Tonight's Dinner: Pecan-crusted fish sticks recipe

Store bought fish sticks are an easy crowd pleaser any busy night of the week, but making them in your own home is just as easy and way healthier than those found in the frozen food section.

Nutty fish sticks make little mouths smile

My son loves fish sticks. Unfortunately, they're the kind of fish sticks found in the frozen food section of my local grocer. While they are flavorful, they're also full of sodium and a bunch of other ingredients I don't recognize. So the other night I thought, why not make my own. It couldn't be that hard and at least that way, I'd know what was going into that delicious crust. I made them extra special by adding crushed pecans to the breading and guess what? My son gobbled them up just as if I'd pulled the sticks out of a box and toasted them in the oven. Better still, they took about the same amount of time to make as the store bought version. Bye bye cardboard box. Hello, local fisherman.

Pecan crusted fish sticks

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound tilapia fillets, sliced lengthwise
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup pecans, crushed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Place the flour in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and Dijon mustard and set aside. Combine the breadcrumbs and pecans in a third bowl and set aside.
2. Dip each tilapia "stick" into the flour, and then the egg mixture and finally dredge the "stick" in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining fish sticks until all are breaded and ready to cook. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fillets and cook until golden brown and the fish flakes easily, about three minutes per side. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauces.

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