Tilapia over Italian Asparagus

I love tilapia and since it's such a light fish, I always like to serve it with something healthy. It seems like a waste to smother it with some type of fatty sauce. Usually I'll just top it with salsa, but tonight, I decided to use the fish as the topper on top of some Italian-style asparagus.

Tilapia over Italian Asparagus
serves 4

8 tilipia filets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound fresh asparagus
1 cup finely chopped plum tomato
¼ cup fat-free Italian dressing
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Snap off tough ends of asparagus spears. Arrange asparagus in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 4 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, pre-heat the broiler. Season tilapia fillets with salt and pepper on both sides. Place tilapia on a broiling pan and broil 3-4 minutes per side or until fish gets brown around the edges and flakes when you touch it with a fork.

Remove asparagus from steamer and place in a shallow dish; add tomato and remaining ingredients, and toss gently.

Place asparagus on dish and top with two tilapia fillets. Garnish with parsley.

Tilapia with Prosciutto and Sage

I wanted to make fish for dinner and I wanted an easy recipe. While searching online I found this recipe for Tilapia with Prosciutto and Sage at Epicurious. I knew I wanted to make it as soon as I read the simple ingredients because it was made of three of my favorite things: tilapia, prosciutto and sage!

The recipe takes a bit of time to prepare because after cutting the fish into pieces you then have to wrap them with prosciutto. Even though the recipe specifies using "not paper-thin" prosciutto that was all they had at the store. It worked fine for me. I really enjoyed the saltiness of the prosciutto with the flavor of the sage. You couldn't taste the fish all that much because tilapia is so mild and prosciutto has such a strong flavor, but the tilapia added a butteriness to it all.

I made the for my mom and I and while I really enjoyed she was not a fan. She picked off the prosciutto and said that she didn't like the way that the prosciutto tasted when fried. The fatty parts of the prosciutto crisp up a bit like bacon. However, the recipe was interesting to make and I like that it uses so few ingredients and yields such robust flavor.

Hot and Sweet Grilled Tilapia

I had a taste for tilapia tonight and lucky for me my local Whole Foods had some really fresh fish available for me. I saw this recipe for Hot and Sweet Grilled Tilapia in Padma's book Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet, when I was making veal the other day. It seemed so simple though I went searching for different recipes in my other cookbooks. I couldn't believe how few recipes there are for tilapia - I only found one other version I'd consider but I decided to stick to Padma's and give her cookbook another try.

This recipe calls for grilling but I did not want to deal with the outdoor grill so I just broiled the fish 3 minutes each side. I can't believe how good this tasted! So light and fresh. The sauce wasn't over-powering gave the fish a "lip-smacking" taste. We couldn't get enough of it. It's very healthy too (especially if you substitute the sugar in the sauce) so I recommend anyone on a diet to give this a try.

Hot and Sweet Grilled Tilapia Serves 4 4 6-ounce tilapia fillets olive oil salt freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice 2 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger 1 tsp. minces fresh green chili (optional)

Take the fillets out of the fridge 1/2 hour prior to grilling. Brush them on both sides with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Brush the grill with olive oil as well, and heat until very hot. The grill should be 2 inches from the heat source.

Combine the lime juice, sugar, ginger, and a pinch of salt, and chili (optional) in a bowl.

Place the fish on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or just until the fish begins to flake. Place the fillets on a plate, and pour the lime and sugar mixture over them. Serve immediately.