After returning from our vacation, down a few G's because of unexpected hurricane Irene expenses, we decided to stay thrifty for the week. We grocery shopped in our cupboards and pantry and tried to keep going-out expenses to a minimum.
Thanks to my dad and his hobby of fishing we had multiple whole frozen fish in our freezer. This was a Cod he had caught last year, so it's been cooling it's heels (fins!) in our freezer for quite some time.
Well, what better time to bring it out than when we had decided to keep our costs low!
I tossed it on a baking sheet and brushed it with a little bit of olive oil, sprinked it with plenty of salt, pepper, lemon seasoning and lemon juice and threw some onion rings and capers over it for good measure.
Well, what better time to bring it out than when we had decided to keep our costs low!
I tossed it on a baking sheet and brushed it with a little bit of olive oil, sprinked it with plenty of salt, pepper, lemon seasoning and lemon juice and threw some onion rings and capers over it for good measure.
It baked up in less than 30 minutes (flipped after 15) at 375 degrees.
I served it with cous cous on the side.
The cous cous (1/2 cup dry) was cooked in 1 cup vegetable broth (unsalted) + additional water added. I added some basil paste, some salt, pepper, lemon juice and Italian seasoning.
Seconds were had for the fish and the cous cous (by both of us!).
Actually I failed to be as decadent as I had planned on vacation and so decided to go full hog this weekend!
The cous cous (1/2 cup dry) was cooked in 1 cup vegetable broth (unsalted) + additional water added. I added some basil paste, some salt, pepper, lemon juice and Italian seasoning.
Seconds were had for the fish and the cous cous (by both of us!).
Actually I failed to be as decadent as I had planned on vacation and so decided to go full hog this weekend!
There was a LOT of fish made, so I had it for breakfast and lunch in various forms for about 3 days (it may be a while until I'm interested in cod again). I'd say I had it alone about half the time and with sides the other half
The fish made it's appearance next to a side of broccoli slaw (sold in most supermarkets and definitely super healthy, crunch and tasty!) dressed with balsamic vinegar.
The fish made it's appearance next to a side of broccoli slaw (sold in most supermarkets and definitely super healthy, crunch and tasty!) dressed with balsamic vinegar.
At the end, having only some little pieces left here and there, I decided to stick them into modified fish tacos. I had invested in some low fat/low cal Lavash bread at Fairway a few weeks ago and had frozen it. Unfortunately, it was a big low-fat failure! The bread is softer and more fragile than a warp, and at 100 calories barely gives any more actual volume. Fail.
These worked out well though. It's a little bit of lettuce, the fish on top and some Aji sauce (kind of like a spicy mustard) spread on the other side.
These worked out well though. It's a little bit of lettuce, the fish on top and some Aji sauce (kind of like a spicy mustard) spread on the other side.
A closeup:
Tips for white flaky fish (cod/halibt/sole/tilapia):
1) If you cook it on the bone like I did instead of fileting, expect it to be severely underseasoned (like mine was) and assume you will have to dress it up in a sauce or with a mustard or more salt. Unfortunately there is just no way to season the inside while it cooks. =(
2) This is not a fish that lends itself to rarity like tuna or salmon. Always cook all the way through until you can flake it with a fork.
3) This is the best fish to put inside of a fish taco/wrap etc.
4) White/flaky fish actually contain less calories and more protein than salmon, the commonly known "healthy fish". They do not, however, contain the same amount of omega-3 fatty acids, so that's worth noting.
Tips for white flaky fish (cod/halibt/sole/tilapia):
1) If you cook it on the bone like I did instead of fileting, expect it to be severely underseasoned (like mine was) and assume you will have to dress it up in a sauce or with a mustard or more salt. Unfortunately there is just no way to season the inside while it cooks. =(
2) This is not a fish that lends itself to rarity like tuna or salmon. Always cook all the way through until you can flake it with a fork.
3) This is the best fish to put inside of a fish taco/wrap etc.
4) White/flaky fish actually contain less calories and more protein than salmon, the commonly known "healthy fish". They do not, however, contain the same amount of omega-3 fatty acids, so that's worth noting.
And finally, one of the purchases I did make was a box of raspberries which were eaten both raw and with cereal. Why am I putting this up? Because this cereal is made with something I've just disovered (though I realize this is old hat for most): Slender Soy Vanilla Soy Milk.
Soy milk and skim milk actually carry similar amounts of vitamins (like A) and calcium, however, soy milk actually has more vitamin B12 and D. Regular skim milk has more protein. The big debate now is how soy affects our hormone functions because it does contain a compound known to mimic estrogen. Because many of the female reproductive tract cancers are fed by estrogen, there is a lot of scrutiny on soy as a carcinogenic substance. Furthermore, because it's generally quite modified from it's original genetic makeup and contains a high amount of pesticides, the speculation on whether or not soy is a healthy alternative to meat or dairy products has been making it's way to the public arena.
My interpretation? Honestly, if we were to stop eating/consuming/wearing/using any substance that was known or suspected to cause cancer, our lives would be very poor quality indeed. As a matter of fact, from a purely medical perspective, cancer is a disease of aging and the statistical probability that one cell will undergo just the right mutation to set off the process of cancer. That probability becomes higher as substances known to cause mutations are introduced into our bodies, but that's where moderation comes into play. If you are a vegetarian, it is better to consume soy to meet your body's protein requirements and take the potential risk than to avoid soy and most certainly develop a protein deficiency. If you are not a vegetarian, consume soy at low levels, just like you would consume red meat or fried food.
We risk cancer by living longer and living in a world where we don't have to hunt and gather our food or even use only food to provide us with the necessary nutrients our bodies require.
Ok, that was my rant! On to lighter fare: Does anyone else have a favorite thing they've made that got them a lot of mileage during the week? I'm always open to suggestions =)
I also made oatmeal-apple-cinnamon muffins this week, so I'll be blogging about that soon! They disapeared in 3 days and a second batch was requested, so there may be a comparison batch coming to pass too! I'm also considering making them in oatmeal bar form =)
xoxo
Jules
Soy milk and skim milk actually carry similar amounts of vitamins (like A) and calcium, however, soy milk actually has more vitamin B12 and D. Regular skim milk has more protein. The big debate now is how soy affects our hormone functions because it does contain a compound known to mimic estrogen. Because many of the female reproductive tract cancers are fed by estrogen, there is a lot of scrutiny on soy as a carcinogenic substance. Furthermore, because it's generally quite modified from it's original genetic makeup and contains a high amount of pesticides, the speculation on whether or not soy is a healthy alternative to meat or dairy products has been making it's way to the public arena.
My interpretation? Honestly, if we were to stop eating/consuming/wearing/using any substance that was known or suspected to cause cancer, our lives would be very poor quality indeed. As a matter of fact, from a purely medical perspective, cancer is a disease of aging and the statistical probability that one cell will undergo just the right mutation to set off the process of cancer. That probability becomes higher as substances known to cause mutations are introduced into our bodies, but that's where moderation comes into play. If you are a vegetarian, it is better to consume soy to meet your body's protein requirements and take the potential risk than to avoid soy and most certainly develop a protein deficiency. If you are not a vegetarian, consume soy at low levels, just like you would consume red meat or fried food.
We risk cancer by living longer and living in a world where we don't have to hunt and gather our food or even use only food to provide us with the necessary nutrients our bodies require.
Ok, that was my rant! On to lighter fare: Does anyone else have a favorite thing they've made that got them a lot of mileage during the week? I'm always open to suggestions =)
I also made oatmeal-apple-cinnamon muffins this week, so I'll be blogging about that soon! They disapeared in 3 days and a second batch was requested, so there may be a comparison batch coming to pass too! I'm also considering making them in oatmeal bar form =)
xoxo
Jules
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