Baked Wild Cod with Tapenade and Pine Nut Breadcrumbs

Who doesn't love a recipe that delivers big on flavors and taste, yet only requires about 10 minutes of active cooking time, 20 minutes in the oven, and only 6 ingredients?? This is the kind of recipe you keep on hand for guests that's easy yet looks like you spent hours in the kitchen making it.

I love a good baked fish recipe. My husband came home with a lovely piece of wild cod and I needed a quick and easy recipe that didn't require a lot of time and attention.

I made a little breadcrumb mixture by just processing 2 small slices of bread I made earlier in the week and pine nuts.

I toasted them on the stove in a bit of olive oil until they were nice and crispy. While they were cooking, I mixed a bit of mayonnaise with a few spoonfuls of tapenade, which was spread on the fish. I love this one from Trader Joes, but feel free to use whatever brand you want.

Or if you don't have tapenade, just chop up some olives! Don't like olives? Try some pesto instead!

The crumbs were then patted on top of the fish and into the oven it went. After 20 minutes of baking, it came out flaky, delicious, and moist. This recipe is definitely going to be on the "repeat" list.

Baked Wild Cod with Tapenade and Pine Nut Breadcrumbs

 

2 slices of bread

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 tsp olive oil

1 lb filet of wild cod (or tilapia, halibut, flounder, etc)

salt/pepper

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

4 tsp prepared tapenade

 

 Heat oven to 425. In small food processor, process bread and pine nuts until coarse crumbs form. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in small skillet. Add crumbs and stir well, coating with oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until crumbs are golden brown. Meanwhile, season fish with salt and pepper and place in lightly oiled baking dish. In a small bowl, combine mayo and tapenade. Spread onto fish. Remove breadcrumbs from heat and spread on top of fish.

 

Place fish in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from oven and serve.