Fast and Flavourful Fish!

We all know fish is a healthy food, but many people feel a bit intimidated in the kitchen when it comes to cooking it. Cooking fish does not have to be daunting! Here are some of our favorite preparations, going from the very easiest, to just a little more complex. All are ready in thirty minutes or less!

Simple Steamed Fish

Ideal for 1-2 portions.

Choose fish fillets of uniform thickness so they cook at the same rate.

Place a couple leaves of lettuce or any other green in the bottom of a stainless steel or bamboo steamer basket. The bamboo ones are cheap and accessible at Asian markets. The greens prevent the fish scales from sticking to the steamer, making clean-up much easier.

Get the water below your steamer boiling. Season your fillets with your choice of flavouring. Some nice combinations are: lemon and thyme or dill; ginger, garlic and soy sauce; or herbes de Provence with a dash of olive oil. A pinch of salt and pepper is always good. You can nestle some veggies along-side, like baby bok choy or asparagus spears for a one-pot meal.

Place the basket above the simmering water, cover and steam for 10 minutes, or until the fish is opaque in the middle. Voila! Moist and tender fish.

White Fish Vera Cruz Style

Choose any white fish you prefer, like haddock, cod, or halibut. Place your fish on top of a piece of parchment paper big enough to wrap the fish.

Season your fish with a combination of salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Squeeze some lemon or lime over the fillets.

Now chop up your vegetable topping, which will steam with your fish and create a kind of tasty salsa: One small onion, 1 jalapeno, 2 tomatoes, one clove of garlic, a handful of green olives and a large spoonful of capers. Dice these into small bits.

Place everything on top of the fish and wrap it up well with the parchment paper. If you are baking it in the oven, you can pop it in as is, but if you would like to cook it on the BBQ, you should wrap the package up in an additional layer of tin foil.

Roast the fish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or on a medium hot grill for about the same amount of time, depending on the thickness of your fish fillets. Delicious served with avocado, lime and rice.

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Easy enough for a weeknight, fancy enough for guests!

Choose four nice salmon fillets, and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Coat the fish with a mixture of 6 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 4 tablespoons of maple syrup. 

Place one cup of crushed or chopped pistachios onto a plate and dip your salmon into the nuts, coating all sides and pressing the pistachios into the flesh of the fish. The mustard/maple syrup mixture will help the nuts to stick.

Now place the fish fillets into an oven-proof baking dish and roast in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Everyone seems to love this combination!