Cornmeal Crusted Snapper with Beet Pesto Orzo

I am a huge seafood fan. In fact, I only eat seafood.

I don't eat chicken or beef or turkey, or any other animal with legs.

I prefer to nosh on critters that come out of the ocean.

I am a rare breed of pescatarian, though.

Meaning that even though I don't eat 'the meat', I will still cook 'the meat' for my family.

Props to me, dontcha think?

I do.

I like to give myself a silent pat on the back everytime I touch 'the meat'.

Is this starting to sound a little x rated or is it just me?

Let's move on.

Ironically, this post has nothing to do with 'the meat'.

This post is all about the SNAPPER.

And not just any snapper, but the cornmeal crusted red snapper.

A delicious delight in your mouth.

And really easy to do.

I simply mixed 1/2 cup of cornmeal, 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper all together in a shallow dish.

Then I took my red snapper filets, about 4 of them, and dredged them in the cornmeal mixture.

Make sure you pat the cornmeal onto the snapper so it sticks.

Then I just pan fried them in a little bit of olive oil on medium high heat until they were golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

They were light and crispy and flavorful and beautiful. You need to cornmeal crust your fish next time you cook it. It's truly a fabulous texture in your mouth.

After they were done frying, I topped each filet with some lime zest and a little squeeze of lime juice. This adds an incredible amount of citrus essence to the fish and elevates the flavors to another level.

I like to put a wedge of lime on the plate as well in case you like even more citrus on top.

My sides were a beet pesto orzo to go along with it and some roasted vegetables.

Those recipes to follow at another time!

Healthy, fresh and gorgeous! You can't go wrong with that beet pesto orzo, too!

I promise this snapper is so easy to do. If you make it, let me know if you liked it.

I have a feeling you might! ;)

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving!