Any time of the year, canned tomatoes can be found in dozens of my recipes — soups, bruschetta, casseroles and sauces. And the pre-seasoned diced tomatoes are great time-savers. I simply pour a can of them over meat, fish or chicken, pop in the oven and bake.

I'm beginning to like canned tomatoes more than ever. Surprisingly, they may be richer in lypocenes than fresh. I perused The American Diabetes's website, and it states: “Fact: Research shows frozen and canned foods may be as nutritious as fresh. In fact, since lycopene is more easily absorbed in the body after it has been processed, canned tomatoes, corn and carrots may be sometimes better nutrition choices.”

Canned tomatoes are not created equally. If you doubt me, buy six different brands of canned tomato, do a blind tasting, and get back to me. So when I see my favorite premium canned tomatoes on sale, you'll see a vacant shelf in my wake.

Cod would be a fine substitution for the tilapia in this recipe. But for one day only, today — Friday — in fact, Whole Foods is featuring tilapia on sale. You may want to pick up a can of tomatoes while you're there.

Ingredients

1 1/2-2 pounds tilapia or cod fillets

Extra virgin olive oil

1 small fennel bulb, cored and sliced, optional

3 tablespoons dry white wine or lemon juice

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons chopped basil plus extra sprig for garnish, optional

Seasoned Italian bread crumbs or panko (Japanese bread flakes), optional

Orange zest, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. If using fennel, in a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté fennel, with a pinch of kosher salt until just tender, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Select a baking dish large enough to accommodate the fish, tomatoes and fennel. Place the fish, skinned side down, in dish and brush with olive oil. Lightly season with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and sprinkle with wine.

4. Evenly spread fennel and pour canned tomatoes, including their liquid, over the fish. Bake on middle rack of oven until fish is cooked, 15-25 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. Fish is done when flesh is opaque and separates easily into flakes when tested with a fork.