Part of my new year’s resolutions (which I didn’t really make, but you know how it is) is to change my cooking habits. Specifically, I want my family to eat more fish. Now, I use the words “my cooking habits” loosely as my husband tends to do the lion’s share of meal preparation and execution. However, I do 100% of the grocery shopping, so I dictate, unless my husband puts in a supply request, the content of the meals.
We live in Vancouver, where fresh fish is in ready supply, both in the grocery store, or one of the easy-to-find fish markets around the lower mainland. My problem is not finding the fish. My problem is staring at all the choices trying to figure out which one to buy. In our house, we boycott farmed salmon both for texture, taste and environmental reasons. However, when faced with all the different types in one place, I forget which choices are environmentally sustainable, and which mark the endangered species list.
This weekend, I sat down to do a little research. (It’s okay to start your New Year’s resolutions mid January, I’ve decided.) I found a very useful site published by Greenpeace UK which explains both which fish not to buy and the reasons for it. I notice that they didn’t mention mercury levels in tuna. Perhaps not an environmental reason, but I would add this as a health reason not to eat tuna in any measurable quantity.
Even restaurants are feeling the pressure to serve environmentally friendly options. C restaurant, arguably the premier seafood restaurant in Vancouver, offers only environmentally sustainable options. There is a little card at each table highlighting the reasons for their offerings. If you’re ever in Vancouver, I highly recommend checking it out!
But for those of you at home, here is my all time, easy peasy fish recipe which David loves. It’s from Donna Hay’s New Food Fast cookbook. She uses this for chicken, but it works for fish too. Use a firm white fish (sole, talapia, etc), thawed or fresh.
2-4 fillets of a firm white fish
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
cracked black pepper
2 tbsp oil
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 tbsp shredded basil
balsamic vinegar and olive oil to serve
Dip the fish into egg white and then press into pepper/parmesan mixture.
Heat the oil over med-high head and add fish. Cook 1-2 minutes each side until golden.
Drizzle tomato and basil with olive oil and vinegar. Place fish fillets on top.
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