A delicious recipe for oat-crusted fish with avocado salsa

Whole-grain rolled oats make a fibre-rich, crisp, golden coating for melt-in-the-mouth pan-fried fish. In this recipe, we've paired oat-crusted fish with a tomato and avocado salsa for just the right amount of palate-cleansing bite.

• Preparation: 10 minutes.
• Cooking: 12 minutes.
• Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe tomato
• 1 small green pepper
• 1 scallion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Dash of hot chili sauce
• 1 ripe avocado
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) low-fat (1%) milk
• 120 g (1/2 c) rolled oats
• 4 skinless white fish fillets, such as cod, snapper or tilapia
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• Lemon wedges, to garnish

Instructions:

1. Dice the tomato and pepper and finely chop the scallion. Mix them with the garlic in a small bowl. Stir in the hot chili sauce. Dice the avocado and gently mix it with the other salsa ingredients.
2. Place the milk in a large shallow dish and spread half the oats on a large plate. Place the fish fillets in the milk and turn to coat them thoroughly. Transfer one fish fillet from the milk to the oats. Sprinkle 15 grams (one tablespoon) of oats on top of the fillet and press them on gently to form a crust on both sides.
3. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) oil then transfer the oat-coated fillet to the pan. Coat a second fillet and add it to the pan. Cook the fish for three minutes, or until the underside is crisp. Turn the fillets and cook the second side for another three minutes, or until crisp and golden.
4. Transfer the cooked fillets to a plate and keep them warm. Cook the remaining two fillets in the same way. Put the fish on four plates, add the salsa and garnish with lemon wedges.

Each serving contains:

• 408 calories
• 24 g fat
• 5 g saturated fat
• 12 g carbohydrates
• 35 g protein
• 3 g fibre

• Use a large spatula and fork to turn the fillets. Be gentle but firm, sliding the spatula under each fillet in one movement to avoid breaking the fish.
• Rolled oats are the best variety for the oat coating because they are slightly flaky and broken, which helps them to adhere to the fish.

• Try thick pieces of flounder or sole fillets.
• Trout and sardines are also delicious served in this way.
• Use a pinch of dried chili flakes or a finely chopped fresh chili instead of hot chili sauce.
• For a Mediterranean flavour to the salsa, add four to six shredded basil leaves in step 1, plus the finely grated zest of one lime.

• With a low glycemic index (GI) value, oats provide sustained energy, helping to regulate blood glucose levels.
• Rolled oats and oatmeal are whole-grain foods that are packed with fibre for heart and digestive health.
• Oats are also plentiful in B vitamins, which are vital for maintaining a healthy metabolism.

Keep this simple recipe in mind and try making oat-crusted fish with avocado salsa today!