Recipe: Crispy Baked Fish And Veggie 'Fries'

This Crispy Baked Fish and Veggie "Fries" recipe is a meal you can have on the table in under an hour! Plus, we even toss in a lighter tartar sauce recipe to polish it off. We promise that your family has never enjoyed fish like this — the panko bread crumbs make the fish light and airy with a satisfying crunch, and the crispy veggie fries make a healthy alternative to grease-soaked French fries.

Pro tip: Bake the fish until the flesh flakes and the fish's internal temperature is 145°F.

Recipe: Crispy Baked Fish and Crispy Veggie 'Fries' with Light Tartar Sauce

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 4 ounce fillet, ¼ of the vegetable "fries", and 2 tablespoons tartar sauce

Ingredients

• 1 egg white, beaten
• ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• ½ pound carrots, peeled and cut in fry-like strips
• ½ pound parsnips, peeled and cut in fry-like strips
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• ¾ cup white whole wheat flour
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 2 egg whites
• ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
• 4 (4-ounce) skinless cod fillets (or haddock, or any flakey white fish)

Tartar Sauce:

• 2 tablespoon plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon no-sugar-added sweet pickle relish
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. To make the Root Vegetable "Fries": Preheat the oven to 400°F, line a baking sheet with foil and grease it with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper.
3. Toss the carrots and parsnips in the egg mixture, to coat. Sprinkle the panko bread crumbs over all of the "fries" and toss again to evenly coat.
4. Transfer the "fries" to the prepared baking sheet and spread out in an even layer.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Bake until the vegetables are tender but crisp, and the panko is golden on the outside.
6. To make the Crispy Baked Fish: Grease a wire cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray, and set in a foil-lined baking sheet, and set aside.
7. Line up 3 shallow dishes, or mixing bowls. In the first, mix the flour and paprika, salt, and pepper.
8. In the second, whisk the 2 egg whites together until frothy.
9. In the third, pour the panko bread crumbs.
10. Dredge each cod fillet in the flour and shake off the excess. Next dip each one in the egg wash, and allow the excess to drip off. Third, gently press each one into the panko bread crumbs, coating all sides.
11. Transfer each fillet to the prepared wire rack. Spray each cod fillet with nonstick cooking spray and bake (still at 400° F) on the upper oven rack for 12-14 minutes, or until done.
12. While the fish is baking, make the Lighter Tartar Sauce by mixing all of the sauce ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
13. Serve 1 cod fillet with a ¼ of the root vegetables and 2 tablespoons of tartar sauce.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving: (4 ounce fillet, ¼ of the vegetable "fries", and 2 tablespoons tartar sauce)

Calories: 281

Calories from fat: 51

Fat: 6g

Saturated Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 51mg

Sodium: 605mg

Carbohydrates: 30g

Fiber: 5g

Sugar: 6g

Protein: 27g

SmartPoints: 6

3.1 The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.