Food brings people together. It ignites conversation and meaningful interactions, and it's healing properties are undeniable. With all that we've been going through this past week, my role for the next little while is to try and help heal all those who are around me with food. It feels like a role I need to take, something tangible and productive. I think we could all use a little healing right about now. Instead of talking about the current political situation, and everything related, I am just going to focus on the single most important thing that can help bring us together - food!

I'm sure I've probably talked about my love for seafood here on the site. Just a few weeks ago, I shared one of my favorite seafood recipes - a halibut chowder

. Seafood seems to be all that I crave these days. I find it ever so comforting, and exactly the kind of food to help take my mind off of the most stressful aspects of life. Tender crab dipped in warm butter. Crispy fried coconut prawns dipped in tangy cocktail sauce. Cedar plank salmon. Halibut and chips. Fish tacos. Penn Cove mussels in a savory broth served with thick white bread.... and now I'm hungry just thinking about it. I love that here on the West Coast, there is such a wide variety of seafood options to choose from. Besides being delicious, I like to cook fish because it really doesn't take much time to prepare and it's extremely versatile.

Aside from fish tacos, fish and chips have got to be one of my favorite meals. For obvious reasons, I try to only indulge once and while. So when I've reached my quota for the month, I like to turn to alternative and healthier recipes that still give me the same satisfaction. Which leads me to this recipe - Parmesan crusted pollock with garlic roasted potatoes.

Pollock has a very mild flavor, so it's a perfect choice for people who may not be partial to seafood. Because of its mild flavor, it is the perfect fish to dress up with a savory crust or batter. Alaskan pollock is a species of the cod family. They are mid-water schooling sustainable fish that are harvested using mid-water cone-shaped trawl nets that are specifically designed to minimize the environmental impact. Other measures are also taken to ensure that minimal impact to other species is made.

I've always been particularly fond of pollock for its mild flavor. Because of this quality, I wanted to add something savory with a bit of punch to this recipe. I chose a smoky paprika Parmesan crust to give the fish a bit of crunch and flavor. I wanted to bake the fish instead of fry, just to make it a bit healthier. I opted for roasted baby potatoes, covered in garlic, parsley, lemon zest and salt to go with. This is my version of a healthier fish and chips. It's easy to prepare, savory, tangy, and the perfect restorative fuel.

*This post was created in partnership with the National Fisheries Institute. If you are looking for more seafood recipe, check out the Dish on Fish website. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep the Flourishing Foodie delicious. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

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PARMESAN CRUSTED POLLOCK WITH GARLIC ROASTED POTATOES

serves 2 

prep time: 20 minutes

cooking time: 45 minutes

2 1/2 lbs baby potatoes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 tbsp canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

zest from 1 lemon

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 lb pollock

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1 egg

1/4 cup flour

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Scrub the potatoes

Toss the potatoes with oil, salt, and pepper and place onto a baking tray. Place the tray into the oven and cook for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and toss with the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley.

Twenty minutes before the potatoes are done, begin to prepare the fish.

Wash the fish, and cut into medium size pieces.

In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic powder, and salt.

Beat the egg in a separate bowl.

Place the flour into a third bowl.

Dip each piece of fish into the flour to coat. Then dip into the egg mixture, followed by the bread crumbs. Place the fish on a baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the fish has reached an internal temperature of 145ºF and is easy to flake with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of National Fisheries Institute. The opinions and text are my own.

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