April 03, 2006

Baked Haddock with Cheesy Crunch Topping Recipe

I made the family some dinner tonight once I was back up and about, and found this recipe to be simply delightful! I served it with some rice pilaf and some fresh green beans with pancetta and shallot. Oh, boy, I smell summer just around the corner!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds haddock fillets, with or without skin
3 tablespoons butter
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons minced red bell pepper or roasted red bell pepper
2/3 cup crushed small white Cheddar cheese crackers (I used Cheez-Its)
1/3 cup bread crumbs, plain or seasoned (I used seasoned)
2 to 3 tablespoons cream or half-and-half (I used skim)
salt and pepper, other herbs for seasoning as desired

INSTRUCTIONS:

Arrange haddock fillets, skin side down, in a buttered baking dish.
In a small to medium skillet heat butter over medium low heat. Add green onions and bell pepper; sauté until tender. Add parsley, cracker crumbs, and bread crumbs; stir to blend.

Add cream (skim milk) to moisten. Sprinkle haddock with salt, pepper, and herb seasoning, if using. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 4 to 5.

I had a bit of Italian flavor going throughout my dishes tonight, so for my herbs I used a tuscany dry blend (oregano, thyme, rosemary...the usual suspects). I also put those same herbs in my pilaf and on my green beans. I would add that I used fresh red bell pepper in both the pilaf and the fish topping. In both cases I diced them small (my kids and hubby normally don't like peppers, but when they are small, they almost absorb...a good trick to get veggies into your resistent family members!)

While this may not seem to be the right choice when you are attempting to lose weight, you can make a number of substitutions (i.e. skim milk for cream or Smart Balance for butter, etc.) and serve it with lots of veggies. Even my son loved the fish!