Life after weight loss surgery does require some significant changes in our lifestyle, but it doesn't mean we have to give up all of our favorite foods, we just have to be willing to tweak them a little. 

This week, I tried a new recipe from the April 2017 issue of Clean Eating Magazine—Spiced Catfish with Cheesy Polenta and Mushrooms Ragu. 

Here's my bariatric friendly tweak: 

Mushroom Ragu:

I didn't cut out all the butter, I just used less butter and oil. The mushroom ragu also called for onions, black pepper, mushrooms, garlic, white wine vinegar, vegetable broth, lemon juice and sea salt. I made the ragu ahead, chilled it and skimmed off the fat that rose to the top. This process made it easy to cut the fat without eliminating all the flavor. It also made the dinnertime process move a little more quickly.

Fish:

I used Cod instead of Catfish. (Any white fish would have been a good choice) I dusted the fish with a little chili powder, a sprinkle of salt and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. (Next time, I may eliminate the oil on the fish, since most of it ran off anyway. And I may play around with a few more spices) I baked the fish on parchment paper, at 500 degrees for about 6 minutes, on the top rack. As long as the parchment paper doesn't stay in a long time, it won't catch on fire.

Polenta:

Although the recipe called for polenta, I used grits. DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS FACT: Beware of portion size with grits, a little goes a long way — especially early on after surgery. Grits as well as pastas tend to swell after eating. A more mature pouch, (several years out) may be able to tolerate a few more spoonfuls, but please go light on the portion size when it comes to foods that tend to swell. I would start with a few teaspoons full to see how you respond. The recipe called for white cheddar cheese, onions, (which I omitted) and sea salt. Next time I may try using polenta!

A very small portion, served on a small plate, (with a little green veggie) made this dish delicious, beautiful, satisfying and bariatric friendly. 

For the full recipe, see the current issue of CLEAN EATING, April 2017.