Italian Bread Crumb Fish

I had someone ask me for a breaded halibut recipe so I delved into my trove of clippings and found this Italian bread crumb topping for cod. It can be used for any white fish as well as chicken and pork, low-fat and is quite simple to throw together when you're in a hurry.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese
1 TSBP cornmeal
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 black pepper
4 (3 oz) cod fillets
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Stir together all dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Spray the rack of a broiling pan with cooking spray. Place the fish on the pan and fold under any thin edges so they don't burn. Brush the egg white on the fish then spoon the bread crumb mixture evenly over the fillets..

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and is opaque all the way through.

Cook's notes:

1. I prefer to use Japanese panko instead of traditional bread crumbs for breading. You may be able to find it in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store; I know that World Market carries panko and of course, any Asian market such as Uwjimaya and Pal-Do. Panko is lighter and crispier and doesn't get soggy the way regular bread crumbs do. My gluten-free friends can substitute their gluten-free bread crumbs, of course!

2. For my dairy-free friends, there are hard goat cheeses that would be a great substitution for the parmesan and still have that great tangy flavor; check out Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

Eat well,
Holly