Toaster Fish

Somewhere in one's late forties or early fifties one becomes painfully aware that one simply cannot afford the eating habits that have sustained one thus far in life. Unless one is running miles every day, one's calorie intake simply must be reduced in order to maintain a decent weight. The other realization is that after many years of cooking for a family, cooking has become an onerous chore accompanied by late evening clean up that no one wants to take on. One must look for menu and cooking alternatives.

Enter toaster fish. This is the "nom de guerre" of our favorite calorie friendly dinner entree. One can purchase this delicacy at a Costco or Trader Joe's along with time efficient side dishes. Toaster fish is available in many varieties including salmon, halibut, tilapia, and cod.  Some is battered, some coated in crumbs of some kind, and some is marinated. What they all have in common is that each piece is individually frozen, partially or fully cooked, and ready to eat in 16 to 20 minutes, sooner if you use a microwave. However, microwaving a battered piece of fish is not recommended since it ends up rubbery and soggy.

This is where the toaster comes in. Not your regular bread toaster of course but your seldom used and slightly passé toaster oven. I know, you had this vision of a trout going head first into a toaster slot, funny, but no. Toaster ovens heat to 400 degrees quickly and with a small piece of foil cleanly bake any frozen fish entree in 20 minutes from preheat to plate. Thus is born - toaster fish. Low calorie, quick, and no mess to clean up. It's the perfect entree for the over 50 crowd who can no longer afford to eat the beef stroganoffs, meat loafs, and chicken cordon bleus that made regular appearances at the dinner table in years past. Add to that a package of "cook in the microwave" green beans or broccoli and a salad and your meal is complete. The perfect combination of omega-3 oils, fiber, and vitamins. Sigh...

Eating this way on a regular basis is good for you, your heart and your colon and all those organs so prone to degeneration during aging. But is it fun, delectable, satisfying? Do you swoon with delight as your taste buds alight with savory flavors and textures? No. No. No. When I think of all the foods I've given up eating in the past ten years I get a little teary eyed. I used to eat real grilled cheese sandwiches with my kids, whip up Swedish pancakes on Sundays and drench them in real maple syrup. Snacks were cheese and crackers, I do adore extra sharp cheddar cheese.  And let's not forget pasta, a mainstay of my diet for years and now forbidden except for rare occasions. Sometimes I long for angel hair pasta mixed with fresh basil, tomatoes, peas, and fresh parmesan, crusty sourdough garlic bread and spaghetti with meat sauce, ummm. Dessert was apple crisp and vanilla ice cream or just ice cream and chocolate sauce.  Let's not forget baked potatoes with sour cream and rice with butter and salt. What about tuna salad sandwiches with real mayonnaise, remember those?  I even made my own mayonnaise once to go with asparagus that I now eat with lemon juice. Just doesn't have same "mouth feel" without the mayo.

Everything changes, things you never imagine will change when you're young.  Your body starts to betray you in oh so many ways. It tries desperately to store food for the coming famine while beginning to creak and squeak in odd places. The bottoms of your feet lose fat as your belly gains it. How unfair is that? So your pants don't fit and your feet hurt.  As your body becomes less and less the one you knew, you get to eat less and less of the foods that made eating and cooking worthwhile. My solution to this crisis is to spend less time cooking and thinking about food. I just open the freezer and pick a box.

Toaster fish: it's what's for dinner.