With my Heart’s recent surgery (gall bladder), I am still working very hard to keep our meals very low fat and am slowly adding more fiber but I also don’t want to lose flavor for all that. This recipe certainly has no shortage on flavor!
The inspiration recipe: Seared Tilapia with Asparagus & Spicy Mint Gremolata from the Food Network.
First the Gremolata – 3 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh mint, 2 tsp chopped garlic, 1/4c lemon juice, 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest, and 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes. Combine all the ingredients and let it sit while preparing the rest of the meal.
My kids were shopping at the local Asian Market on Saturday and called to see if I wanted anything – I asked for a tilapia filet. This was a beautiful piece of fish. We have Fish Mondays because we do our grocery shopping on Sunday at our favorite local grocery store – that way I know the fish is as fresh as possible but even buying it on Sunday and serving it on Monday, there is a slight fishy smell. This fillet had absolutely no fishy smell – it was firm and perfect and about $2 cheaper a pound… makes me want to always go there for seafood! (It is very out of the way) The other great part about the local Asian markets is that several of them have sushi-grade seafood (i.e. it can be safely eaten raw) – slightly more costly but always worth the price.
Rub both sides of the fillet with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with freshly grated pepper.
Place the seasoned filled into a heavy skillet, heated over medium-high heat, and let it sear for 4 minutes, without touching or lifting the edges. Flipped and seared the other side for approximately 3 minutes – until opaque throughout. One portion of the fillet was very thick so I turned off the heat and covered the skillet for an additional 3 minutes to make sure the fish was cooked through. The thinner side of the fish was still moist and tender.
Plated: Seared tilapia topped with the Mint Gremolata, fresh green beans (cooked in a wok: cover with water and bring to a full boil, turn off the heat and let sit for 2 minutes then drain – toss over medium high heat with a touch of lime olive oil), and a scoop of yellow rice, leftover from last week’s Creamy Chicken & Ratatouille. The gremolata had amazing flavor with just a touch of heat and worked perfectly with the fish. My Heart felt it conflicted with the yellow rice and suggested plain rice next time, although I think I would make it with a pile of asparagus and skip the carb completely. I think I will also look for other gremolata recipes to try out. YUM!