Tri-State Outdoor News

Now is the time to get ready for fishing season, and while I used to live by the slogan: Catch and Release, into the grease. I’ve now matured. I prefer baked fish. Not only is it healthier, it is easier in every aspect. You don’t have to deal with splattering hot grease, all the clean-up that goes with a frying fish and all the other little issues that accompany heating cooking oil to 425 degrees.

Give me baked fish any day. Let me bake fish any day. I’d much rather pop fillets in the oven than drop them into they hot oil. So here are a few recipes that cover the gamut. From the fun and friendly to the hot and spicy. I mean, in the first recipe one of the ingredients in Cheez-It cracker. You gotta love that. And the Cajun fish recipe at the bottom can be as hot and spicy as you want it. Give them a try. You might never fry your fish again.

Cheesy Crush Baked Fish
1 lb fish fillets
1/3 C finely crushed
Cheez-it crackers
1 ts. parsley flakes
1/2 C low-fat Catalina salad Dressing

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix crackers and parsley. Brush both sides of fish with Catalina Dressing. Coat one side of fish with cracker mixture. Place fish, cracker side up on cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake uncovered until fish flakes easily with fork. 10-15 minutes.

Baked with Bacon
2 pounds frozen fish fillets
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 to 8 slices of bacon (if you don’t have much bacon, then use 3 or 4 slices, cut in half)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

Directions
Arrange the fish in a well oiled 9 by 13 inch rectangular baking pan. If the fish is frozen in a block, don’t worry about it, just plop it in the pan as is. Sprinkle the salt and pepper all about the frozen fish. Arrange the bacon slices over the fish. Scatter the sliced onion over the bacon. Dribble the lemon juice over everything, if you are using it. Bake at 400 for 20 to 30 minutes. The bacon should be crisp, the fish should be opaque white and flake easily. Serves 6.\

Cajun Baked Fish
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning, divided
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp hot sauce (optional)
2 Pounds fish fillets

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Saute bell peppers and onion in hot oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium high heat 5 minutes or until tender. add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, pepper, and if desired, hot sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Sprinkle one side of fish fillets evenly with remaining Cajun seasoning. Place fillets, seasoned sides up, on top of tomato mixture in skillet. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Serve immediately.