Stephanie's Test Kitchen

As Lutherans, my family and I observe Good Friday as a part of the Easter celebrations. Every year for as long as I can remember, on good Friday we get dressed nicely and head to church. For lunch we eat fish. As a child I hated fish and seafood. I could never enjoy this family meal, I dreaded it as it came round each year. I couldn’t understand why we always had to have fish on Good Friday.

Easter is at the end of Lent, which traditionally for Christians is a time of abstinence. When Jesus was crucified on a Friday, warm blood was spilt, therefore the blood of a warm-blooded creature can not be spilt on Fridays during lent. Fish is considered cold-blooded, so it doesn’t count and be eaten on Good Friday. In Jesus’ times fish was a lot easier to come by then meat too.

As I’ve gotten older and learnt of the many health benefits of fish and seafood, through my healthy and nutrition research, I now willingly consume fish at many opportunities, not just once a year on Good Friday. Fish is loaded with protein, vitamin D and healthy fats such as omega 3’s, among other important nutrients. It’s recommend to eat fish attests twice a week but if you’re not a fan of the fishy stuff, then make Good Friday your day to fill up on the good stuff. Think of the benefits for your heart and brain, nourishing your body with all the good stuff fish contain and the added bonus of balancing all the choccy eggs. A good reason to have a nice healthy lunch on Good Friday, to feel less guilt over all the chocolate eaten. Check out previous posts here, here & here for guilt free Easter treats.

For a few years I spent my Easter weekend off camping in the Bendigo national park with mates. We always made sure to go to the fish and chip shop in town for our dinner on Good Friday.  The fish and chip shop was always packed. We weren’t the only ones with the fish and chip tradition.

Fish and chips isn’t the healthiest (but it sure is yummy) so why not make your own for an easy Good Friday meal, or any day of the week/year meal. This recipe uses salmon, which I’ve oven baked, but you can go with any fish you prefer and I’ve coated the fish in oats which I turned into flour by pulsing in my blender. Instead of greasy hot potato chips I’ve swapped them for homemade sweet potato and parsnip fries, add a pinch of sea salt or any herb or spices to coat them, I used paprika. To make it extra healthy include a yummy salad, full of veg or do as the Brits do and make mushy peas!

*my blender was in use at the time I made this recipe so I just used quick oats for the coating

Serves two

Ingredients:

• 2 fillets fish of choice
•  2 tbsp oats (blended into flour)
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp finely grated Parmesan
• 1 medium sweet potato cut into chips
• 1 medium parsnip cut into chips
• Coconut oil
• Sea salt or spices or herbs of choice

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, fan forced. Line two trays with baking paper.
2. Wash the sweet potato and parsnip, cut into chip.
3. Melt about 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a bowl, add the chips and lightly coat. Place them on one of the lined baking trays and sprinkle on seasoning of choice or leave plain.
4. Place chips into the oven, after 10 minutes toss the chips around a bit then cook for another 10 minutes.
5. While the chips are cooking, whisk the egg in one bowl, combine the oats and Parmesan in another bowl.
6. First dip the fish into the egg and then coat it in the flour.
7. Place the coated fish onto the second lined tray and put into the oven for 10-15 minutes.
8. Once both the fish and chips are cooked, allow to cool slightly before eating.