excess oil on kitchen paper. Chop some fresh green herbs such as parsley, chives, and dill and stir it into the mayonnaise. Serve it along with fish cakes. Add some lemon wedges to bring in the tangy taste.
Swordfish, Cherry Tomatoes, and Capers
Recipe: Jamie Oliver
Makes: 2
Total time: 15 minutes
Method
- Season and pan fry or grill the swordfish for 5 minutes on both sides and transfer to plates. Finely chop the garlic and segment the lemon. Sauté garlic and tomatoes for 5 minutes.
- Then add the capers and lemon and cook for two minutes. Sprinkle finely chopped parsley leaves and season with black pepper. Give a gentle stir, pour over the fish and serve.
Fish Burgers
Recipe: taste.com.au
Makes: 4
Total time: 30 minutes
Method
- Prepare the mayonnaise mixture by combining chili powder, lemon juice, and mayonnaise and refrigerate.
- Season the fish and zucchini, with salt and pepper and spray oil on both sides. Barbecue fish and zucchini for 2 minutes on both sides.
- Cut the bread rolls and spray with oil. You can use torpedo bread rolls. If you want to bake torpedo, check out the recipe here. Grill the bread until toasted. Layer zucchini at the bottom and top it with fish, capers, mayonnaise mixture and rocket.
- Sandwich with roll tops and serve with chips.
Fish Rissoles
Recipe: taste.com.au
Makes: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Method
- Make a paste of red fish fillets, curry paste and coriander by grinding in a food processor. Add breadcrumbs, mix gently and shape into 12 rissoles.
- If you fear that the fish balls will break, you can whip up an egg and dip the rissoles into it before cooking; the egg will strengthen the outer covering and your fish rissoles will not fall apart, breadcrumbs and the eggs will hold it together. Again you can roll the rissoles in bread crumbs to get that crunchy texture.
- Cook the rissoles in a nonstick frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes. Don’t forget to spray both sides of rissoles slightly with oil. Cover the cooked rissoles with foil to keep them warm.
- Combine sweet chili sauce, lime juice, fish sauce and finely chopped coriander leaves to make the dipping sauce. Serve the rissoles along with dipping sauce, steamed rice, lime wedges and coriander.
Fishermen’s Soup
Source: Real Simple
Makes: 4
Total time: 30 minutes
Method
- This Hungarian fishermen’s soup gets its dark red color from the tomatoes and paprika. The recipe relies on mussels and halibut fillets and gets its complex flavor from fennel, leeks, diced tomatoes and crushed red pepper.
- Soften the fennel, leeks and garlic in oil in a saucepan for 3-4 minutes. Add tomatoes, sherry, red pepper and salt and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 15 min, then add the mussels and fish. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Serve with olives for a tasty accompaniment.
Curried Fish
Source: Food.com
Makes: 2
Total time: 30 minutes
Method
- An African fish recipe called Mthunzi Wa Samaki in the Swahili language; this dish is mainly prepared in Kenya and Tanzania.
- Fry onions until it gets brown, add garlic and curry powder and stir well. Now add tomatoes, fresh coriander, tomato puree and cook for 1 minute.
- Add fish and water and season with lemon juice and salt. Close the lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with rice.
Whole Grilled Branzino
Source: The Kitchn.com
Serves: 2
Author: Sara Kate Gillingham
Method
- Branzino is a silver skinned fish found in the European salt water and lakes. The fish has a delicate flavor, is firm and white with few small bones.
- Prepare the grill for medium heat. Spray or drizzle olive oil on both sides of the fish. Season the inside of fish with salt and pepper. For added flavor place few lemon slices inside of each fish.
- Grill the fish for 5 minutes on both sides until the flesh is opaque and the skin is crisp. Serve hot with lemon wedges.
Creamy –Yet –Light Fish Chowder
Source: The Kitchn.com
Serves: 4
Author: Anjali Prasertong
Method
- The broth in this recipe skips the normal milk or cream. Instead, it is thickened by cooked potatoes and aromatics puree. It is studded with soft vegetables and mild white fish.
- Sauté the onion, celery and garlic in olive oil. Clean potatoes, chop it and boil the potatoes along with white wine and stock in a pot. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat. Blend the contents until smooth. Return the pot to stove, add diced carrots and the remaining potatoes and celery and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the fish and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. To brighten your soup add some vinegar. Serve with celery leaves or parsley.
Hot-Smoked Trout and Mustard Salad
Source: bbcgoodfoodme.com
Serves: 4 servings
Total time: 15 minutes
Method
- This recipe needs no chopping and is a super healthy main meal salad perfect for the busy weeknight. Green beans, romaine lettuce, hot smoked trout, croutons and olive oil are what you need to make this tasty salad.
- Cook the green beans in salted water until tender for 3-4 minutes. Drain the beans and refresh in cold water. In a serving bowl add trout, lettuce, and croutons.
- Whisk the olive oil with lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard. Drizzle over the salad, gently toss and serve straightaway.
- Tip: Homemade croutons always tastes best. Cut the ciabatta loaf into bite sized pieces. You can arrange the croutons on a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle olive oil over it. Season the croutons with salt and pepper. Bake at 190C/170C fan/gas 5 for 15 mins.
Spiced Salmon Kebabs
Source: bon appetit
Special Equipment: 16 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 1 hour.
Method
- Prepare the spice mixture by mixing sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin and salt and set aside. Set the grill on medium heat.
- Thread salmon and folded lemon onto the skewers. Spray or brush olive oil over the salmon and season with the spice mixture. Grill and occasionally turn for 5-8 minutes until the fish is opaque throughout.
- Tip: Thread the salmon onto two skewers, so they don’t flip and spin when you turn them.
Tuscan Catfish with Sundried Tomato
Source: Myrecipes.com
Yield: Makes six servings
Total time: 25 minutes
Method
- Season catfish with salt and pepper. Coarsely chop the pita chips for 6 to 8 times in a food processor. Stir together the Italian herb blend and flour. Mix 1/3 cup of water and eggs in a pie plate.
- Immerse the catfish in the flour mixture. Then dip in the egg mixture. Finally, dredge into pita chips and press the mixture to coat thoroughly.
- Fry the catfish in vegetable oil until golden brown and serve with sun-dried tomato paste.
- Tip: Process sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil leaves, lemon juice and Dijon mustard in a food processor for 30 seconds.Add mayonnaise and process for 15 seconds until smooth. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve. You can check out the recipe here.
Conclusion
Choosing healthy fish is an art because of these days, fish come with a lot of ecological baggage. Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that affects the brain function. So smaller fish are considered safer than the large ones which are higher up in the food chain. For this reason, pregnant women should eat fish that are low in the food chain such as the trout, sardines, and salmon. Natural Resources Defense Council’s smart seafood buying guide gives the mercury content of each fish. You can check it to make smart food choices.
It is wise to eat wild-caught fish over farmed. Wild fish is less likely to be contaminated with harmful pollutants. And they have more omega-3s. If you diversify your fish eating choices by including the unappreciated species which are called trash fish, you are the helping the ecosystem and the fisheries to rebound.
If you go in for local varieties of fishes, you’ll be assured about the catching process of fish, and you’ll help bolster regional fishing economies. All said and done buy your seafood from trusted retailers.
