“Chicken. . . again?” my  son groaned as I laid out some options for Sunday dinner one morning.  I’ll admit we do eat a lot of chicken, and although it’s prepared in a variety of creative and tasty ways (if I do say so myself), I agreed that it was time for something different.  So I figured I’d change it up and serve something my son would probably complain about anyway.

Fish.

But not just any fish.  I used scrod (a young cod or firm, white-fleshed fish), a mild tasting fish, in this easy recipe that’s first pan-fried and then finished in the oven.   Served with a little tartar sauce or ketchup on the side for dipping, it’s crunchy enough to make  your finicky eater forget he’s eating fish.  I served it with sautéed spinach and a yam/turnip/butternut squash mash (happily my son likes veggies and my husband will eat just about anything).

Ingredients for fish recipe:

3-4 scrod fillets

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

6 tbs. canola oil

Adobo or salt and pepper for seasoning

Season  fish with adobo or salt and pepper on both sides, and preheat oven to 500 degrees

Dip seasoned fish in breadcrumbs, egg, then breadcrumbs again to coat.  Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet until hot and then fry fish until undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Turn over, add remaining 3 tablespoons of oil,  and cook one minute more.  Place fish in a baking dish and bake until fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes.

For the yam/turnip/butternut squash mash, I used a fresh pre-cut vegetable mixture (weight 24oz.). Place vegetables in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 10-12 minutes or until tender.  Once tender, place veggies in a mixing bowl and mash with 3 tablespoons of butter, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar (or maple syrup if you prefer) and salt and pepper to taste.

I love spinach – so easy to prepare and serve with any meal!  I sautéed some spinach in olive oil, 2 cubes of Dorot crushed garlic and a pinch of sea salt

Here’s the finished product, with the fish served over the yam/turnip/butternut squash mash and sautéed spinach – a delicious  alternative when the family nixes the usual chicken dishes!