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Weakfish, a victim of over fishing
along the Atlantic coast, has not been sold commercially for
many years. It’s also getting harder to find pimentos, and
making this dish with roasted regular red bell peppers just does
not taste the same. So I set out to find a fish and topping that
would be as easy and enjoyable as the old “fish dish”
used to be.
Tilapia turns out to be ideal as a lean filet from farmed fish
that taste a bit like catfish. It’s sometimes called “the
aquatic chicken.” To enhance its flavor, I like dredging
the fish in a combination of herbs and onion powder, which also
browns to a nice crust. For the topping, I make a simple vegetable
sauté, which you can also vary by season, adding chopped
plum tomatoes now, sliced asparagus in spring or diced butternut
squash in the fall and winter.
Pan-Sautéed Tilapia with Gingered Vegetables - Makes 4
servings.
1½ Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium red pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 yellow pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 medium yellow squash, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and finely minced
1 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce, or to taste
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. dried thyme
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 6-ounce portions tilapia fish
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves, garnish
In a large skillet over medium
heat, heat half a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped vegetables,
including the garlic and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes
or until crisp-tender. Season with soy sauce and remove from
heat.
On a large dinner plate, mix
together the onion powder, parsley, thyme, cayenne, salt and
pepper. Coat the fish, front and back, with the mixture. Heat
the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Sauté the fish for 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked
through.
Place the vegetables over high
heat for just a minute to re-warm. Transfer them to a serving
platter. Lay the fish on top of the vegetables and garnish with
cilantro.
Serve immediately.
Per serving: 248 calories, 8
g. total fat (2g. saturated fat), 9 g. carbohydrate, 36 g. protein,
2 g. dietary fiber, 252 mg. sodium. |
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