Easy Baked Tilapia with Broccoli

Sometimes I feel like I just don't have enough time in the day.  Do you ever feel that way?  Making dinner can be so hard and time consuming, especially when I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  So here's something quick and easy to make just for those crazy kind of days.  By the way, my husband loved the dinner and thought I spent a lot of time preparing it just for him.  I just smiled and nodded my head.  It will be my little secret!

Easy Baked Tilapia with Broccoli

4 frozen tilapia fillets (They don't have to be frozen.  I just never think ahead!)
1 teaspoon lemon juice, divided
1 tablespoon butter
14-16 oz. package frozen broccoli
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with Pam.

If tilapia is frozen, rinse with water to remove any frozen ice on the fish.  Pat dry and place in the bottom of the baking dish.  Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice over each fillet.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Dot each fillet with butter and sprinkle paprika on top.  Arrange frozen broccoli around the fillets and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake 25 - 30 minutes. 

**You can use other frozen vegetables if you'd like.  Cauliflower and broccoli is good too.

Cracked Pepper Tilapia with Lemon

I was telling my friend Danna about my delicious Chilli Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus and Lemon and she shared her favorite tilapia recipe with me--Cracked Pepper Tilapia with Lemon.  It is quick, easy and delicious.  I made it when I went to Utah to visit my grands.  I served it with my Perfect Rice Pilaf.  Everyone loved it!

Cracked Pepper Tilapia with Lemon

4 - 6 frozen Tilapia filets
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/8 teaspoon cracked pepper (I used more)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon
Juice from half a lemon

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with Pam.  Put frozen tilapia in pan, dark side down.  In a bowl mix together the olive oil, cracked pepper, salt, zest of lemon and lemon juice.  Pour over tilapia and sprinkle sliced almonds on top.  Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for about 18 minutes.

Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus & Lemon

I went for my yearly check up and found out my triglycerides were up.  The doctor put me on a low carb, low sugar diet for the next two months.  So I've been searching the internet for some good low carb recipes.  If you have any, please share them with me.  I found this delicious tilapia and asparagus recipe at www.kitchendaily.com and it is one of the best tilapia recipes I have ever made.  I don't even like spicy foods, but I loved this.  Of course, my son-in-law says it's not spicy, but it is to me.  Spicy or not, it is out of the world!

Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus & Lemon

2 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (I left mine whole)
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound tilapia, Pacific sole or other firm white fish fillets
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan.  Put asparagus in a steamer basket,place in the pan, cover and steam until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes.  (I didn't have steamer basket so I just put asparagus in the boiling water.)  Transfer to a large plate, spreading out to cool.

Combine chili powder, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a plate.  Dredge fillets in the spice mixture to coat.  heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the fish and cook until just opaque in the center, gently turning halfway, 5 - 7 minutes total.  Remove tilapia when done to a plate.  Immediately add lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and asparagus to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the asparagus is coated and heated through, about 2 minutes (I covered the pan while they cooked).  Serve the asparagus with the fish.

Homemade Tartar Sauce

We had fish for dinner tonight and I had a taste for tartar sauce.  I hate the taste of tartar sauce you buy at the grocery store.  So I decided to make my own, and it was YUMMY!  My recipe only makes a small amount which was great because I thought no one else would eat it.  I was wrong.  I should have doubled it.

Homemade Tartar Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sweet pickle cubes or relish (I used the cubes)
1/2 teaspoon pickle juice
1 teaspoon minced onion
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Set in refrigerator at least an hour before serving. (Mine was in the fridge for only about 20 minutes and it was still good.)

Tuna Pasta Salad

Everyone loves my Tuna Pasta Salad.  The secret ingredient-------Apples.  Here is how I make it:

Boil 3 cups rotini pasta (or your favorite pasta) in salted water per package directions.  Drain, rinse and set aside.

Open 3 small cans of tuna (at least one can should be white tuna, but doesn't have to be).  Drain and then put some lemon juice in each can and let it sit for a couple of minutes.  Then drain again.  Put the tuna in a bowl and mix well.  Add 1 rib of celery, chopped.  Then add 1 tablespoon sweet chopped pickle and 1 tablespoon pickle juice.  Cut a large apple (I use Fuji or Pink Lady or both!)  into small pieces and add to mixture.  Sometimes I add more apple, because that's the best part!  Then add mayonaisse or vegenaise to desired consistency (about 3 tablespoons).  Finally add the pasta and a little more mayo if needed.  Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.  Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

**This is a great dish to make during the summer when it's too hot to turn on the oven.  We serve it as a main dish with fresh raw veggies and fresh fruit.  It's delicious!

Pecan Crusted Tilapia

I'm sad to say that this will be my last post--------------APRIL FOOL'S! Don't you just hate those silly April Fool's jokes? Well, this recipe is no joke. It is simple, tasty and you can substitute your favorite fish--catfish, flounder or orange roughy.

Pecan Crusted Tilapia

1/2 cup pecan halves, finely chopped (I used my food processor to chop them)

4 - 5 fresh or frozen tilapia fillets ( I used frozen)

Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder to taste

3 Tablespoons butter

Sprinkle fish fillets with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Dip fish in the finely chopped pecans. (Some did not want to stick, so I just placed the pecans on the fish.)

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and cook for about 4 minutes on each side until well browned and fish flakes with a fork. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of parsley, if desired.

**I served it with lemon wedges in case someone wanted to put a squeeze of lemon on the fish. It was fantastic. My family really loved it.

Easy Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

I found this recipe on a piece of paper, inside one of my cookbooks and decided to try it. I haven't had a tuna casserole in years. Well, this recipe was so easy (and cheesy) and it was made from scratch--didn't have to use my condensed soups. It was delicious! My husband really loved it! Can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I'd better hide it so my husband won't eat it!

Easy Cheesy Tuna Noodle Casserole

12 ounces egg noodles or 8 ounces pasta (I used egg noodles)

2 - 3 cans of tuna (5 oz.), drained (I drained it and then put some lemon juice in it and drained it again. Helps get rid of the fishy taste)

1 onion, chopped

3 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pot, cook the egg noodles or pasta according to package directions. Drain in strainer and set aside.

Using the now-empty pot your noodles were cooked in, melt the butter. Add onions and saute until tender. Stir in flour to make a thick paste. Add milk, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until bubbly and slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Add drained tuna to sauce and add cooked noodles or pasta, stirring to coat. Stir in mozzarella cheese.

Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish and top with the shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until cheese is bubbly.