Healthy version of Friday Fish Fry
Fish Fry’s are available all over the place this time of year but it can be hard to find a healthy version of Friday Fish Fry. Right now, we are observing Lent – which is the time leading up to Easter Sunday. Catholics give up meat on Friday’s and tend to eat vegetarian dishes (like my Quick and Easy Kale and Feta Pasta) and we love Fish Fry’s on Friday nights!
Fish Fry’s not only help raise money for the church, they give church members an opportunity to chat and get to know each other better. Fish Fry menu items are typically delicious but they are not the healthiest. I sure love a good Fish Fry and make sure I attend a few times – but not every Friday.
Instead of giving up candy for Lent this year, I am trying something new. I am trying to be more present, more patient and less perfect. Yes, less perfect. I am trying to give myself some grace and SLOW DOWN. I plan to spend more time reading and getting to bed earlier.
I also want to take a look at this book that covers many topics that can be explored over Lent including anger, truth-telling, people-pleasing, our digital tongues online, and gossip. I guess there are more than 3,500 verses in the Bible that relate to our words and our silence. Interesting, right? The author takes a deeper look and offers practical how-to’s that will inspire you use your words to build, to bless, to encourage, and to praise. It is by Karen Ehman and it is called “Zip It.”
Some Fridays, I try to make my own healthier version and give a little extra donation to the church on Sunday instead. Check out my recipe below for a sweet coconut fish that is absolutely delicious! We love the added crunch and texture of the coconut on this fish. You could also use Panko breadcrumbs if you can tolerate wheat.
- 1 pound fresh cod, cut into desired portions
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut
- salt and pepper to taste
- coconut oil for frying
- In one bowl, put the beaten eggs and coconut milk. In another bowl, mix together the coconut flour, coconut, salt and pepper.
- Dip each fish portion in egg mixture and then flour mixture. Set aside.
- Prepare your pan for frying by adding oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the fish. Work in batches if needed.
- Cook for a couple minutes on each side. You can tell when to turn the pieces as the coconut will turn a nice brown color.
- I served mine with a simple quinoa and veggie salad.
Below are my tips to making fish fries healthier:
- Cook on the stove top with a healthier oil like olive oil or coconut oil. Avoid deep fried fish if possible. Not only is deep fried fish full of extra calories, most restaurants use cheap oil which is not good for you.
- Make Horseradish Kale Salmon Patties. You can add loads and loads of healthy food into them. You can make them ahead of time and just warm them up for dinner. So easy!
- Use fresh citrus juice and vinegar to add flavor instead of fatty sauces, ketchup or cheese.
- Skip the bun and eat your fish on a salad instead. This saves tons of calories and balances the fried fish with loads of veggies and fiber.
- Share your fish sandwich with your spouse instead of ordering your own. Get a few bites to satisfy that craving but fill up with clear broth soups, veggies, and salad.
- Eat some nuts and seeds before you go to the fish fry. Fill up on some protein and be satisfied with a few bites from the fish fry.
- Remember Lent is a time of fasting. Just because we are eating fish and giving up meat doesn’t give us an excuse to overeat on fried fish and fries.
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