Last week I needed a quick and easy midweek dinner, and didn’t really have time to run out to the grocery. Using what I had on hand, and one of my favorite spices that Slip just brought back from a trip to Israel, I made this yummy tilapia. I originally intended to just saute the onions, but I got distracted for a moment while the pan became very hot. To my surprise and pleasure, the fried onions were actually my favorite part of the dish.

Here’s basically what you’ll need:

• 1-2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large vidalia onion, thinly sliced
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tilapia filets
• 1 tsp. za’atar
• 3 tilapia filets
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Feel free to sub in or out seasonings of your liking. Oregano and savory mixed with sesame seeds would be good substitutes if you don’t have za’atar on hand.

In a pan that can go from stovetop to oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until crispy- some of them will probably burn, which I liked, but if you’re not a fan then try caramelizing your onions instead.

Move onions to the side of pan or remove completely to another plate. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add more olive oil if necessary, and heat oil until smoking. Add tilapia filets to the pan. Cook on each side about 3 minutes, seasoning side up with salt, pepper, and za’atar. Move pan into oven with broiler set on high and broil one minute longer, or until fish is done (fish should flake easily with spatula).

I recently bought a Calphalon Fish Spatula, similar to this one, which was absolutely amazing and made this tilapia flipping experience a lot easier than previous ones.

Serve fish topped with fried onions. We made a bag of Steamfresh sugar snap peas on the side— bland, but incredibly easy and healthy— just be sure to hit them up with some salt and pepper. A simple, quick, and flavorful midweek meal!

Last night after a long day of running around Philadelphia it was time for dinner. After literally running in my new running shoes in the late afternoon thunderstroms, I really wanted something delicious, easy, and filling. Slip and I decided to whip up some tilapia with Israeli cous cous and haricots verts. I wanted to use up some produce we had and also make something especially tasty and new, hence this flavorful and aromatic dish. It is meant to be made with a whole medium sized tilapia fish, but we had 3 large filets on hand and it was just as yummy that way, too.

Aromatic Baked Tilapia

Recipe adapted from Gourmeted

• 3 med-large tilapia filets
• 1/2 of one large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions
• 5 thin slices of fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2-4 tbsp. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a skillet heat 1-2 tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat until smoking. Add fish to pan and season with salt and pepper. Fry the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side and remove to a glass baking dish (use a baking dish that the fish fit neatly into, without lots of extra room in the dish).

3. In the same pan you fried the fish, add 1/2 tbsp. more olive oil and add the onions and garlic to the pan. Saute until the onions are brown on the edges, 5-7 minutes. Add the onions to the baking dish, right on top of the fish.

4. Still in the same pan, add the wine and bring it to a boil. Cook until reduced by half, scraping the brown bits from bottom of pan. Add the ginger slices and the broth and allow to cook a few minutes. We used 3 ginger slices which was not enough for me, but if you like things less ginger-y, use less slices. Turn heat off and pour sauce over tilapia in the baking dish. Season with fresh pepper.

5. Cover the baking dish with tin foil, leaving 2 opposite corners slightly open to provide a vent. Cook at 375 for 15 minutes. Uncover and add dark green parts of 3 scallions to the pan, recover and cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve with cous cous and vegetables!

All the broth keeps the tilapia moist and flavorful— it is very yummy!

Inspired by my recent trip to TX and all the amazing tacos involved, I decided to try my hand at some in my own kitchen (PS big props to A and Z for the breakfast tacos at the end of your wedding! Perfection!) Here’s how easy it is—

I like to stock up on frozen tilapia from Trader Joe’s because it is healthy and easy when you’re stressed for a midweek meal. I took out a pack of three (plenty for leftover lunches the next day) and let them defrost. Once ready I did a double dip— once into a bowl of milk seasoned with hot sauce, salt and pepper, next into a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of flour and bread crumbs (cornmeal would have been perfect though), seasoned with paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder.

Meanwhile, fish cooks best if the pan is super hot. Adding a splash of olive oil to the pan allow it to heat up. Add the fish to the pan and cook until done, a few minutes on each side (fish will flake easily when finished). After you remove fish from the pan squeeze a quarter of lime over each piece of fish.

While I was making the fish Slip was working on some accoutrements, including a salsa of corn, diced tomatoes, diced jalapenos and lime juice (easy peasy). Using an immersion blender I made an avocado crema with one avocado, some lime and lemon juices, and a little hot sauce.

Slip warmed up some corn tortillas in a pan (Amelia vows that corn over flour is the way to go) and then it was time to make tacos! Spread the crema on the bottom of the tortilla, followed by greens (cabbage would be great if you have it on hand), fish, corn and tomato salsa, and hot sauce. Deliciosa!

EDIT: I made these again Saturday night with Slip’s mom and used cornmeal instead of breadcrumbs— major improvement!! I loved it and definitely recommend using cornmeal if you have it on hand. Yum!

Our beautiful Friday night dinner table, complete with fresh flowers Slip bought me. We had tilapia (seasoned with a lot of Old Bay!), Israeli cous cous, a big salad, and some yummy challah. What a nice way to spend my Friday evening.

On Tuesday nights I babysit for these cutie kids and lucky for me their dad, P, is an awesome chef. He always has something vegetarian and healthy for me to eat and it is just awesome. Tonight he made a quick dinner before he had to head out and it was so good I have the basic recipe to share (because if I can’t cook I’m definitely going to share someone elses yummy bites.)

Easy Tilapia

(Serves 4)

• Good tilapia filets (not frozen!)
• Skim milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Spices
• Whole wheat flour
• Vegetable Oil
• Lemon juice

1. Put the 4 tilapia filets into a ziploc bag with some skim milk, salt and pepper, flour, and spices of your choice. Sorry that I don’t have exact measurements, but go with enough milk and flour to coat the filets, salt and pepper to taste, plus whatever spices you enjoy to make things interesting. I’d suggest cayenne pepper or Italian seasoning.
2. Heat up 3-4 tbsp. vegetable oil in a pan. Place tilapia in the pan once hot. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top of the fish. When the first side has formed a crust flip and cook the other side 4-6 minutes. Squeeze more lemon juice over the other side of the filets.
3. That’s it! If it’s not done well enough for you, you can bake it in the oven at 400 degrees for a few more minutes.
4. P served this with tabbouleh (from the box) mixed with cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, fresh parsley, and lemon juice, as well as some fresh avocado. It just tasted healthy, filling, and delicious.

Ok, I know frying is not the most healthy, so feel free to bake, but this is good. Better than the fish and chips I had at Pub and Kitchen. Good job, P!