Though Mack and I both love fish, we probably don’t have it as often as we would like to. Part of that has to do with my fixation with having leftovers from dinner carry over into lunch the next day, and the reality of fish is that it should not be microwaved.
Still, we do have fish when we can, and one recipe we tried recently can be served cold, solving the reheating conundrum.
Mediterranean Whitefish Sandwiches and Fried Smashed Potatoes
Mack said he was craving fish and chips, so I gave him my spin on it. I had bookmarked a recipe for Mediterranean halibut sandwiches from Giada’s newest cookbook, Weeknights with Giada. It looked like a great summer sandwich, and it didn’t disappoint.
We substituted Alberta whitefish from Ocean Odyssey and spinach for arugula, but besides omitting the capers, followed the recipe pretty closely, using ciabatta bread from the Italian Centre to finish it off. The resulting mayo-based filling was creamy, with sweetness from sundried tomatoes and fresh bursts from the basil and greens. Mack gave it two thumbs up.
Mediterranean whitefish sandwiches with fried smashed potatoes
On the side, in place of fries, I made Giada’s fried smashed potatoes. Using new banana potatoes from Riverbend Gardens, it was quite satisfying pressing the potatoes down. Shallow frying them made it easier than warming an entire pot of oil, and for me, much more manageable. Trying to mimic lightly salted fries, I didn’t make the accompanying dressing, and really, I think it wasn’t necessary. The potatoes came out browned, crispy and delicious.
Roasted Salmon, Green Bean, Snap Pea and Cucumber Salad
I think we really learned this summer that salads don’t have to involve greens at all. And for us, the more textures in the bowl, the more we tend to enjoy the salad. Giada’s recipe for roasted salmon, snap pea and cucumber salad was an example of that.
Due to my aversion for canned fish, I opted to roast our own salmon (Coho from Ocean Odyssey). I did this the night before, but didn’t flake it that same day. This taught me a lesson, as preparing it the day after meant crumbly, instead of flaky fish.
Still, it worked well enough. I combined the salmon with green beans from Riverbend Gardens, snap peas from Sundog Organics, cucumbers from Doef’s, and tomatoes from Gull Valley Greenhouse. Dressed with Kuhlmann’s dill, olive oil and lemon juice, it was definitely a summer salad!
Roasted salmon, green bean, snap pea and cucumber salad
Mack wasn’t a huge fan of this dish, believing that the fish seemed out of place, but I liked it. I thought the salmon made a nice light addition, and was an interesting way to have fish. Bonus – the salad also fared well for lunch the next day (so long as the vinaigrette was reserved and the salad was not dressed until the following morning)! Try this if you’re looking for something a little different for dinner.
Only Here for the Food 
Could you give us more information about why fish shouldn’t be microwaved? Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed the fish, Sharon!
Generally, the essential fatty acids in fish are affected by the irradiating effects of a microwave. You’ll actually lose much of the good quality fats by microwaving and it ultimately affects the texture overall.
Always, Pat!
I was going to say something about how the smells tend to overpower the room the microwave is in, but that’s a much better answer :).