Meatless Monday. What a terrific trend and one that we try to embrace at our 
house. For us it can mean “breakfast for dinner,” rice and beans, or fish. Mostly it means fish… a fillet sprinkled with salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil, and tossed in the oven. Serve with veggies, a starch of some sort, and dinner is done. This was my Monday night formula- not bad, but the natives started getting restless, an eye roll here, a sigh there, “let me guess, salmon, again?” Clearly time for a change, but simplicity and speed rule on weeknights. Enter “Fast and Crunchy Baked Cod with Horseradish, Garlic, and Breadcrumbs” courtesy of one of my favorite resources, Cook’s Illustrated. This recipe is delicious, fast, has great flavor, and is adaptable. Though the original recipe calls for cod, I’ve found equal success with halibut and haddock; I haven’t tried grouper, but imagine that would work too. Follow the recipe and serve as is, but lately we’ve enjoyed a more casual take by serving the fillets as “Fish Sandwiches” on soft rolls with coleslaw on the side. Perfect as we head into warmer nights…
Do you do any favorite recipes for Meatless Monday?
Fast and Crunchy Baked Cod with Horseradish, Garlic, and Breadcrumbs
*from Cook’s Illustrated
Ingredients:
4 skinless cod fillets, 1 ¼ inches thick
salt and ground black pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (panko will also work, as will crushed Ritz crackers)
2 Tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons drained prepared horseradish
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
pinch cayenne
lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish or line with foil.
Pat cod dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Lay cod in baking dish, spacing fillets about ½ inch apart.
Toss bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon of dill. In separate bowl, combine remaining tablespoon of dill, mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, garlic, lemon juice, and cayenne. Spread mayonnaise mixture over top and sides of fish. Press breadcrumbs into mayonnaise, making sure they adhere.
Bake on center rack until crumbs are golden brown and all but the very center of fish has turned from translucent to opaque, about 15 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
White House Red Door 
Looks delish Jean. Can’t wait to try this with my family. I imagine I will get the eye rolls as well.
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So glad you’re going to try this! Let me know how it goes… hopefully no eye rolls with this one! 🙂
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