Catfish

[MarciaTJ]

Anyone have any ideas on how to fix a great piece of catfish?

Thanks
Marcia

[Ohioan]

Hi, MarciaTJ, try one of these:

Spicy Skillet Catfish

Serving Size : 2

2 catfish fillets
1 1/2 Tbsps lemon juice
1/3 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp paprika
1/3 tsp onion powder
1/3 tsp garlic powder
1 dash white pepper
1 dash ground red pepper
1 dash dried oregano
1 dash dried thyme
1 dash dry mustard
1 tsp skim milk
2 tsps oil

Rinse fillets and pat dry. Place in a shallow dish. Combine lemon juice and Tabasco sauce and pour over fillets. Cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes. Combine paprika, onion and garlic powders, white and red peppers, oregano, thyme, and mustard. Remove fillets from marinade, brush with skim milk, and dredge in seasoning mixture. Heat oil in nonstick skillet and cook fillets, uncovered, 3 minutes on each side or until browned and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Source: "Cooking Light Cookbook 1989"

Per serving: 203 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat; (41% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 92mg Cholesterol; 74mg Sodium


Catfish Stew

Serving Size : 2

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
1 15-oz can tomatoes -- undrained and chopped
1 medium red potato -- peeled and diced
1/2 large onion -- chopped
1/2 green pepper -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 dash salt
1/2 dash pepper
1/2 lb catfish fillet -- cut in 1" pieces
2 Tbsps catsup
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Combine first 9 ingredients (through green pepper) in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1-1/2 hours. Add catfish, cover, and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Stir in catsup and lemon juice, and cook until thoroughly heated.

Source: "Cooking Light Cookbook 1989"

Per serving: 257 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (15% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 66mg Cholesterol; 386mg Sodium

[lorilei]

Catfish are also very good grilled.

You can coat the fish in cajun seasonings (if you're in the mood for spicey) or just a bit of lemon and grill on an outdoor grill just until beginning to flake.

It's fast, and no recipe is required http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Abby]

Splurge and deep fry them! Throw a few hush puppies in and some french fries and some green tomato relish; some fried dill pickles would be good, too. Now that is a feast! I'm a southern girl and could hardly bare to eat them any other way!

[Gail]

Here are another couple of recent CL recipes for catfish:


CAJUN CATFISH WRAPS WITH SLAW

This crispy, spicy catfish makes the perfect companion to the vegetable crunch of the mellow cabbage slaw.

SLAW:
3 1/2 cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar

WRAPS:
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 (6 ounce) farm-raised catfish fillets
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
4 (8 inch) fat-free flour tortillas

1. To prepare to slaw, combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill.
2. To prepare the wraps, combine flour and the next 7 ingredients (flour through red pepper) in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour mixture. Dredge fillets in flour mixture. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets, sauté 5 minutes. Turn fillets over, cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
3. Heat the tortillas according to package instructions. Cut each catfish fillet lengthwise into 4 pieces. Arrange 4 fillet pieces on each tortilla, top each serving with about 3/4 cup slaw, and roll up. Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 wrap)

CALORIES 397 (27% from fat); FAT 11.7g (sat 3.7g, mono 3.9g, poly 2.7g); PROTEIN 35.6g; CARB 36.6g; FIBER 3g; CHOL 108mg; IRON 4.7mg; SODIUM 918mg; CALC 126mg.

CREOLE CATFISH WITH VIDALIA-OLIVE RELISH

A intriguing blend of spices add character to these catfish fillets. while the relish-- a balance of tangy olives and sweet onions-- makes the perfect finishing touch.

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped pitted green olives
2 tablespoons chopped pitted katamata olives
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoons dried thyme, divided
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 (6 ounce) farm-raised catfish fillets
Cooking spray

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, sauté 5 minutes. Spoon onion into a bowl. Add bell pepper, olives, water, and 1 teaspoon thyme; stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
2. Prepare grill.
3. Combine 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and ground red pepper. Rub paprika mixture over both sides of fillets. Place fillets on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with relish. Yield: 4 servings. (serving size: 1 fillet and about 1/3 cup relish).

CALORIES 211 (39% from fat): FAT 9.2g (sat 1.8g, mono 4.4g, poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 25.2 g; CARB 6.6g; CARB 6.6g; FIBER 1.8g; CHOL 77mg; IRON 3.5 mg; SODIUM 308 mg; CALC 93 mg.

You could also use some of Paul Prudhomme's blackening spices and make blackened catfish, or in Southern California, we're big on mesquite grilling fish with just a little margarine and paprika.
...and of course there's the classic deep-fried catfish...

[MOuellette]

Marcia,

I would try the Cajun Catfish Wraps with Coleslaw receipe that Gail mentioned. It was in the May issue of CL, and it is my wife and mine's favorite receipe from CL.

Enjoy.

Mark

[Kerri]

I have a crunch catfish recipe that is very yummy. Don't know about how light it is though. I am at work, but I will estimate as best I can.

Crunchy Catfish

Catfish fillets
1 cup cracker crumbs (I just use the low fat Club Crackers)
1T Greek Seasoning
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
1T water
1 egg
1t unsalted butter

Combine cracker crumbs, greek seasoning, and cheese. In another bowl mix egg and water. Dip catfish fillets in egg mixture and then in the cracker mixture. Put in baking pan and drizzle with butter. Bake 375-400 for 25-30 minutes.

I hope I remembered everything correctly. I don't always use the butter, but if you do, be sure it is unsalted. It will taste salty if you don't.

[MarciaTJ]

Thanks for such fantastic ideas, I'm cooking catfish for our group's cooking light meeting on the 10th, and most likely will try the skillet catfish or the wraps. While I'd love to throw abandon into the wind, and deep fry them, it's going to be a little hard with a group of folks gathering for the purpose of lightening up our foods - but I sure will do that for just my husband and me!

Marcia

[Grace]

Marcia,

I agree with Mark - a BIG thumbs up on the cajun catfish, although I didn't put them in wraps. I made my own coleslaw (which I like better than their recipe), and served it with dirty rice. The cajun spices are fantatstic, and I love this recipe even though I'm not much of a fish eater. Cajun catfish is my husband's favorite dish - he orders it every time at his favorite restaurant, Pappadeaux. Have fun!

Grace