Crunchy Oven Fried Tilapia

Alright, here's another recipe for you. Again, this is on the menu tonight, but I have made it once before, so I know it is good. For the longest time I was scared to death to prepare fish for a meal. I am not a big fish eater, but I knew it was good for me and needed to start eating it once in a while. After Kaelyn was born, and again after Brendan was born I had participated in this thing called Dream Dinners where you go to this place and put together a bunch of meals in bags, come home, freeze them, then thaw them out as you need. This was when I first got the confidence to try fish since someone else had basically given it to me, and I had to take it home and cook it. And my favorites were the tilapia dishes. Again, I am not big on fish. I can't stand the fishy taste, and I can't stand the thought that this thing was once a slimy creature in the ocean. But, because it is good for me, I will eat it. Tilapia really is one of the most mild fishes I have ever tried. So, if you are like me and are either scared, or don't usually like fish, this may be a good recipe to try since it uses a mild fish and adds bread crumbs to it.

For dinner tonight I am also serving couscous and mixed veggies. If you have never tried couscous, it is one of the easiest things to add to a meal. Add 1 part couscous, 2 parts liquid (I usually do half the liquid as broth, chicken, or now I use vegetable broth). Boil the liquid. Add couscous and cook for 5 minutes with the lid on. After five minutes, remove the lid stir, and voila, side dish. I usually sprinkle some olive oil in there too...

Ok, on to the recipe...

1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
pepper (to taste)
2 egg whites
tilapia fillets
1 cup dried bread crumbs (sometimes called panko bread crumbs)
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

In one bowl combine flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl lightly beat the egg whites with a fork, and in another bowl combine bread crumbs, corn meal, basil, and garlic. Dip a tilapia fillet in the egg bowl, then in the flour bowl, back in the egg bowl, then lastly in the bread crumb bowl, coating thoroughly. Do this with each fillet. Put the fillets in a 9 x 13 glass dish sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle some olive oil over the fillets. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes.

Makes 4 fillets

Easy recipe, healthy, yummy! Enjoy!!!