Almond-Crusted Tilapia

We're always searching for new ways to prepare fish. This crusted fish recipe combines this All Recipes post and an episode of America's Test Kitchen. (If you haven't seen this on your local PBS channel, we highly recommend it. It is fascinating!) The cornstarch addition keeps the fish tender, but a very crispy crust. 

The recipe adds a thick-ish layer to a very thin fish, but not in an unpleasant way. Even though the fish is pan fried and coated, it holds its crispness, due to the structure of the almonds. We recommend serving this with a simple side salad and your favorite dipping sauce like tartar sauce or even plain mayonnaise. 

Cook time: 40 minutes
Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic pepper
• 1 cup raw ground almonds
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dusting
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

With a large, heavy knife, chop the one cup of almonds into very small pieces, but not quite crumbs. Place in a shallow dish and set aside.

Combine the cheese, flour, corn starch, red pepper flakes and salt in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a separate dish. 

Heat the oil in a deep pan. 

Dredge the fillets in the flour mixture, then the eggs, and finally the almonds. Cook for about 3 minutes per side in the hot oil. Drain each fillet on a paper towel.

White Fish with Tomato and Pepper Sauce

Fresh produce always makes a good meal great. We stumbled upon some fantastic grape tomatoes and tweaked this Cooking Light chicken recipe to use tilapia we had in the freezer.

The mixture of tomatoes, red and yellow peppers would pair well with other white fishes and, of course, chicken. The sauce does not overwhelm the fish or poultry and it's a quick sauce, making it perfect for a mid-week meal.

This amount of tomatoes and peppers makes enough sauce for about 6-8 fish fillets. 

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 package of grape tomatoes, halved (about 2.5-3 cups)
• salt, pepper to taste

Optional: 

• black or green olives

Heat the oil in a medium sized pan. cook the onions until brown on the edges. Add the red and yellow peppers. If including olives, add them after the peppers. Cook until tender then add the tomatoes and cook until the skin is slightly wrinkled. Transfer mixture to another container and keep warm.

You have the option of cooking the fish in the broiler, or pan frying it in the same pan as the mixture.

• Broiler: line a pan with foil. Broil the fish for 2-3 minutes on both sides, taking care not to over cook.
• Pan fry: Using the same pan as the tomato mixture, pan fry the fish until browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side. 

Once the fish is cooked, top with the tomato mixture. Pair with a simple salad or grain, such as quinoa. 

Broiled Tilapia with Parmesan

This recipe may be my new favorite fish recipe. Tilapia is a very light, white fish, that does not have a very strong taste. The Parmesan coating adds a nice crust, while the broiling method makes this recipe a good fit for a quick mid-week meal. I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com, but modified it to suit a spicier, less savory taste bud.

Be sure to adhere to the very short broiling time, because it is very easy to overcook the fish.

On a thrifty note,tilapia is one of the most inexpensive fish, especially if bought frozen. If using frozen fillets for this recipe, be sure to defrost them overnight.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 9 minutes

Ingredients: 

• • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated or ready made)
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2.5 tablespoons mayonnaise (regular, not light)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
  • 1/2 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 6 tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler and take butter out of the fridge to bring to room temperature
2. Line broiler pan with aluminum foil
3. Mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, red pepper flakes, sriracha  and lemon juice.
4. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Place the pan on the top rack and broil for 3 minutes. 
5. Flip the fillets over and broil for 3 minutes. 
6. Remove the fillets from the oven. Cover the top and sides with the cheese mixture.
7. Broil for 3 more minutes or browned and the fillet flakes easily. Serve with vegetables and mashed potatoes.

Weekend Meal: Soy Glazed Salmon

In the new year, the Galley Kitchen vowed to do one fish dish a month. So far so good! This weekend, we broiled some salmon in a simple soy sauce marinade that gave the meal an Asian flair. We adapted this recipe from Sunset Magazine to better fit what was in the pantry and to suit our tastes.


Unlike other fish recipes, this one specifically calls for a filet with skin. The soy sauce and sesame seed mixture blends well with the stronger salmon taste. The skin acts as a welcome vehicle for the sesame seeds and adds a flaky texture.


A note: if using frozen fish, be sure to defrost it at least 6 hours before broiling


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

• 1 cup soy sauce 
• 1/2 cup honey 
• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic (about 2 cloves, or 1 big clove)
• 4 pieces (about 6 oz. each) salmon fillet, with skin (fresh or frozen)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a medium pot, mix soy sauce, honey, and garlic. Stir constantly until it is reduced by 1/3
3. Reserve  3 tablespoons glaze into a small bowl and set aside. 
4. Line broiler pan with foil and pour remainder of the soy sauce mix. Set salmon pieces in dish, skin side up and let stand 15 minutes. Turn salmon pieces over and bake for 15-20 minutes, until it is opaque at the edges, but still translucent in the center.
5. Increase oven to broil. Evenly spread half the reserved glaze on the salmon and sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds. 
6. Broil 6 inches from heat until sesame seeds are toasted. Drizzle the remaining soy sauce mix on the salmon. Serve with a side of rice and steamed vegetables. 

Healthy Meal: Grilled Tuna with Basil Butter and Fresh Tomato Sauce

I'm new to the fish fad, but this tuna dish has helped me see the light. This is straight from the Cooking Light recipe box, so you know it's both healthy and delicious. Admittedly, this is neither a cheap, nor easy recipe, but the effort is certainly worth it.

Basil Butter:

• 3/4 cup basil leaves
• 2 Tbs butter, softened
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 minced garlic cloves

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 3 cups of cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 Tbs capers
• 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (I skipped this, but feel free to add)

Tuna:

• 4 6 oz tuna steaks
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Cooking spray

You get to use your grill pan for this recipe, so here goes:

"To prepare basil butter, combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides as needed. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and 2 garlic cloves; sauté 3 minutes. Add tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in wine, capers, vinegar, and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley. Set aside.

To prepare tuna, sprinkle tuna with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place tuna on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with sauce and basil butter. Garnish with basil leaves, if desired." (from Cooking Light link above)

I served this with a side of white rice and steamed broccoli: