Fish is a great source of protein and fatty acids that your body needs. Of course, you have to watch what kind of fish you eat and how much due to the levels of mercury that fish might contain. Use this guide to choose the safest types of fish and learn quick, simple cooking methods.
What to Eat
Don't eat while pregnant: sushi, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.
Eat twice a week (12 oz), total, while pregnant (any single kind or any combination for 12 ounces total fish consumption per week): tilapia, butterfish, shrimp, crab, cod, clams, scallops, canned light tuna (note: Albacore tuna contains more mercury; eat only 6 oz. per week), canned salmon, pollock, and catfish, anchovies, flounder, haddock, herring, mackerel, oyster, wild-caught salmon (farmed can contain icky chemicals), sardines, squid, trout, whitefish, whiting.
More information here and here .

Quick and Easy Cooking
Fish preparation isn't difficult. The basic method is this:
1. Thaw (if frozen)
2. Season (dry or wet, marinate or just as you cook)
3. Broil, Bake, or Grill
Thaw: only if your fillets are frozen. Rinse off once thawed. If not frozen, simply let the fish set at room temperature for a few minutes, rinse, and proceed.
Season: use any combination of herbs and spices, sauces and condiments. Use dry seasoning by simply coating both sides of the fish. Use wet seasoning by coating the fish and basting while it cooks. For wet-dry combinations, mix the seasonings first and then apply to the fish. For the ultimate in an easy dinner, toss your fish and the seasonings into a big ziploc bag, seal, shake, and leave in the refrigerator to marinate. When you're ready to cook dinner, pull it out, dump it in the pan, and cook it.
Cook: Broiling is the quickest, easiest method for thinner filets. Baking works well for thicker filets or whole fish. And grilling is wonderful when you just want to sit on the deck and sip a lemonade while your husband flips the fishies.
To broil: Preheat the oven on broil. Grease a metal cookie sheet or baking tray (it should have sides) with olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, or cooking spray. Lay the filets in a single row on the tray. Broil for ten minutes per inch of thickness. Flip and baste halfway through cooking.
To bake: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking dish with olive oil, vegetable oil, butter, or cooking spray. Lay the filets in a single row in the dish. Bake for ten minutes per inch of thickness. It's usually not necessary to flip. Baste halfway through cooking, if you'd like. Test for doneness by flaking a thick piece; the meat should be white (opaque) all the way through. If it's not, cook another three minutes and check again.
To grill: Start the charcoal or turn up the flame. Use a grilling basket or doubled-up piece of foil for the more delicate fish. Grease the basket, foil, or grill rack. Cook for ten minutes per inch of thickness. Baste throughout the grilling. Test for doneness as with baked fish.
Images courtesy of savory.recipes, woodleywonderworks , and adactio .
|