Preheat oven to 350.
Spray or oil 13x9 baking dish and place spinach in the dish.
Put the fillets atop th spinach then the onion and tomatoes.
Remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes or until the fish is flaky - when cooking fish "flaky" is good.
Tilapia with Almonds & Pea Pods
Serves: 4
How can you go wrong with butter, almonds and anything?
3 cups snow pea pods, trimmed
4 4- to 5-oz tilapia fillets
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
In a large saucepan bring lightly salted water to boiling. Add pea pods. Cook for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, season fish with salt and pepper; sprinkle with flour, and cook fish in hot oil for 3 or 4 minutes or until it is easy to remove with a spatula.
Gently turn fish and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place peas on serving plates; arrange fish on top of peas.
Reduce heat to medium and add butter to skillet. When butter begins to melt, stir in almonds. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds or until nuts are lightly toasted and butter is a bit darkened but NOT BURNED. Spoon this sensational mixture mixture over the tilapia and be proud of what you've created.
Tomato-Basil Tilapia
Serves: 4
Here's a nifty way to make tilapia part of a one-dish meal. Ok, two-dish if you add a salad.
4 Scallions chopped fine(just the white part)
1 Tbsp Minced garlic
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1-cup diced tomatoes
8 Fresh basil leaves sliced
Salt, pepper & a tiny dash of Tabasco
3 to 4 tilapia fillets, cubed
8 oz Spaghetti cooked
Parmesan cheese
Boil water and start the pasta cooking.
Sauté chopped scallion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add tomatoes, basil, Tabasco & salt & pepper to taste and let cook for about 5 minutes until it all becomes a wonderful sauce.
After 7 or 8 minutes the pasta should be ready so drain it & set aside.
Add fish cubes to tomato-basil sauce and simmer on low until tender, maybe 6 or 7 minutes.
Place cooked pasta with tilapia sauce in a large serving bowl and serve with the cheese, crusty bread and a salad.
Indonesian Baked Tilapia
Serves: 4
Here's another quick & easy way to give this very mild fish a good kick in the tail fin.
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Four 6 oz tilapia fillets, skinned
1/2 cup light soy sauce
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp crushed red pepper
Vegetable oil, for brushing
2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
Preheat the broiler and position a rack about 6 inches from the heat.
In a small bowl, mash the garlic with the salt and pepper until a paste forms. Rub the fillets with the paste and ser them aside.
In a saucepan, combine and boil the soy, lemon juice, brown sugar and crushed red pepper over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Spray a baking sheet with Pam or similar and arrange the fillets on it. Pour half of the sauce over them and broil for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the fillets are cooked through and opaque.
Transfer the fish to a platter or directly to plates and drizzle with the remaining sauce and the melted butter. Oh, boy, is this gonna be good.
In a small bowl, mix the oil and red-pepper flakes and microwave for 30 seconds to make chile oil. Set aside.
Tear off two 18" sections of foil and smooth them flat. Arrange an equal amount of spinach and asparagus in the center of each piece of foil. Place a fillet on top of each pile. Then top each fillet with scallion slices and chile oil. Halve the lime half, and squeeze the juice from each piece over the fish. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and seal the foil folded to form a tent- so the fish will bake and steam simultaneously.
Bake in a 450F oven for about 10 minutes.
Serve right away with rice or pasta.
Tilapia Florentine
Serves: 4
They must eat a lot of spinach in Florence, Italy – why else would so many spinach dishes have 'Florentine” in their title. Anyway, this dish is really good and, of course, quick. It could even be healthful if you used a no-trans-fat oil & fat-free half-and-half, but it wouldn't be as tasty.
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp chopped shallot
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
1 tsp sugar
2 10-oz boxes frozen chopped spinach—thawed, drained, and squeezed
l/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 & 1/2 lb tilapia fillets
1 lemon, 1/2 juiced and 1/2 cut into 4 wedges
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Preheat broiler.
Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook until just starting to brown, a minute or two. Sprinkle the flour over the shallot and butter and whisk until smooth. Reduce heat to medium.
Add the half-and-half slowly, whisking into a smooth sauce. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened, whisking as needed.
Add the sugar, stir, & add the spinach, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir occasionally, until hot & reduce heat to low, so the spinach just stays warm.
Place the fillets on a broiler pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Pour the lemon juice over the fillets, then sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly on top. Dot with the remaining butter & broil 5 to 6 minutes or until the fillets are opaque and the bread crumbs golden.
Spoon some creamed spinach onto each of 4 plates, then place a fillet on top. Serve with the lemon wedges. So easy and so good.
Kicked-Up Tilapia
Serves: 2
Just a bit of spice works wonders on this super-mild fish.
14 oz tilapia fillets
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Combine oregano, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt.
In a shallow bowl combine the melted butter and lemon juice.
Dip fish into butter mixture,then press into the spice mixture.
Place in a shallow casserole sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until fish flakes when pressed.
Tilapia and Veggies - Foiled Again
Serves: 4
A complete meal that's good and good for you.
2 carrots peeled and julienned
2 zucchinis, julienned
4 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil
4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp lime juice
4 Tbsp white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 & 1/2 lb. fresh tilapia fillets
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Layer ingredients in the order listed over a 13 x 10 inch aluminum foil. Close the aluminum foil to make a sealed "pouch" and bake 12-15 minutes.
Open the foil carefully, plate the tilapia and serve with the with the wonderful steamed vegetables (see, I can spell it)along side.
Pat sole fillets dry with paper towels. On a large flat plate or sheet of wax paper, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge fish in seasoned flour; shake off any excess.
In a large frying pan, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Cook fish, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until browned outside and just opaque throughout. Remove to a heated platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
Add wine, clam juice, water, tomatoes, and oregano to pan. Boil uncovered over high heat until sauce thickens but still pours from a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour sauce over fish and serve.
Tilapia with Lime & Marjoram
Serves 4
This very easy tilapia recipe has a distinctly Mexican feel, although it would probably be made with red snapper there.
l cup dried un-flavored breadcrumbs
2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 Tilapia fillets
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
Combine breadcrumbs, marjoram and cayenne pepper on a sheet of foil or wax paper.
Beat up the eggs & brush fish fillets with egg, coat with breadcrumb mixture and place fish in heated oil in a skillet. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side or until tender and golden brown.
Serve drizzled with lime juice. Garnish with fresh marjoram, if you have some.
Place coated files on a baking sheet, spray with olive oil and roast about 15 minutes at 400 degrees until done.
Tilapia In Beer Batter
Serves 4
Almost anything in a beer-batter is delicious but wait til you taste what it does for this tasty tilapia recipe.
4-6 Tilapia fillets
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Oil for deep frying
BEER BATTER:
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup beer
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
Cut fillets into 2" pieces. Put in a bowl with lemon juice, parsley, 2 Tbls. cooking oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Heat oil for deep frying. Dip pieces of fish individually into batter, and then into hot oil. Cook, turning and submerging pieces in the oil until golden brown all over. Drain on paper towels.
Lemon-Parmesan Tilapia
Serves 6
Now don't get all health-conscious and use margarine or oil; the butter does so-o-o-o much for this easy tilapia recipe.
2-1/2 lbs. Tilapia fillets
2-4 tsp. butter softened
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Lemon-Parmesan Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbl. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish with 2 lemons, sliced and fresh parsley
Rinse the tilapia fillets in cold water and drain thoroughly.
Top with butter and lemon juice.
Broil about 4 inches from the source of heat for approximately 5 to 6 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Top each portion with 1-2 tbl. of Lemon-Parmesan Sauce; broil 2-3 minutes or until sauce puffs and turns golden brown.
Place fillets on serving plate; garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley.
Wow! Looks good - tastes better.
Tilapia with White Wine and Lemon Sauce
Serves 4
About 15 minutes and you'll see - or taste -how one of the easiest tilapia recipes will produce a seriously memorable dinner.
1/2 Cup flour
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tilapia Fillets
Kosher or sea salt and pepper to taste
Wine and Lemon Sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot or small onion chopped
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/2 lemon
Place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate and set aside.
Pat fish fillets with a paper towel, season both sides of fillet with salt and pepper and let stand until fillets are glistening with moisture, about 5 minutes.
Make the Wine Sauce while the fish is resting,as follows:
In a sauce pan, heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat.
Saute shallots until softened and beginning to color, about a minute.
Add wine, increase heat and bring to boil and boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 3-5 minutes. Remove sauce pan from burner and strain into another container to strain out the shallot, and then discard the shallot.
Whisk in butter and parsley and a squeeze of half a lemon Set aside and keep it warm until the fish is done
Back to the tilapia:
Coat both sides of fillet with flour, shake off excess and place them on a separate plate or paper towel, preferably in one single layer.
Heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil over high heat in a large non-stick skillet until oil is shimmering, but not smoking.
Place the fillets in a single layer and immediately reduce heat to medium-high. Without moving the fish, saute for 2 to 3 minutes on each side and until the edges of fillet are opaque and bottoms are lightly browned. Use a good-sized spatula to gently flip fillets.
Transfer fillets onto plate,pour the sauce over them and serve.
If you're concerned about the wine sauce and little eaters (kids) serve the sauce on the side.
Tilapia with Garlic Butter
Serves 4
Okay, that last one was fast but had a lot of ingredients. Here's a quick tilapia recipe with just a few.
3 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
Dash of salt & pepper
Pinch of dried dillweed
Dash of paprika
6 tilapia fillets
In a saucepan, combine butter, garlic, pepper, salt, dillweed, and paprika and heat on low until butter is melted and starts simmering.
Remove from heat and brush a little of the butter mixture in the bottom of a shallow baking dish (line dish with foil for easy clean-up). Place tilapia fillets on the buttered area and brush top of each fillet with the seasoned butter mixture.
Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until tilapia flakes easily with a fork.
How was that for simple?
Grilled Tilapia with Aioli
Serves 4
"Aioli" is not how you greet a Swede in St. Paul. There it's "Hey, Oley". And, yes, Swedes love tilapia recipes, too.
2 Lbs tilapia fillets
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
Combine spices and sprinkle over both sides of the tilapia fillets. Place on hot grill and cook for about 4 minutes over a medium heat turning once during grilling.
For the Aioli:
1 & 1/2 cups mayonnaise
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 & 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 & 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp dried tarragon
While the tilapia is cooking prepare aioli by combining all ingredients in a bowl and mixing. Serve with the tilapia.
