One of the things we are very conscious of in our house is reading labels! I am not talking about the nutrition label, but rather the ingredient list! It is amazing how many additives and fillers are added to various foods when you read the label. My rule of thumb is that if I can't pronounce it or wouldn't want to eat it by itself, I shouldn't be eating it as an ingredient.
Spice mixes are incredibly difficult to find without these added ingredients! Because of this, we have started making our own using herbs and spices that are already on our spice rack.
Here is a quick and delicious recipe that Jared throws together every few weeks! One of the reasons we love it is that the fish can be added straight from the freezer and cooks quickly. This makes it a great go to recipe when we don't have any meat that is defrosted or already prepped.
Cajun Spice Mix:
Mix together:
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ¼ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ¼ teaspoons dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 zucchini, chopped
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 2-3 white fish fillets fresh or frozen (or protein of your choice)
- 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
Directions:
- Melt coconut oil in pan over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, red pepper, and carrots, and sauté for several minutes until softened.
- Add desired amount of Cajun Spice mix, I recommend tasting as you go until you like the way it tastes.
- Add zucchini and can of crushed tomatoes, cook for several minutes.
- Add entire fillets of fish and submerge in the mixture. You can throw these frozen or thawed, obviously taking a bit longer if cooking from frozen. When fish is cooked, it will easily break into pieces. Stir into the mixture, and you are ready to enjoy!
In this recipe, you can substitute or add additional vegetables. This week we used 2 onions, 1 yellow pepper, 2 zucchinis, a few stalks of celery, and 2 eggplants. Shrimp and andouille sausage also make great additions or substitutions for the fish. Use what you have and what you like, and have fun with it.
Dr. Jamie and Dr. Jared Thomure