Baked Cajun Catfish

1 1/4 lb. fresh or frozen catfish fillets (2 large fillets cut in half or 4 small fillets)
2 egg whites or 1 egg white and 2 tablespoons nonfat egg substitute
1 recipe Seasoned Cajun Crumbs
cooking spray

1. Beat egg whites together with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Coat both sides of fillets in egg white and roll in seasoned bread crumbs. Place breaded fillets on a plate and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 425º F. Lightly spray a non-stick or stick-resistant baking dish or baking sheet with cooking spray. Place fillets in dish or on sheet and bake for 20 to 35 minutes depending on thickness. Remove fillets from oven and serve with lemon and nonfat tartar sauce.

Yield: 4 4-oz. servings at approximately 208 calories; 5 grams total fat; 1.2 grams saturated fat; 82 milligrams cholesterol; 13 grams carbohydrate; 1.5 grams dietary fiber; 27 grams protein; 460 milligrams sodium.

SPICY CAJUN BREAD CRUMBS

2 cups herb or garlic seasoned fat free salad croutons

2 tablespoons yellow corn meal

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 clove fresh garlic, peeled

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 to 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning

1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika

Toast bread and let cool until dried out. Combine bread in food processor with remaining ingredients and process until fine. Should yield enough breading for four 4-oz. chicken breasts or fish fillets.

Yield: Approximately 1 cup breading at 250 calories; 3.4 grams total fat; 0 gram saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 51 grams carbohydrate; 5.6 grams dietary fiber; 8.3 grams protein; 1325 milligrams sodium.

CAJUN TARTAR SAUCE

¾ cup low fat mayonnaise

½ cup chopped okra pickles

¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

¼ cup finely chopped onion

1-tablespoon fresh chopped jalepeno pepper

½ to 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

½ teaspoon Hungarian paprika

1 tablespoon okra pickle juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 clove fresh pressed garlic

1/8-teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together until well combined, serve or cover and chill until ready to serve. Sauce will last up to three weeks covered and stored in the refrigerator.

Yield: 1 ½ cups or 12 servings of two tablespoons at approximately 38 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 9 grams carbohydrate; 0 fiber; 0 protein; 261 milligrams sodium.

Cook’s Note: To serve as an appetizer, divide mixture into 32 1-oz cakes and cook according to directions. Each cake will have approximately 32 calories, 0.4 gram total fat; 0 saturated fat; 11 milligrams cholesterol; 4.3 grams carbohydrate; 0.2 gram fiber; 3.6 grams protein; 141 milligrams sodium.

Recipes from the Cookbook, Lighten Up –The Art of Low Fat Gourmet Cooking, Mary E. Ross