September 2009
Tasty, Delectable Trout and
Carrot Cake
by Mary Gerlach, R.D.
Registered Dietician
Native to both New Mexico and Arizona, the Gila trout is one of the rare trout species—so rare in fact, it is listed on the Endangered Species Program. As is obvious, the Gila trout gets its name from the river it occupies, the Gila River. Gila trout are easily recognized by the gold/copper coloring on their sides; the dark spots on the sides are irregular in shape and size.
Gila trout are closely related to the Apache trout, which is also listed as “threatened” on the Endangered Species Program. The Apache trout is native to Arizona and only found in the White Mountains on the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona. The good news is, both appear to be making a comeback. Despite improvements in Gila and Apache trout populations, fishing for them is still prohibited by law in most waters. So when fishing for trout, go for the rainbow or brook trout, both of which are tasty when cooked properly.
The rainbow trout is native only to the rivers and lakes of North America west of the Rocky Mountains, but because it is a hard-fighting game fish and tasty meal rainbow trout can be found today throughout the world. Rainbow trout are a popular sport fish that is often farmed and used to stock popular rivers and lakes. They are a fine-looking fish with coloring and patterns that can vary widely depending on habitat, age and spawning conditions. They are generally blue-green or yellow-green in color with a pink streak along their sides, white underbelly and small black spots on their back and fins.
Rainbow trout are members of the salmon family and can grow quite large. The largest rainbow trout on record weighed 57 pounds and was estimated to be 11 years old, but their average lifespan in the wild is about 4-6 years. They prefer cool, clear rivers, streams and lakes, though some will leave their freshwater homes and follow a river out to sea. These ocean fish are called steelheads because they acquire more silvery markings, can spend several years in the ocean, but return to the stream of their birth to spawn.
You can cook trout in a variety of ways—grilled, baked, broiled, or fried. Either way they are delicious to eat. Rainbow trout have firm-textured flesh and medium to high fat content, though they are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Rainbow trout is marketed fresh or frozen, either whole or in fillets and can also be found smoked or canned. So stay away from the Gila and Apache trout, and reach for the rainbows!
Grilled Rainbow Trout with Wine
2 whole fresh trout, cleaned and head removed
¼ cup dry white wine
2 Tb. butter, melted
1 Tb. lemon juice
2 Tb. chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat grill for medium-high heat. On a flat surface, lay out two sheets of aluminum foil about 18-inches long so they overlap to make one long wide sheet.
Rinse the trout and pat dry. Lay the fish in the center of the foil about 2-inches apart. Sprinkle with white wine, melted butter and lemon juice.
Season with parsley, salt and pepper. Fold the foil up loosely around the fish and crimp the seams to seal. Place the packet on the grill and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish is cooked through.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 532; Carbohydrates 1 gm; Protein 70 gm; Fat 23 gm; Cholesterol 232 mg; Sodium 420 mg.
Healthy Grilled Trout
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup catsup
1 Tb. fresh lemon juice
1 Tb. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 cleaned whole trout
2 lemon wedges
In small bowl, combine soy sauce, catsup, lemon juice, olive oil and rosemary. Pour 2/3 of marinade into a large resealable plastic bag and add fish. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1 hour, turning once.
Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting. Drain fish and discard marinade. Place fish in a single layer in a well-greased hinged wire grill basket.
Grill (covered) over medium heat for about 8 minutes or until fish is browned on the bottom; turn and baste with reserved marinade. Grill 5-7 minutes longer until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 320; Carbohydrates 7 gm; Protein 36 gm; Fat 15 gm; Cholesterol 91 mg; Sodium 2,055 mg.
Rainbow Trout with Herbed Almond Crust
2/3 cup saltine crumbs
1/3 cup ground almonds
3 Tb. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 pounds trout fillets
1/2 cup milk
Vegetable cooking spray
Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish. Dip fillets in milk; dredge in crumb mixture. Place in a grill basket coated with cooking spray; coat fillets with cooking spray. With lid closed, grill over hot coals (400 degrees to 500 degrees) 5 minutes on each side or until golden. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 418; Carbohydrates 8 gm; Protein 38 gm; Fat 18 gm; Cholesterol 105 mg; Sodium 238 mg.
Kathy's 7,000 Foot Altitude Carrot Cake
Some months ago, I included a carrot cake recipe in this column. A neighbor of mine, Kathy Hagerman, called to tell me it was one of the best carrot cakes she had ever made, but she had made some additional adjustments for high altitude that made the cake even better when baked at a 7,000 foot altitude.
She reduced the sugar, added more flour, adjusted the leavening agent and substituted Zante currants for raisins. Kathy also baked the cake for a few minutes at a higher oven temperature, then reduced it for the rest of the baking time. For all of you baking at fairly high altitudes, here’s the modified version of that recipe.
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon rind
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground allspice
1 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cups Zante currants
3 cups (10-11 ounces) grated carrot
Preheat oven to 375° F. In mixing bowl, beat eggs with sugar until creamy yellow. Add oil, vanilla and lemon rind; beat 1 minute longer. In a separate bowl, measure and combine dry ingredients; stir in walnuts and set aside.
Steam or “plump” currants in a little water if dry. Stir in currants and carrot into beaten egg-sugar mixture. Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Turn into a greased and floured 9x13-inch cake pan. Bake at 375° oven for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake 30 minutes longer.
Store cake in the refrigerator covered. It actually improves over the next few days in storage. No frosting is necessary, but if you MUST have frosting, while the cake is baking, make this light lemon glaze.
Lemon Glaze
1 Tb. melted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Mix ingredients together in small bowl. Spread glaze on the cake immediately after removing it from the oven.