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3.8 min readPublished On: September 29, 2023

Hooked on Fish: A Fin-tastic Recipe

A fin-tastic recipe to end the week. 

Whether for Lent, or other religious reasons to remove meat from your diet, or if you simply have the taste for it, Friday means ending the week by sitting down to enjoy a crispy piece (or two, or three) of delicious fried fish … unless you have health restrictions or concerns deeming fried foods unhealthy. 

If that is the case, you can set those concerns aside with the recipes below. They will not only cut calories and fat, but are easy to prepare, as well. 

Eat Fit Not Fat Fish ‘N’ Chips

1 large lemon

1 1/2 tsp. oregano (1.5 grams)

2 Tbsp. smoked paprika (15 grams)

1 tsp. cracked black pepper (3 grams)

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (1 gram)

1 tsp. parsley (1.5 grams)

1 Tbsp. granulated onion (7 grams)

1 tsp. granulated garlic (3.5 grams)

1/2 tsp. dehydrated lemon zest (3 grams). Substitute lemon pepper.

2 tsp. pink sea salt (21 grams)

yield 4 1/2 tablespoons (2 servings )

¼ cup greek yogurt (54 grams)

¼ tsp. chopped drained and rinsed capers (3 grams)

½ tsp. minced green onion (3 grams)

1/8 tsp. fresh red chile (2.0 grams). Optional.

¼ tsp. minced lemon zest (1 gram)

½ tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley (3 grams)

¼ tsp. seasoning blend (1 gram)

1 Tbsp. finely chopped pickle, or pick relish (4 grams)

Chop up capers, leaving some texture for the finished product. Add minced green onions, minced lemon zest, chopped parsley, and chopped pickles with seasoning blend and the rest of the ingredients until uniform. 

Peel outer skin of one large lemon and let air dry for two to three days. Put into a spice grinder and grind till medium coarse texture. Add all the other ingredients and store in a cool dry place in a sealed container. Can also use on other fish, chicken, poultry, and vegetable dishes. 

Healthy Slaw

2 cups finely julienned cabbage (120 grams)

½ cup grated carrots. Use big eye on box grater (35 grams)

¾ cup julienned red bell peppers (45 grams)

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (11 grams)

1 Tbsp. agave (10 grams)

½ tsp. lemon juice (3 grams)

1/8 tsp. finely grated ginger (2.5 grams)

¼ tsp. chopped cilantro (1.2 grams)

1/8 tsp. seasoning blend (1.5 grams) 

1 Tbsp. greek yogurt (15 grams)

Julienne cabbage and red bell pepper after removing the rib from the pepper. Peel a medium carrot and grate on the big eye of the box grater. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and toss with the vegetables. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Sweet Potato Fries

1 ¼ cup warm water (560 grams) 

2 Tbsp. pink sea salt (30 grams)

olive oil spray (2.0 grams) 

½ tsp. minced garlic 

minced parsley for garnish

(yield 2 approximate ½ cup servings or 4 oz. each)

Peel one large, sweet potato and then cut into 1 ½” by ¼” sticks. Add to a 32 oz. mason jar, cover with warm water and add salt. Seal and shake to dissolve salt. Leave in brine for 30 minutes to up to 24 hours maximum. Remove and rinse. Lay on a rack and let air dry before lightly spraying with extra virgin olive oil. Bake in a preheated convection oven 425 F. for 25 minutes. Remove and toss with minced garlic and chopped parsley while hot.

Tip: You can use a standard household 16 oz. liquid spray bottle or the one I use which can be found on Amazon.

Breading

1 cup fine corn meal (70 grams)

2 tsp. corn starch (7.4 grams)

3 tsp. seasoning blend (10 grams)

1 egg white 

2 tsp.  warm water

2 grams olive oil spritz

6 pcs. cod 

Cut fresh cod into 1 ½” wide to 3-4” long pieces. Weight should be 1 ½ oz. per filet. If using frozen cod, press out excessive water. Lightly season the filets with seasoning blend. Dip in the egg white mixture and shake off excess. Add to dry breading and press into the fish on both sides. Lay fish on a rack positioned over a baking sheet. Repeat for all 6 filets. Spray tops of filets with extra virgin olive oil. Pre heat oven to 375 F. and put in oven positioned in a rack ¾ high in the oven. Bake 18-20 minutes and check internal temperature till it reaches 165 F. 

Original Recipe Health Facts:

6 oz. cod fried and battered

240 calories 

17.3 grams total fat

5 oz. chips (fries) fried

295 calories

11.9 grams fat

1/2 cup coleslaw 

145 calories

10 grams fat

2 tbsp. tartar sauce 

140 calories 

15 grams total fat

820 total calories

54.2 grams total fat

Healthy Version Health Facts:

6 oz. cod 

(Three 1.5 oz. filets breaded in cornmeal breading)

266 total calories

2 grams total fat

Sweet fries 

(One 4 oz. serving finished in minced garlic and chopped parsley)

190 calories

Total fat 2.3 grams

Coleslaw 

(¾ cup per serving)

41 calories 

Less than 1 gram total fat

Tartar sauce 

(serving size 2 1/4 tablespoons )

22 calories

Less than 1 gram total fat

519 calories

6.3 grams total fat

Total Savings

301 calories

47.9 grams total fat

About the Author: Louis Santiago

Louis Santiago is the chef and owner of Chef’s Concept Kitchen, located at Ageless Beauty Med Spa in Leesburg. He has been in the culinary field since 1997 and in the community since 2000. He worked for the Morse family of The Villages®, opening numerous country clubs for them, most notably Cane Garden Country Club, where he was chef for more than 14 years.

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