Baked Fish Fillet Sandwiches

I’m so glad it’s Friday!!

Between going to school part time, and working part time, I’ve become busy full time! This probably seems like a fairly obvious observation, but it’s true nonetheless.
Yay Friday!

When I was kid, we sometimes went to McDonald’s. I’ve always hated their hamburgers, so when I was a kid, I would get their fish fillet sandwich. I thought it was pretty good, and it didn’t gross me out like their hamburgers did.

Fast forward to now. I haven’t been to McDonald’s in a loooong time (I generally try to avoid fast food), but I started thinking about those fish fillet sandwiches I used to get as a kid. I thought it would be fun to make, so last week I got some frozen cod fillets, and made Hisa and I baked fish fillet sandwiches for supper.

I didn’t want to fry them, so I prepared it the same as my baked fishsticks, except for cutting them into sticks, and then simply made them into sandwiches.

This is a very easy, straight forward recipe, so it’s good for a busy night, when you don’t have much time or you’re too exhausted to be bothered.

I recommend cod for this recipe, but any firm white fish will work fine.

Baked Fish Fillet Sandwiches

(serves 4)

• 4 sandwich size fillets of cod (as big or as little as you want)
• 1 – 2 c. flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 c. panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper
• tartar sauce
• 4 hamburger buns
• butter for buns
• sliced cheese (optional)
• lettuce (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Spray a cooking sheet with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Rinse and pat dry fish fillets.
3. Add the four, beaten egg, and panko individually to three small bowls. Dip each fish fillet, being sure to coat both sides, into the flour, the egg, and the panko, in that order. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake fish for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Spread butter on each hamburger bun half, then toast until buttered side is golden brown.
6. To assemble: spread tartar sauce on one or both hamburger buns. Place one fish fillet on bottom bun, then top with sliced cheese, lettuce, and the top bun. Serve.

 

 

 

 

Walnut Crusted Dijon Salmon

Wow. What a crazy week it’s been! This was my second week of school, and the first week of my new part-time job, so between the two, I’ve been busy full-time this week! I think I’m sort of kinda getting back in the groove of waking up at 6:30 am each morning (getting used to, but not liking). Fridays are the only day I don’t have any classes, so it’s a chance for me to catch up on things here at home (i.e. laundry, cleaning, making yogurt/bread, etc.).

I’m still really liking my classes, but man, three-hour classes are loooooong. I always kinda feel like my brain has died by the time they’re over. Still, I think I’m going to learn a lot, so I’m enjoying myself.

Let me back up a little though!
We had a lot of fun on Labor Day Weekend. Saturday, we went to Braozs Bend State Park to see…the alligators! Yes, the park is known for its large population of wild alligators that you can see roaming around the park. Neither of us had ever seen a wild alligator, so we went there to go on some of the trails and hopefully see alligators.

It was kinda funny, really, because there were signs everywhere with warnings about the alligators that said things like, “Stay at least 30 feet away from the alligators,” “Avoid areas of tall grass and gradual embankments as alligators are often in these areas”.

Now, the reason this is funny, is because the trail we went on was a gravel trail about 4 feet wide that was surrounded on either side by tall grass and gradual embankments into the water. We were never more than 8 feet away from the water, so we couldn’t very well avoid the tall grass areas and we sure couldn’t be 30 feet away from any alligators lurking nearby.

It was like high risk hiking. It was fun, but I was constantly checking for alligators, so I wouldn’t really say it was relaxing. I spotted 3 alligators on the trail, one of which was at least 10 feet long. One, I was taking a picture of the scenery, and when I looked down, there was an alligator in the water watching me. Freaky? Oh yeah. Freaky, but fun. I’m weird like that.

No, I won’t hurt you. Come closer my pretty…

Sunday, we rested at home mainly (that and grocery shopping), but Monday we went to Galveston to the beach and swam. I haven’t swam in the ocean since we were in Hawaii for our wedding, so I was excited. We took some food with us and swam for awhile, ate lunch, swam some more, got frozen yogurt at an Orange Leaf located conveniently right next to the beach, and then headed home. We weren’t there all afternoon or anything, but we were both exhausted by the time we got home.

Something about swimming in the ocean is very tiring. I suppose it’s all that getting pushed around by the waves. I managed to get sunburned despite being super diligent about wearing sunblock (What can I say, I have super fair skin), so now I have a funky bikini tan line. All part of summer, right? Be both had a great time though. I’m happy we were able to go to the beach and swim before the end of summer. Of course, here in Houston, the end of summer probably isn’t until, oh, maybe the end of October.
All in all, it was a great weekend!

I’m always on the lookout for new fish recipes. Especially non-complicated fish recipes. I like to keep it interesting, but simple. I got the idea for this recipe from pecan-crusted trout, which I love. I saw somewhere a recipe for walnut-crusted salmon, which I’d never heard of. I was intrigued by the idea of it though, so I created my own version, which turned out very nicely. I thought just a walnut crust would be a bit boring, so I coated the salmon in a simple honey-dijon sauce, then coated the top in a walnut and panko crust.

The result? Delicious. This is a very fast main dish to throw together, but looks and tastes like something from a fancy restaurant.

One tip: As salmon fillets come in different sizes and thicknesses, Cook your fillets 10 minutes per inch of thickness. It they’re only an inch thick or less, 10 minutes should be plenty. It they’re thicker, adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Walnut Crusted Dijon Salmon

(serves 4)

• 4 individual size salmon fillets
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
• 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter
• salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 400° F. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray.
2. Rinse and pat salmon fillets dry. Place on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a plastic ziplock bag, add chopped walnuts, panko, and parsley. Seal bag and shake for several seconds.
4. In a small bowl, combine mustard, honey, and melted butter, and mix until smooth.
5. Pour mustard mixture over the tops of the salmon fillets. Use a spoon to spread it around evenly. Carefully spoon bread crumb mixture on top of fillets until covered. Gently press down on crumb mixture to prevent it from falling off.
6. Bake fillets 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until cooked through and walnut crust is golden brown.

 

Grilled Fish Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Cream Sauce

I don’t remember the first time I had fish tacos. I guess it was probably a few years ago when they first started becoming popular.

I’ve always loved fish though, so I thought they were a great idea from the get go.

Making fish tacos myself, however, is a more recent thing. I think the first time I made them was probably a year or so ago.

As I’ve said before, I don’t like deep frying things, so I usually bake, pan fry, or grill my fish (much like my homemade fish sticks).

My fish tacos are the same. For these I pan fried the fish, but you could also grill it. They’re fast and delicious either way. The avocado cream sauce is also very easy. Just throw everything in a food processor, whiz it, and you’re good to go.
You can use pretty much any kind of white fish you like for these. Heck, you could probably even use a none-white fish, such as salmon, for these. I’ve never tried it, but it’d probably work fine.

Okay, first, mix the spice rub for your fish. It consists of cumin, chili powder, coriander, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

 

Rinse and pat dry your fish fillets. Make sure you get boneless skinless fillets. Picking bones out of your fish tacos is not fun. I know, because I’ve done it. One word: messy.
Place the fillets on a baking sheet. Rub the spice rub all over both sides of the fillets. Let them set for a few minutes while you heat up your skillet/grill/oven.

 

Meanwhile, add a peeled, deseeded avocado, plain yogurt, a little mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, a little honey, and a little onion powder to your food processor. Process until smooth and lovely.

 

See? Lovely.

 

Pan fry, grill, or bake your fish fillets until flakey. I pan fried mine in a little olive oil. Delicious.

 

Chop the fish fillets up however small you want them, and serve it with the avocado cream sauce, cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage), fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice or lime wedges, shredded cheese, and warmed flour or corn tortillas.

 

We had corn and flour tortillas, because my dad prefers corn tortillas and I prefer flour tortillas. Even with enchiladas I prefer flour tortillas, which some people might think is sacrilege. I say, eat whichever you like. That’s just how I roll. Viva la flour tortillas! 🙂

Grilled Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce

(serves 4)

• About 16 oz. boneless skinless fillets of white fish
• 2 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. dried coriander
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

for the avocado cream sauce:

• 1 avocado, peeled and de-seeded
• 1/3 c. plain yogurt
• 2 tsp. mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 c. chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1/8 tsp. onion powder

to serve:

• corn or flour tortillas
• cole slaw mix
• fresh cilantro
• shredded cheese
• lime wedges or fresh lime juice

1. Mix the cumin, chili powder, coriander, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
2. Rinse and pat fish fillets dry, and place on a baking sheet or large plate. Rub the spice mixture into both sides of fillets. Set aside and begin heating a skillet with olive oil over medium high heat (if pan frying), or a grill set on medium.
3. In a food processor, add avocado, yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, honey, and onion powder. Process until smooth. Pour into a small serving bowl.
4. Fry or grill fish fillets, turning them over once while cooking, until cooked through and flakey.
5. Heat up tortillas on the stove or grill.
6. To serve, place some fish, avocado cream sauce, shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, and shredded cheese (optional), all in a warm tortilla. Squeeze some fresh lime juice over if desired, and eat.

Baked Fish Sticks and Tartar Sauce

I loved fish sticks when I was a kid.

I think a lot of kids do. It seems to be one of the few fish dishes most kids will eat. I suppose because they don’t really taste fishy, and you get to eat them with ketchup and/or mayonnaise (at least that’s what we always ate them with).

I know my mom loved them too, because they were easy to make (just pop them out of the freezer and onto a baking sheet, and bake them for a few minutes), and they were something my two brothers and I all liked, which was a rare thing. We all had different foods we liked and hated, and they didn’t often correspond.

I hadn’t had fish sticks in years, but recently I was craving them for whatever reason.

I didn’t want to buy the traditional frozen fish sticks that had been fried, and had who knows what all in them, so I decided to make some homemade fish sticks.

I love baking traditionally deep fried foods as a healthier alternative. The main reason is of course that it’s, well, healthier. The other big reason, however, is that deep frying things freaks me out.

It’s true. Something about the large pot/fryer full of ridiculously hot oil freaks me out. I think I’m always going to get the oil too hot, set off the smoke alarm, burn the house down, and/or splash scalding oil on me or someone else. It’s a frightening thing.

I’m not entirely sure, but I think the reason for my fear of deep frying might be related to the fact that the last time I tried to deep fry anything, I got the oil too hot, smoke filled the kitchen, and I almost set the smoke alarm off… but I could be wrong.

They’re quite easy to make, really. Of course they’re not as easy as their frozen counterparts, but they’re sure a lot better for you!

To begin with, you need about 15 – 18 oz. of a firm white fish. I recommend cod fillets. It’s perfect for fish sticks. Make sure they’re boneless, or you’ll have a heck of a time eating them.

Cut the fish into small, fish stick size pieces.

Get three small bowls. Fill one with four, one with a beaten egg or two, and one with bread crumbs (I like panko, but that’s just my personal preference).

Dip each piece of fish into the flour, the egg, and then the bread crumbs. Try and get all sides of the fish well coated. Place the fish pieces on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake the fish for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and lovely. Like so.
You can bake several batches of these ahead of time, let them cool completely, and then freeze them in large freezer bags. Whenever you want some fish sticks, just pop them in the oven or toaster for a few minutes, and they’re ready!

If you want some homemade tartar sauce to go with your wonderful fish sticks, here’s what you’ll need: Mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, dijon mustard (or normal mustard), capers, onion powder, and salt and pepper.

Mix them all together (amounts listed below), and you have some fast, wonderful tartar sauce!

Mmmmm, it’s like the food from my childhood, but better! I served my fish sticks with boiled fingerling potatoes, succotash, and a couple pieces of some local spicy cheddar cheese. Wonderful.

Baked Fish Sticks

(serves 4 – 5)

• 15 – 18 oz. boneless skinless cod fillets
• 1 c. unbleached flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 c. panko bread crumbs
• salt and pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F (200° C).
2. Cut the fish fillets into fish stick size pieces.
3. Add the flour, egg, and bread crumbs, each to individual small bowls. Add a dash of salt and pepper to the flour and mix well.
4. Dip each fish piece into the flour, egg, and then bread crumbs, respectively. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until fish turns golden brown.

 

Tartar Sauce

(serves 4 – 5)

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 4 tsp. dill pickle relish
• 4 tsp. capers, diced

Mix everything in a bowl and serve.

 

Menu Plan Monday for Feb. 20 – 26

I’m running a bit behind today, so I’ll be brief.

Here’s this week’s menu plan….
(that was pretty brief, wasn’t it?)

Minestrone soup

Chijimi (Korean savory seafood pancakes)

Mexican burger burritos

 

Menu Plan for February 20 – 26:

Mon: Pinto beans and cornbread (good old fashioned food! At least, in this area it is!)

Tues: Minestrone soup and fresh bread

Wed: Mexican burger burritos

Thurs: Kimchi chigae (spicy kimchi and tofu stew) and chijimi (savory seafood and onion pancakes)

Fri: (eating out)

Sat: Fish chowder and plain scones (it may seem an odd combination, but it’s great! Trust me!)

Sun: Roast chicken with baked sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts