Pizza fish

My grandfather was a Gloucester fisherman. I remember that he used to get haddock fresh off the docks, freeze it in portions, and fly it down when he'd visit us in Maryland. We always had a stash of fish in the freezer, thanks to him.

 

My mom invented pizza fish, thinking it sounded more appealing to kids than plain baked fish. Fish IS nutritious but can be a tough sell to kids unless fish sticks are on the menu. I remember that pizza fish was a special dinner in our family, so I recreated it for my family.

 

It all starts with mom's homemade pizza sauce (feel free to use it on traditional pizza, too!). I took thin filets of white fish (although mom used to use thicker filets in a baking dish and it worked really well), cut each filet in half and topped each portion with pizza sauce. I baked the fish at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes until the fish was cooked through -- bake longer if you use thicker filets. Then I added part-skim mozzerella and baked the fish for another couple of minutes. It was easy and delicious!

 

Pizza Sauce

 

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft.
2. Add tomatoes, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and gently simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes.
3. This makes enough sauce for 2-3 large pizzas. I used about half of the recipe to make pizza fish, which I sauced pretty generously.

Today's tip: Serving fish but the family wants pizza? Try pizza fish!

Fish -- take two

Ok, time to try fish again! I breaded filet of sole to become “fish schnitzel.” Traditionally, schnitzel is served in Austria as breaded and fried veal with lemon slices, but other meats are used as well. It's such a fun name that we call any crispy meat cutlet (or fish) schnitzel – and more of it gets eaten! (I apologize to any Austrian people we may offend.)

I took sole filets and dredged them in whole wheat flour, beaten eggs, and seasoned panko crumbs. I went all out with the three-step breading process to make for crispy crunchy fish. I pan-seared them in a bit of olive oil and served the fish with lemon wedges, summer veggies and fruit.

The kids loved squirting lemon juice on their fish (and veggies, and fruit) and tried it after hearing how crunchy it was when I bit into it. They love to bite into crunchy things and see if I can hear them from across the table.

Between the breading and oil this is a higher calorie way to serve fish, but it was so delicious! I balanced the heavier fish by serving it with farm fresh veggies and fruit for a well-rounded meal.

Today's tip: Try making schnitzel using fish, beef, pork, or chicken cutlets.

Kid Superfood: Salmon

I have a confession to make: I don't cook seafood very often. Lately I realized this means the kids are hardly exposed to seafood. Since I know how healthful it is, I often order seafood in restaurants. How do I expect my children to like it if they never get a chance to try it? As the last of the ten Superfoods for Kids, I was determined to cook up salmon for my family.

Many types of fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids that increase good cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and lower the risk of developing heart disease. Fish with a higher fat content like salmon, tuna, and mackerel have the highest amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. Other sources include walnuts, canola or soybean oil, and flaxseed.

I found Trader Joe's Premium Salmon Patties and thought they looked like a good first introduction to salmon for the kids. The patties are hamburger-shaped and kid friendly and contain no additives -- just salmon. I brought them home and excitedly cooked them up for lunch.

I served the salmon burgers on hamburger rolls with lettuce and a choice of ketchup or a sauce I made from low-fat Greek yogurt (another superfood!) mixed with chopped basil (and another!), lemon zest and juice, and salt/pepper. It was no surprise that the kids opted for ketchup. The picture is of my burger with the yogurt sauce.

I think salmon is delicious but I also understand that it has a strong fish flavor. The kids took tentative bites, then decided they didn't want to finish the burgers. I'm so proud they tried something new. Keep in mind that it can take MANY introductions before children accept a new food, so this was a good first step. I thought the burgers were delicious and will definitely serve them again soon, along with other types of seafood.

How do you serve salmon (or any other fish) to your children?

Today's tip: Serve something new – it may be an instant hit or take several tries to become a winner.

Ten superfoods for kids

An article in the June issue of Parenting magazine lists ten kid superfoods. While there are LOTS of healthy foods to serve your family, these ten pack the maximum amount of nutrition into each bite. There are many lists out there, but I really like these picks for kids.

blueberries

cocoa

tomatoes

tofu

low-fat Greek yogurt

cinnamon

cabbage

basil

black beans

salmon

Including these superfoods in your family's meals and snacks when possible guarantees an infusion of antioxidants, calcium, or protein for great health.

I'm planning to spend my next blog posts exploring each superfood – I'll let you know how I serve them to my family! Stay tuned.