I know! More fish.

I have been considering the types of foods that are easier for me to eat lately and found that fish and other seafoods are easy to cook, infinitely modifiable and easy to eat. They fill our need for spicy, or hot, or savory foods and can be made quickly. I know! I know! I am pushing the envelope a bit with the fish recipes, but they meet all my requirements for bariatric eating with high levels of proteins, simple preparation and excellent market choices. One hint, always smell the fish when you buy it. It should NOT smell fishy. If it does don't buy it. Keep it cool on the trip home and rinse the fish and dry it well before using it.


Baked Fish fillets
This basic recipe is a favorite of mine in that I have used many different species of fish and a number of different combinations of moist coatings and dry crumb mixtures and all of them come out great. Do not overcook the fish but it will be easy to tell when it is done as it starts to gently flake apart. Often people who don’t like fish will eat these dishes with gusto.

Fish selection (for four servings)
4- 4 ounces fish fillets (Tilapia, rockfish, perch, halibut, swordfish, bass, redfish or any of the flounder fillets or other white meat fish)
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees

Options:

Ranch
1 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup Parmesano Reggiano cheese
2 cups dried bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes
1 pinch salt1 pinch black pepper
½ cup melted butter

If using corn flakes, grind up into crumbs. Mix Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper in with the corn flake or bread crumbs. Roll the fillets in the ranch dressing (both sides). Coat fish with the crumb mix evenly. Place in a baking pan. Drizzle a bit of melted butter over each fillet. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.

Barbecue
1 cup barbecue sauce (use whatever bottled brand you like)
2 cup crushed barbecue potato chips
1 pinch black pepper
½ cup melted butter

Roll the fillets in the barbecue sauce (both sides). Coat fish with the potato chip crumbs evenly. Place in a baking pan. Sprinkle with pepper. Drizzle a bit of melted butter over each fillet. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.

Italian
1 cup Italian dressing (the bottled brand you like)
1/2 cup Parmesano Reggiano cheese
2 cups dried seasoned Italian bread crumbs
Black pepper
½ cup melted butter

Mix the Parmesan cheese with the bread crumbs. Roll the fillets in the dressing (both sides). Coat fish with the crumb mix evenly. Place in a baking pan. Sprinkle with black pepper. Drizzle a bit of melted butter over each fillet. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.

Blue cheese or Roquefort
1 cup Blue cheese or Roquefort dressing (the bottled brand you like)
2 cups dried seasoned Italian bread crumbs
Black pepper
½ cup melted butter

Roll the fillets in the dressing (both sides). Coat fish with the crumb mix evenly. Place in a baking pan. Sprinkle with black pepper. Drizzle a bit of melted butter over each fillet. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.

This recipe can be made with a wide variety of dressings and coatings, but is always received well at the table. Use your imagination to create new combinations. The fish market now has many species of fish fillets that are appropriate for this dish. However salmon, trout, and other species of oily fish may not be appropriate for this method.

I really like the barbecue sauce version. Its spicy (use a hot barbecue sauce) and when served with baked beans, coleslaw and some corn bread makes a great southern dinner. Of course I can't eat too much of the beans, coleslaw, or cornbread but a bite or two provides me what I need, my eight bites.