When I was growing up, my mother ran a daycare out of our home. One of the lunch favorites we all looked forward to through the years was fish stick day!
Call me a five-year-old, but I still really love fish sticks. As I thought about them the other day, I decided to make a more grown-up version for dinner that week. My version includes lemon-herb seasoning and a side of tartar sauce, and it turned out to be a delicious meal!
The recipe below makes enough for 2-3 people, so plan accordingly if you need to adjust. Also keep in mind that some of the ingredients have daily FODMAP limits so proceed appropriately (even if you want to eat the whole pile!).
Utensils/appliances you’ll need:
- Several small mixing bowls
- A cutting board and knife
- A nonstick baking sheet
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
The Tartar Sauce
Ingredients you’ll need:
- 1/4 cup Chosen Foods Keto Mayonnaise (We use this kind because many other mayonnaise brands have high-FODMAP ingredients; if you use another brand, be on the lookout in the ingredient labels! Also note that this is the same type of mayo I recommended in previous recipes – the name just changed from coconut mayo to Keto mayo.)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Simple Truth Organic Sweet Pickle Relish (A couple things to note: first, I specify this brand because most other sweet pickle relishes contain high fructose corn syrup, which is high-FODMAP. Also, according to Monash University, sweet pickle relish is only low-FODMAP in up to one tablespoon per day amounts – so don’t get too wild in your tartar sauce intake!)
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (another ingredient that has daily FODMAP limits – 1 tablespoon per day!)
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve, when the fish sticks are baked.
The Fish Sticks
Ingredients you’ll need:
- 1-3 cod fillets (about a pound total), cut into 1-inch by 3-inch strips
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
- 1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (We like the Kroger Traditional gluten-free bread crumbs, but feel free to use what you like as long as they don’t have high-FODMAP ingredients or additives.)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Fody Lemon and Herb seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Beat the eggs in one of the small mixing bowls and set aside.
- In another small mixing bowl, combine the flour, paprika, lemon and herb seasoning, salt, and pepper and set aside.
- Place the bread crumbs in your last small mixing bowl.
- Cut the cod fillets into 1-inch by 3-inch strips if you haven’t already. Then dip each strip in the flour mixture, followed by the egg, and then followed by the bread crumbs.
- Place the fish sticks on your nonstick baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes, until the fish is flaky and tender. You may need to turn once during cooking to ensure even crispiness, although they do fine without turning in our oven.
Serve your fish sticks with a helping of tartar sauce and a side of baked french fries, and you have a tasty meal ready to eat. Enjoy!
IBS Takes Guts 