Fish?

Rworthy
Rworthy Posts: 271 Member
edited November 21 in Food and Nutrition
I want to incorporate more fish into my diet - being from the south I used to eat fish or seafood quite often; now I live in colorado and have fish about 1 time per year. Im sad and I miss it but am scared for several reasons...
1) husband not to fond of certain types although he loves sushi tuna he hates the cooked type
2) its expensive
3) I live in colorado and worry about freshness - having to thaw it out takes prep time and sometimes id rather not bother....

So...does anyone have any suggestions on how to feed fish to their family? And please dont say fishsticks....yuck.

If you buy frozen - what brand/type do you eat that actually tastes good and fresh and is easy to thaw and prepare? (I'm not too into bones).

What are some easy dishes/seasoning that you use?

How to make a picky husband actually enjoy eating it?

Replies

  • tenkides
    tenkides Posts: 151 Member
    Try fish tacos, fish and beans burrito.
  • tenkides
    tenkides Posts: 151 Member
    Try adding fish pieces to anything he likes.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Can you just cook him something else? When my daughter and I have salmon, I made my husband steak. When I want scallops, I make him lasagna.
  • deceived1
    deceived1 Posts: 281 Member
    OP, do you like fish sticks?
  • LVNF04
    LVNF04 Posts: 2,607 Member
    I love fish, the problem is I like it fried with hush puppies, colesaw, and a frozen mug filled with barq's rootbeer.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited July 2015
    I live in Chicago, so I buy lots of frozen fish. No specific brand, although if you are worried about it find a vendor you trust--there's a fishmarket here I like, although supermarkets with decent selections are fine with me too, I've purchased from both TJ's and WF's among others (although be prepared to pay a lot at WF, of course).

    I grew up in part in Alaska, so I'm partial to wild caught salmon (and smoked salmon) and Alaskan halibut and also like Alaskan cod (much cheaper). Skate is one of my favorites, as is trout (somewhat local, even), which may be what I buy the most. Cod is usually inexpensive. Tuna steak isn't, but it's delicious. I could go on and on, but will stop.

    Years ago when I decided to get over my insecurity about preparing fish and learn more about it (we had it a lot when I was a kid, but my dad mostly cooked it and a lot of it was fresh caught or local) I got Mark Bittman's cookbook Fish and I highly recommend it as a good source of information on various types of fish and recipes and cooking tips.

    Here is information on the environmental stuff, if that's a concern and specifically on choosing seafood: http://www.fishwatch.gov/buying_seafood/choosing_quality.htm

    I also quite like tinned herrings and don't mind sardines, although I think of those as more of a side for breakfast or a snack than part of dinner.
  • newfutures
    newfutures Posts: 113 Member
    Rworthy wrote: »
    I want to incorporate more fish into my diet - being from the south I used to eat fish or seafood quite often; now I live in colorado and have fish about 1 time per year. Im sad and I miss it but am scared for several reasons...
    1) husband not to fond of certain types although he loves sushi tuna he hates the cooked type
    2) its expensive
    3) I live in colorado and worry about freshness - having to thaw it out takes prep time and sometimes id rather not bother....

    So...does anyone have any suggestions on how to feed fish to their family? And please dont say fishsticks....yuck.

    If you buy frozen - what brand/type do you eat that actually tastes good and fresh and is easy to thaw and prepare? (I'm not too into bones).

    What are some easy dishes/seasoning that you use?

    How to make a picky husband actually enjoy eating it?

    I like tilapia. you can bake it, fry it, steam it or poach it. doesn't matter how you make it because it always taste great. Its cost effective in the large bags of frozen filets. easy to prepare because they are individually wrapped and take less than 30 minutes to thaw. takes me about 5 to 10 minutes in the sink
  • Rworthy
    Rworthy Posts: 271 Member
    deceived1 wrote: »
    OP, do you like fish sticks?
    Lol
  • Rworthy
    Rworthy Posts: 271 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I live in Chicago, so I buy lots of frozen fish. No specific brand, although if you are worried about it find a vendor you trust--there's a fishmarket here I like, although supermarkets with decent selections are fine with me too, I've purchased from both TJ's and WF's among others (although be prepared to pay a lot at WF, of course).

    I grew up in part in Alaska, so I'm partial to wild caught salmon (and smoked salmon) and Alaskan halibut and also like Alaskan cod (much cheaper). Skate is one of my favorites, as is trout (somewhat local, even), which may be what I buy the most. Cod is usually inexpensive. Tuna steak isn't, but it's delicious. I could go on and on, but will stop.

    Years ago when I decided to get over my insecurity about preparing fish and learn more about it (we had it a lot when I was a kid, but my dad mostly cooked it and a lot of it was fresh caught or local) I got Mark Bittman's cookbook Fish and I highly recommend it as a good source of information on various types of fish and recipes and cooking tips.

    Here is information on the environmental stuff, if that's a concern and specifically on choosing seafood: http://www.fishwatch.gov/buying_seafood/choosing_quality.htm

    I also quite like tinned herrings and don't mind sardines, although I think of those as more of a side for breakfast or a snack than part of dinner.
    Thanks for the tips - Ill check out Mark Bittman. Im sure theres a website. Im getting hungry just talking about all those wonderful fishes! I can imagine your childhood in Alaska had the best fish in the world.
  • goaliesmate
    goaliesmate Posts: 49 Member
    Why are you thawing the fish before cooking - fish should be cooked from frozen.

    If you are saving too many calories to fry in batter then my favourite recipe is to steam it (use vegetable stock) over onion slices, butternut squash and tomato. I serve the fish-veg mixture over mashed potato or sweet potato and use any remaining stock to flavour a parsley sauce.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    Frozen fish is widely available. We buy it frequently when our favourites here on the west coast are out of season. not sure if you can get wild sockeye whole frozen in Colorado but here it's readily available much of the year. Oh so good. Must. have. some. soon.

    Cod (or other denser white fishes) steamed in a light broth of water, a little soy sauce, ginger, onions (often green onions). Usually make a vege stir fry to go with it, a little rice too.

    Canned fish can be good... if you can find canned wild sockeye salmon - yum. Have it all the time. Tuna too, but the salmon is fantastic.

    I care about what and where fish is caught too; I avoid farmed fish and fish from what I deem as questionable regions of the world.
  • carakirkey
    carakirkey Posts: 199 Member
    Salmon and trout I find tend to be the least 'fishy' and should be fresh (er) in Colorado. My favorite fish if you can find it- arctic char and steelhead trout.
    As for preparation- Parchment paper steam packets work excellent for fish, add herbs, citrus. 20min at 425
    We also love maple soy marinade for salmon and bbq. Its sweeter and great flavor maybe hubby would like that
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    I grew up on the East coast and am very fussy about where my fish comes from -- (fresh, frozen, or canned.)
    Also, I learned a lot about fish farming from a friend who used to run a Tilapia farm in the U.S. He fed and cared for his fish according to U.S. gov rules.
  • cat_lady77
    cat_lady77 Posts: 203 Member
    Trader Joe's had some kind of white fish (cod maybe?) that was SO amazing even though it was frozen. Just thawed it, dipped in mustard/mayo mixture, breadcrumbs, & baked it (I probably overcooked it but I like it more dry). I guess it depends on the type but this kind was nice & firm & didn't have a "fishy" taste. Maybe just try different kinds of fish & different ways of preparing?
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    edited July 2015
    Publix carries frozen mahi and we LOVE it. I watch their sales and when they run it for 6.99 a bag, I buy at least 10. It usually lasts until the next sale. Mahi is really the only fish I like. Except fried catfish! :wink:

    To add: Mahi is a very firm fish which I prefer. Can't do mushy. EW
  • Rworthy
    Rworthy Posts: 271 Member
    ****UPDATE****
    I did it! Haha. Frozen sockeye salmon fillets from Target. Easy peasy. Soak in water 30 minutes then follow instructions on the package. I broiled the fish for about 10 minutes. Voila. I will be cooking more fish from now on. 1 fillet is only 60 calories. Delicious!
  • Charliegottheruns
    Charliegottheruns Posts: 286 Member
    I live in Colorado, here's your solution.

    h64adi14x65e.gif
  • tdr82
    tdr82 Posts: 48 Member
    Catching your own fish is a good idea for fresh fish and it's great fun
  • Rworthy
    Rworthy Posts: 271 Member
    I live in Colorado, here's your solution.

    h64adi14x65e.gif
    So you gonna bring some of that to my house? Haha

    I never really considered actually catching a fish and eating it but I suppose I could...know of any good places to catch clean fish near Boulder?
    Also, how do you clean that?

  • jacque930
    jacque930 Posts: 122 Member
    Costco is a great place to purchase Frozen Tilapia or Salmon. I purchase mine there and have fish at least once a week. I will bake it in my oven or toaster oven. Sometimes will make a foil packet and put it on the grill. I find buying a couple spice blends that are geared towards fish help with flavoring. I found a couple at Penzey's spice store but I know you can find them at any grocery store. Also I have used a small amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to bake the fish in. A few ideas for flavoring. - Good luck!
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    I like the salmon with honey mustard glaze (also baked). I found lots of ways to prepare fish from allrecipes.com where you can find almost any type of cuisine or ingredient to work around. I've wrapped the fish in puff pastry, I've glazed it, I've marinaded it, and my husband has so far liked all of the ways I've found from the website. I'm a huge fish fan, but I can take simple and any type of fish. Hubby is a little more difficult to please and I found that if you like the ingredients (besides the fish), you might end of liking the finished product anyway. Have fun and good luck! :smiley:
  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    jacque930 wrote: »
    Costco is a great place to purchase Frozen Tilapia or Salmon. I purchase mine there and have fish at least once a week. I will bake it in my oven or toaster oven. Sometimes will make a foil packet and put it on the grill. I find buying a couple spice blends that are geared towards fish help with flavoring. I found a couple at Penzey's spice store but I know you can find them at any grocery store. Also I have used a small amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to bake the fish in. A few ideas for flavoring. - Good luck!

    Seconded. Costco and Sams sell huge servings of Salmon for pretty cheap (even in CO). My mom used to buy a whole slab and then divvy it out into meal-sized servings, freezing what she needed to. We ate salmon semi-regularly on a super-budget. That was pretty awesome.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    I fried a pound of tilapia crusted in my croutons and made fish tacos last night. Needed more croutons for more crunch. But still a decent attempt.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I live far from the ocean so all the non-stream fish we buy is frozen. Except for thick cuts or steak type fish, frozen fish can be put in the oven to bake while still frozen.

    Otherwise I put it in the fridge before I leave for work in the morning and it's thawed by the time I get home.

    I buy whatever brand is cheapest, which is usually the store brand. My grocery has a fish counter but nearly all the fish is previously frozen so I rarely bother with the thawed stuff. I prefer to buy frozen and thaw it myself so I know how long it's been thawed.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    I live in Colorado, here's your solution.

    h64adi14x65e.gif
    Dang, that's great. I've always wanted to go fishing or hunting.

  • carakirkey
    carakirkey Posts: 199 Member
    For those that want to fish- many areas offer "GoFish" programs that teach you how and provide the gear. They may be offered by government agencies, outdoor/fishing associations or even your local fishing gear store. Nothing beats a freshly caught fish:)
    @Rworthy cleaning the fish- slit the bottom, pull out the organs and can just stuff the fish cavity with seasonings like lemon or herbs. Cook it whole and the main spine bone will just pull out.


This discussion has been closed.