Leftover Fish

I have always enjoyed eating fish (and other seafood for that matter).

Of course, when I was younger, my perspective on fish was more limited than it is today. Back then, it consisted of Long John's Silvers, McDonalds, canned tuna and battered Walleye that my uncles would bring for the family cookout.

Somewhere along the way, I have learned that fish is so much more. It is a meal that I enjoy eating when we go out. I even have gotten more adventurous in preparing it at home.

I'm not sure why preparing fish was always so scary to me, but it was. The kids are pretty good about eating most of the fish dishes that I make. I have several recipes for preparing fish inside, but I really think my favorite way to prepare it is to simply grill it. We do this with Marlin, Catfish, MahiMahi, Tuna and occasionally Salmon (although, my husband doesn't care for salmon, so this is when he has other plans).

One of my challenges has always been what to do with leftover fish. I have a memory in my head of my mom broiling fish when I was younger. All I remember is the smell. It is the same smell that results from microwaving the fish to reheat it. As a result, I usually try to only buy what I know we will eat and figure we can have a little more side if we are a little short.

Monday night, we grilled MahiMahi for dinner. It was delicious. I had bought the individually sealed fish bags in the grocers freezer (gives me more menu flexibility than fresh fish - which I only buy the day I am preparing), they each indicated that there were two servings. I didn't open the bags before thawing them and was surprised when I went to prepare the fish and found three filets in each pack. Of course, that meant that I wound up with two extra pieces of fish. I didn't want to throw away the fish, so I started thinking, what could I do with the leftovers?

Then, it occurred to me, why not eat like I would tuna. I didn't mix it up like I do tuna salad, instead, I toasted my bread added some mayo and pickle relish and the fish from the fridge. It was delicious and moist and a wonderful break from the typical packed lunch. I am not sure why it had never occurred to me before. Of course, other preparations beyond a simple season/marinade and grill might not work for a fish salad style sandwich, but this definitely worked.

I still will try to only buy what we need, but at least now I have a way to eat the leftovers and won't have to worry about wasting them.

This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday.