Crunchy Tilapia

Okay so I've been sticking to this week's dinner plan of 1 starch, 1 protein, and unlimited veggies all while maintaining breakfast, lunch and snacks. I discovered a wonderful recipe for tilapia (a very nice, mild, white-flesh fish) in one of the baby magazines we've been receiving. Not only does it utilize panko (a fantastic Japanese breadcrumb that once you try you'll never go back to regular breadcrumbs again), but it's super easy to make! I'm including the recipe as I found it (with a tartar sauce), but I don't serve it with the tartar sauce. I choose to serve it over salad with craisins, walnuts and goat cheese in a light, one calorie balsamic dressing spray. I prefer this because I think it tastes delicious, but it also creates a nice double protein serving (according to the Change One diet). We usually throw in some sort of starch that we dug up; tonight it was the leftover focaccia bread from the Bryn Mawr Farmer's Market. It's becoming a favorite in our house; even Frank has good things to say about this. Forgive the amateur photo -- lol, I'm definitely NOT a photographer!

Crunchy Tilapia with Tartar Sauce (serves 4)
Lemon Tartar Sauce
1/4 C light mayo
1/3 C light sour cream
2 TBSP sweet relish
1 tsp lemon zest
salt to taste

Stir all ingredients together and set aside. **You can also use 1 tsp lemon zest to perk up a bottled sauce.**

Fish
1 lb. tilapia fillets halved lengthwise
3/4 C panko bread crumbs
1/4 C parsley, chopped
1 lg. egg, lightly beaten
1 TBSP milk
3/4 tsp. salt
2 TBSP canola oil

Combine panko + parsley on 1 plate. Mix egg + milk in bowl. Working one at a time, dip the fish fillets in the egg/milk mixture. Shake off the excess. Dredge lightly in crumb mixture. Sprinkle with salt.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add fillets + cook until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn, + cook until fish is no longer translucent in the center, about another 4 minutes. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven.

Nutrition Info (with sauce)
301 cals.
16 g. fat (3 g. sat. fat)
711 mg. sodium
113 mg. cholesterol