tilapia

Zesty Fish Tacos

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Zesty Fish Tacos. The first time my California friend ordered Fish Tacos, I was like, “Whaaaaaaat??”  After all, being a Midwestern girl, fish was caught to be dredged in beer-batter or lemon-peppered, deep fried, and eaten with a side of French fries. Not exactly good for the heart, but tasty. Well, my taste buds have matured over the years and now I tend to cook a little healthier without sacrificing great flavor…..which brings me to the Recipe of the Day.

ZESTY FISH TACOS 

Ingredients:

2 Tilapia fillets

1 egg

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal 

2 tablespoons Panko seasoned bread crumbs

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper 

2 tortillas, flour or corn

1 cup shredded broccoli-carrot blend

1/4 cup salsa

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 green onion, snipped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix egg and lime juice in a shallow dish. On a sheet of waxed paper, use a fork to blend flour, cornmeal, Panko crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin powder. Dip fish fillet in egg mixture to cover. Then coat with crumb topping. (This can be done more than once for an extra crispy crust.) Place breaded fillets on a greased baking dish. Bake for 8 minutes. Flip over bake 4 minutes longer. If you prefer a crispier crust, broil 4 minutes longer. Watch carefully.  Fill each tortilla with fish, broccoli-carrot blend, salsa, and Greek yogurt. Garnish with green onion snips. 

Italian Sheet Pan Tilapia

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Italian Sheet Pan Tilapia! What’s for dinner? You gotta love a one-pan meal. It not only makes preparation and clean-up a breeze, it typically turns into a healthy option as well. Choose seafood, meat, or veggies and then customize the flavor with tangy spices, fresh herbs, and natural oils. Things honestly could not get any easier. You can even take things one step further and divide the pan to accommodate a spicier version on one end and something a little more bland on the other. No matter how you split things up, watch them disappear.

ITALIAN SHEET PAN TILAPIA

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced and halved

Parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic powder, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning mix. Reserve 2 tablespoons and set aside. Place asparagus in a single layer on the left side of the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Place Roma tomatoes in a single layer down the middle of the baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Arrange tilapia fillets in a single layer on the right side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with butter mixture. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately with reserved butter mixture. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Jamaican Seasoned Fish

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Jamaican Seasoned Fish! Every country has a way of combining fresh herbs and natural spices to season up rice, beans, eggs, vegetables, fish, and meats. Then they go one step further and manufacture it so everyone can experience the authentic flavor. My friend, Leighton, is from Jamaica. He’s a pretty cool bartender in a downtown hotspot. When he gets a little homesick, he either hops on a plane to his native island or does a bit of traditional cooking until he can visit his extended family in person. I was fortunate enough to receive some of his Caribbean secrets. Ya Mon.

JAMAICAN SEASONED FISH

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets

1 1/2 teaspoons Jamaican gourmet seasoning

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. Rinse tilapia fillets and pat dry. Sprinkle each piece with half the Jamaican gourmet seasoning and black pepper. Flip and repeat. Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear each fish fillet 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer fillets to the prepared baking sheet. Bake 5-6 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Tomatillo Tilapia

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Tomatillo Tilapia! Shortcuts are my saving grace. Take, for instance, charred tomatillo salsa. Sure, I could go through the process of boiling, grilling, or roasting fresh tomatillos with garlic and spices to transform them into a smoky, spicy, and tender salsa. But since I already had a jarred version in the refrigerator, I thought taking the easier route for dinner would be a better idea. You may, too.

TOMATILLO TILAPIA

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets

1/2 cup roasted tomatillo salsa

1/4 red onion slices

1 mini sweet red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Lay two sheets of aluminum foil on a work surface. Place one tilapia fillet in the center of each piece of foil. Divide the tomatillo sauce between the two foil packs. Place red onion slices over fish. Top with chopped red peppers and cherry tomato halves. Fold foil over top and roll up edges to create a sealed packet. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Ginger Glazed Baked Tilapia

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Stir. Spread. Flip. Repeat: Ginger Glazed Baked Tilapia! Do you bypass those brownish stems in the produce department that resemble tree roots? Think twice about ignoring them. Ginger is a plant-based spice that produces an energized aroma. It adds a wonderful zing to bakery items, carbonated beverages, and today’s feature, tilapia fish. Embrace the flavor without regrets.

GINGER GLAZED BAKED TILAPIA

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fish filets

1/3 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Instructions:

Season tilapia filets with sea salt and black pepper. Place in a shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, and brown sugar. Pour over tilapia. Cover; marinate in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°. Place baking dish in oven. Bake fish for 13-15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Pan-Seared Tilapia

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Splurge-Worthy Goodness: Pan-Seared Tilapia! I don’t often “fry” foods, but once in awhile nothing else will do. The secret to pan-searing fish involves five key steps. First, make sure the skillet is nonstick or a trustworthy cast iron skillet. Secondly, choose a neutral-flavored oil which has a higher smoke point. You won’t need much, so it’s crucial to make sure the oil is not going to turn black from high heat. The third point, and this is just as important, make sure moisture is removed from the fish. If not, there is guaranteed to be steam-created soggy fish or dangerous grease splatters. Step Four: When the fish is placed in the pan, do not overcrowd it. The pieces should not touch each other at all. Finally, allow the fish to sear without moving it. This is how you get that beautiful crispy surface. Use a timer. Once the fillets are carefully flipped over, you’re almost done. By this time everyone in the house will be heading to the kitchen to discover what smells so incredibly good. Well Done, Grasshopper.

PAN-SEARED TILAPIA

Ingredients:

2 frozen tilapia fillets, thawed

1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 lime, juice and zest

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pat butter, divided

Fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions:

Defrost fish fillets overnight in the refrigerator. Remove from package, pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. In a shallow dish, combine brown sugar, chili powder, kosher salt, garlic powder, and lime zest. Mix well. Warm vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Rub both sides of each fillet with the spice mixture. Cook tilapia fillets for 4 minutes. Carefully flip them over. Squeeze lime juice over fish in pan. Divide a pat of butter over the top of each fillet. Cook 3 minutes longer, or until opaque and flaky. Transfer pan-seared tilapia fillets to a platter. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh dill. Serve immediately.

Nutty Fish Fillets

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Clean Eating: Nutty Fish Fillets! Eating freshwater fish may seem humdrum, especially if you make it the same way every time. But I don’t wanna try something new, you say. What if I don’t like it? That’s what I thought until I discovered another way to keep fish part of a healthy diet. Butter. And almonds. The wonderful natural flavor of butter is milky and creamy. Pair that with the crunch and depth of flavor in toasted almonds for a heavenly combination.

NUTTY FISH FILLETS

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds, sliced

2 tilapia fillets

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon crushed parsley

Celery leaves, for garnish

Instructions:

Warm an iron skillet over medium heat. Add almonds. Stir continuously until they are tinged with color. Do not burn. Transfer to a platter to cool. Season both sides of tilapia fillets with sea salt and black pepper. Using the same iron skillet, warm the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When it begins to bubble, add tilapia fillets. Brown fish, until opaque, for 4 minutes per side. Transfer fish to a serving platter. Turn heat setting to low. Reserving the drippings, add lemon juice to iron skillet. Stir to blend. Pour sauce over fish fillets. Sprinkle with crushed parsley and scatter toasted almonds over all. Serve with celery leaves.

Italian Sheet Pan Tilapia

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Palatable Possibilities: Italian Sheet Pan Tilapia! What’s for dinner? You gotta love a one-pan meal. It not only makes preparation and clean-up a breeze, it typically turns into a healthy option as well. Choose seafood, meat, or veggies and then customize the flavor with tangy spices, fresh herbs, and natural oils. Things honestly could not get any easier. You can even take things one step further and divide the pan to accommodate a spicier version on one end and something a little more bland on the other. No matter how you split things up, watch them disappear.

ITALIAN SHEET PAN TILAPIA

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced and halved

Parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic powder, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning mix. Reserve 2 tablespoons and set aside. Place asparagus in a single layer on the left side of the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Place Roma tomatoes in a single layer down the middle of the baking sheet. Drizzle with remaining olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Arrange tilapia fillets in a single layer on the right side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with butter mixture. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately with reserved butter mixture. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Jamaican Seasoned Fish

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Bright Ideas: Jamaican Seasoned Fish! Every country has a way of combining fresh herbs and natural spices to season up rice, beans, eggs, vegetables, fish, and meats. Then they go one step further and manufacture it so everyone can experience the authentic flavor. My friend, Leighton, is from Jamaica. He’s a pretty cool bartender in a downtown hotspot. When he gets a little homesick, he either hops on a plane to his native island or does a bit of traditional cooking until he can visit his extended family in person. I was fortunate enough to receive some of his Caribbean secrets. Ya Mon.

JAMAICAN SEASONED FISH

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets

1 1/2 teaspoons Jamaican gourmet seasoning

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick oil. Set aside. Rinse tilapia fillets and pat dry. Sprinkle each piece with half the Jamaican gourmet seasoning and black pepper. Flip and repeat. Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear each fish fillet 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer fillets to the prepared baking sheet. Bake 5-6 minutes per side. Serve immediately.