Freshwater fish offers a fresh perspective

My middle brother (by one minute) started a low carb diet recently. With this comes new culinary experiences.

This past weekend, he tried something new, and he was nice enough to share it with me. I was instantly hooked on the new way to prepare one of my favorite foods, catfish.

I have always loved fried catfish and I absolutely gorge myself anytime we have a fish fry. We actually had one the weekend of Memorial Day and I ate so much I could hardly move.

But I have never really ventured into the realm of baked fish. I figured fried was as good as it gets.

That is until this weekend.

See my brother loves cajun seasoning, and he will put it on just about anything. That includes catfish.

He air fried the fish with a healthy coating of the seasoning and it set my tastebuds alight in the best way. I was hooked on the first bite.

The fish had a completely different texture than when fried, and it was actually better in some ways, though I feel weird even saying that.

The fish was soft and moist. Perhaps it was because there wasn't a hard fried shell around it but even still, it was a welcome change.

Each bite practically melted in my mouth.

The seasoning was also spectacular. The cajun seasoning added spice and flavor to the otherwise bland fish. It also masked the "fishy" flavor as well.

To complete the meal, he made some beef rice.

The hearty flavor of the rice paired well with the savory fish.

I enjoyed both separately, but together it was an elevated meal.

The beauty of cajun catfish is that you can adjust the amount of seasoning to your liking, so there is no one way to do it. It can adapt to each individual for a personalized dish.

So, I would urge anyone who is the least bit interested to give this a try at least once!

CAJUN CATFISH

1-2 catfish filetsSeasoning:1 tablespoon paprika½ tablespoon cayenne powder½ tablespoon onion powder½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon Italian seasoning½ teaspoon ground black pepper½ teaspoon salt

■ Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.■ Pat the catfish filets dry with a paper towel. Drizzle olive oil over the entire filet and set aside.■ In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over both sides of the filets, adjusting for taste.■ Line the airfryer basket with parchment paper or coat with oil to prevent sticking.■ Air fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Flip the filets and air fry for another 10 to 12 minutes, until it reaches the preferred level of doneness.

BEEF RICE

1 cup regular long grain rice½ cup broken thin spaghetti2 tablespoons butter2 ¾ cups beef broth2 teaspoons beef bouillon1 teaspoon onion powder4 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 ½ teaspoon soy sauce½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon black pepper3 tablespoons diced carrots

■ In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add broken pasta and rice. Cook until lightly brown.■ Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and cover.■ Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until water is absorbed.

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