Tilapia is an excellent fish that you can incorporate into many meals.   It is not an expensive fish and it is high in nutritional value – a win/win in my book.  I have used tilapia as a substitute in many of my recipes that call for another white fish and they turn out great.  We like to have fish at least once a week as part of a healthy diet and Tilapia is our ””go to”” fish for sure.  It is my favorite for fish tacos!

For this dinner we were of course looking to eat light and clean and this meal hit the spot. What was really great was the sweetness provided by both the maple syrup and the Jamaican Jerk seasoning that was perfectly balanced by the subtle heat of the crushed red pepper flakes and the fresh jalapeno.

Here is what you need:

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• Lime juice – 1 lime
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp Jamaican Jerk seasoning
• 1 lb tilapia

Here is what you do:

1. In a food processor or blender puree garlic through seasoning
2. Add fish and puree to a glass bowl and let marinate for at least an hour
3. Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and add fish to medium high heat
4. Cook about 3-5 minutes on each side

Servings (2)

Nutritional Information (per serving)

• Protein 46 grams
• Carbs 20 grams
• Fat 9 grams
• Calories 316

Serve with a side of steamed veggies (we had fresh green beans) … Enjoy!

]]> http://www.spicesinc.com/blog/2010/09/23/sweet-and-spicy-jerk-tilapia/feed/ 0 http://www.spicesinc.com/blog/2010/05/23/grilled-tilapia-with-honey-and-jalapenos/ http://www.spicesinc.com/blog/2010/05/23/grilled-tilapia-with-honey-and-jalapenos/#comments Sun, 23 May 2010 10:11:00 +0000 Penny http://www.spicesinc.com/blog/?p=2162

Well with May being officially designated as National BBQ Month I felt that it was time to experiment with grilling our weekly fish dinner out on grill. Now of course I was terrified of losing the entire dinner through the grill so instead of just cooking right on the grill I used some left over tin foil that we had from Penny taking some brownies up to work recently (we hate to waste).

It turned out to be much easier than I thought it was going to be and with this particular recipe it had a touch of sweetness that only honey can provide as well as just a little bit of heat from the fresh jalapeno. Next time I will tweak this recipe a bit and give it a try with some of my favorite dried chiles — chipotle or ancho.

And in wanting to keep this simple we also grilled some corn on the cob for another quick and easy meal. We are constantly asked by both our customers and visitors to our site on the various ways to cook Tilapia so I am always looking to experiment and try different recipes, seasonings and cooking techniques. This one did not disappoint.

Oh and before I forget for those that are looking for high protein and low fat this one comes in at 51 grams and 6 grams respectively – yet another big bonus!

What You’ll Need

• 1 lb. of Tilapia Filets
• ¼ Yellow Onion Chopped
• Juice from 1 Fresh Lime
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Fresh Jalapeno Chopped Fine
• 1 Tsp Ground Ginger
• ¼ Cup of Honey
• 2 Tbsp Stir Fry Sauce
• 2 Tbsp of Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 2 Ears of Corn

Aluminum foil will prevent fish from sticking to the grill

What to Do

• Combine all the ingredients (except for the Tilapia and corn) together to make a marinade
• Place the Tilapia on a sheet of tin foil with the edges turned up
• Pour the marinade over the fish and place in the refrigerator for about an hour (optional — I wanted quick and easy so I just went straight to the next step)
• Preheat your grill and then place the tilapia (still in the tin foil) on the grill and cook until done (about 5-10 minutes)
• We also cooked corn on the cob wrapped in foil at the same time (although we started cooking the corn about 5 minutes earlier
• Once the corn is done remove from the foil; and place back on the grill to add some grill marks and some additional grill flavor
• Serve

Serves 2

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Tilapia and catfish are two of the most consumed types of fish in the US over the last 10 years. This is mainly due to their excellent, non-fishy taste, that they are very reasonably priced and best of all they are high in protein and low in fat. Add in the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and you have a winner. So if you are of the opinion that you should be eating fish at least twice a week you really can’t go wrong by choosing tilapia.

Several years ago there was some controversy as to the amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 in these two types of fish but I am not going to go into that here. If you are interested in a balanced view on this study from two well respected sources see what the Mayo Clinic and NutritionData.com had to say.

Now me I just love the way that Tilapia tastes and it is versatile to season many different ways. For this particular meal I was in the mood for some Moroccan flavors but I also wanted dinner that was going to be quick and easy to repair (sorry Rachel Ray but I didn’t even want to spend 30 minutes in the kitchen).

In Moroccan cooking there are a handful of spices that are most commonly used:

1. Black Pepper
2. Ginger
3. Turmeric
4. Salt
5. Paprika
6. Cumin
7. Cinnamon
8. White Pepper
9. Saffron

So since we were going simple for this meal I was just going to make a quick rub and I used some cumin, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika and black pepper. I also made some couscous with some green peas from the freezer and used some Madras Curry seasoning for that.

The contrast of mango and cilantro is amazing!

What You’ll Need

• 12 oz. of Tilapia
• 2-3 Sprigs of fresh Cilantro
• ½ Fresh Mango
• ½ – 1 Tsp Cumin
• ½ – 1 Tsp Ginger
• ½ – 1 Tsp Turmeric
• ½ – 1Tsp Korintje Cinnamon
• ½ – 1Tsp of Smoked Spanish Paprika
• A Pinch of Black Pepper
• 2/3 Cup of Dry Couscous
• ½ Cup Frozen Peas
• 1 Tbsp of Madras Curry

What to Do

1. Pre-heat your skillet or Foreman Grill (I used the Foreman Grill)
2. Seasoning the Tilapia with the cumin, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika and pepper
3. Lightly rub the seasonings onto the fish as you would with any rub and make sure that both sides are evenly coated
4. Make the Couscous according to package directions and cook with the peas and the Madras Curry seasoning
5. Cook the tilapia on the Foreman

Serves 2

Nutritional Information (per serving)

I finally won a small battle in our house.  I have wanted to make fish tacos for some time now, but Greg continued to be reluctant because he isn””t a big fish eater.  He incorporates fish in safe ways, grilled, broiled, or baked.  Tacos with fish was a little too much of a stretch … until this past weekend.

Since we started this blog we are having a great time reading about what others are making and we have been incorporating new dishes and ingredients into our healthy diet.  We have always tried to maintain a healthy diet – but sometimes that meant getting into a grilled chicken, brown rice rut.

We are BUSTIN”” THE RUT!

Here is my recipe for fish tacos – finally!

What you need:

Sauce:

• 2 TBS  finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 TBS fat-free mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 TBS reduced fat sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lime juice

Tacos:

• 3/4 lbs tilapia (red snapper would be a good choice too)
• 4 6in corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 2 teaspoons Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning

Directions:

Combine ingredients for sauce in a small bowl and chill in refrigerator.

1. Spray skillet with olive oil.
2. Sprinkle Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning on both sides of fish.
3. Cook in the hot skillet for about 4 minutes on each side.  Fish should be crispy on the outside and should flake easily with a fork.
4. Break fish into bite sized pieces with a fork.
   
5. Heat tortillas as per package directions. (About 30 seconds in the microwave should do it)
6. Divide fish evenly among tortillas – top each with  1/4 cup cabbage and 1 Tbsp sauce

Serves 2

I wasn””t so crazy about the sauce – next time I will try a corn salsa or red/green pepper salsa would be good too.

If you haven””t tried fish tacos – I encourage you to do it – and let me know how you like them!

P.S. Greg loved them!!!

Well just about everybody has heard of the Mediterranean diet with the heavy emphasis on fish and herbs. I am not a big fan of fishy tasting fish (does that even make sense?) but we do usually incorporate either Tilapia or Salmon as our fish meal once a week.

For the Tilapia we have recently been experimenting more with herbs and many folks believe that the perfect herb marriage is a combination of Greek oregano, basil and thyme. Blends have a long history in regional cuisines so for those aspiring cooks that may be afraid of using too much or too little of any individual spice or herb — blends are the perfect alternative.

For this particular dish I used our Mediterranean Dry Rub. It has oregano, basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, lemon zest, garlic and black pepper. Now while it is called a dry rub I used it more as a wet rub as I brushed oil on both sides of the fish and liberally sprinkled the blend. I also love our Foreman grill as the tilapia cooks up fast and even, I flip the fish once and I am good to go.

For the Quinoa I wanted a bit more flavor and color so I used a Madras Curry. This curry is most commonly found in vegetable braises, curry sauces or as a marinade. I like the delicate taste of it and it also gave a great aroma to the quinoa – I could smell just a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.

What You’ll Need

• 12 oz. of Tilapia
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Olive oil Pam Spray (for the George Foreman)
• 1 Tbsp Mediterranean Dry Rub
• 1/2 Cup dry Quinoa
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Tsp olive oil (for making the Quinoa)
• ¼ Cup diced onion
• 1 Cup frozen peas
• 2 Tsp Madras Curry Powder

Directions

1. Add the 1 tsp of olive oil to your large sauce pan and turn heat on medium high
2. Diced the onions and add to the sauce pan and sauté until soft
3. Add the quinoa, water and green peas and then follow the directions for cooking quinoa (bring to a boil, let simmer for 15 minutes, etc.)
4. Once the Quinoa has gone to the simmer stage add the Madras Curry and stir in evenly
5. Add a dash of olive oil (apx ¼ tbsp) to each side of fish and spread evenly with a brush
6. Add Mediterranean Dry Rub to both sides of the fish
7. Once the quinoa has been simmering for about 5 minutes turn on the Foreman Grill
8. Once the quinoa has been simmering for about 10 minutes add the Tilapia to the Foreman
9. Fish should cook in about 5 minutes, remove when flaky

10.  This timing should have both done at about the same time

Nutritional Info (per serving):

Protein 45 g

Fiber 7 g

Carbs 40 g

Fat 15 g (9.5 grams comes from the olive oil)

Calories 470

So there you have it a relatively quick, healthy gourmet meal.  Let me know what you think.