The Cooking Crappie Forum is why I joined Crappie.com several years ago. A Google search for alternate ways to prepare Crappie led me to a certain Southern gentleman’s recipe (Sac-a-lait from Florida) for Crappie Cakes. I successfully mastered his recipe and still do a version to this day and will try to post it next time I prepare them. The next recipe that piqued my interest was the Baked Parmesan Crappie. Such an easy recipe, but what side dishes go well with this healthy but tasty alternative to bathing them in oil? We sampled many of the Steam Fresh (frozen) veggie/pasta combinations with some success but everything I tried needed to be microwaved, stir fried or sautéed and just did not complement the taste of the fish. I was looking for sides that could be simply baked along with the fish and finish about the same time and maintain the healthy theme (lean protein, lower calorie, high fiber, less starch) of the meal. Tonight I may have found such a combination, enter raw cauliflower, carrots, and Brussel sprouts. I gathered my ingredients and preheated the oven to 400.
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Separate about half the large cauliflower florets into smaller pieces and drizzle with Olive Oil and season with Lemon and Pepper. Cut the stem ends off the Brussel sprouts and half the larger sprouts and season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Spread cauliflower and sprouts out separately on a baking sheet along with several raw carrots.
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Bake for 30 minutes, starting them about 10 minutes before the fish. When there is about 20 minutes left add the fish as per original recipe.
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I found a few Walleye and Crappie fillets in a small frozen pack from last summer that fit the bill perfectly. I moved the roasting veggies up to the top rack and put the fish on the middle oven rack then enjoyed the wafting kitchen smells for the next 20 minutes. When the timer sounded I rotated the fish to the top rack and the veggies back to the middle rack and baked everything about 2-3 more minutes. Here are the results.
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I did cheat a little and add some bacon crumbles to the sprouts at the 10 minute mark when I flipped them over. The search for new side dishes for an old classic is over. Wife and Diet Friendly...check, simple basic ingredients and preparation....check, tasty...check plus!
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