Last week I decided to reorganize my kitchen. It’s been on my “To Do” list for sometime now, but I kept putting it off knowing it would be quite an undertaking.
Upon my return from a recent trip to Costco, as I was desperately trying to shove my new loot into my freezer, a slew of frozen filets of tilapia fell all over my kitchen floor. It was time to cross this chore off the list. It also appeared to be time thaw out some tilapia!
Tilapia is a nice fish because it’s low-cal and low-fat. But it can also sometimes be low on flavor depending on how it’s cooked.
I usually steam it to have a healthy meal or I chop it up to make fish tacos. But I wanted to try something different this week. Since they don’t sell anything less than a 5 lb container of cherry tomatoes at Costco, I was also having difficulty finding room in my fridge for this oversized carton. Which is probably why this recipe now has tomatoes in it!
This recipe is great because it’s low-cal, and low maintenance (it requires one pan for an easy clean up and only 15 minutes to make!) while still remaining full of flavor!
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes
Yields: 2 fillets
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, some halved and some left whole
½ tbsp dried basil
dash red pepper flakes
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tbsp water
2 tilapia filets
1. Heat olive oil and garlic in pan over medium heat. Add tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes.
2. Cook 5-7 minutes over low heat stirring occasionally until tomatoes start to break down and turn “saucy.”
3. Stir tomato paste into tomatoes. Add tilapia fillets, and a few tbsp water. Cover and cook over medium heat until fish starts to flake, ~2-3 minutes.
The Cook’s Two Cents:
· I used yellow and red tomatoes because it photographed better. If all you’ve got are red, the taste is pretty much the same.
· If you find that the tomatoes are starting to brown the bottom of the pan before the sauce is done, just add a bit of water (or wine!) while still on the heat and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. It’ll come right off—not to mention, add tons of flavor!
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1 fillet, with ~1/2 cup sauce
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Calories: 213 Fat: 10g Sodium: 105mg Carbs: 11g Fiber: 3g Sugars: 5g Protein: 23g
