Almond Crusted Cod

I prepared cod last weekend and used crushed almonds mixed with fresh parsley as a substitute for unhealthy fried breading.  I served the fish with stir fried broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, and onions.  Each serving of cod as prepared has approximately 200 calories.

Almond Crusted Cod

4 cod fillets (about 4 ounces each, rinsed and patted dry, I used 2 large 8 ounce fillets)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
Dash salt
1/8 tsp. paprika
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a 13x9x2 pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Place the rinsed fish fillets in a single layer in the pan.

I used a mini chopper to chop the almonds and combined them with the fresh parsley.  This helped to grind the almonds into a fine coating for the fish.  Next, in a small bowl combine the almond mixture with the paprika and lemon zest.  Sprinkle the mixture over the fish fillets.  Use a spoon to gently press the mixture so that it adheres to the fish.  Sprinkle with pepper if desired.  Save the fresh lemon juice to drizzle on the fish when it is removed from the oven.

Bake the fish for 15 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.  When removed from the oven, drizzle with the fresh lemon juice.

While the fish was baking in the oven, I stir fried some fresh broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, carrots and onions to serve with the meal.

Enjoy!



Spinach Stuffed Flounder

I just love to prepare healthy recipes with fish.  I especially enjoy the more mild fish varieties such as flounder, tilapia, and cod.  This recipe incorporates one of my favorite vegetables, spinach.  The sauteed vegetables and garlic gave this dish a lot of flavor without adding a lot of calories.  This recipe yields 4 servings at approximately 266 calories/serving. 

Spinach Stuffed Flounder

1 teaspoon light olive oil
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 tsp. oregano leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
4 fillets flounder (or other white fish such as cod or sole)
2 tablespoons sherry
1/2 cup part skim grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  I coated a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Coat a skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat olive oil at medium heat.  Add mushrooms and saute for about 3 minutes or until tender.

Add the fresh spinach and continue cooking over medium heat for about 1 minute until spinach is barely wilted.

Remove from heat and drain excess liquid from pan.  Add oregano and garlic to drained and sauteed vegetables and stir to mix ingredients.  Divide vegetable mixture evenly among the fillets and place in the center.

Roll each fillet around vegetables and seasoning mixture and place seam down in the baking dish.  Sprinkle with sherry and the grated mozzarella cheese.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.  Recipe yields 4 servings.