Tilapia with Citrus Sauce

Spring break, I am soooo ready for it!  Our spring break is really late this year or at least it feels like it.  I am tired, worn out, etc... it doesn't effect what I do in the classroom but two more days and I am out!  Plus, with our new year long schedule we have two weeks off.  It is a blessing right now but I would prefer to have my long summer back (and not have work on my birthday-this year was the first time in 29 years that I had to be in school on my birthday).

I am again on my quest to try to like fish.  I don't know if it is really working.  This is a tasty dish and my husband really enjoyed it, I just cant get used to the texture and fish taste.  I did a bit better cooking it this time though, and it didn't break into a million little pieces.  Maybe before I make the next fish dish I will actually do some research on how to cook it correctly.   I used steamed broccoli and a wild rice/amaranth/quinoa mix for the sides.  

Tilapia with Citrus Sauce

From Epicurious

Ingredients
2 Tbs flour (I used GF flour)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb of tilapia
2 Tbs of olive oil
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

On a plate, mix the flour and salt and pepper.  Dredge the fish in the flour.  In a large skillet on medium, add the oil.  When hot, add the fish and cook for 2 - 3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.  Remove and put on a plate, do not clean the skillet yet!

For the sauce, mix the orange juice, 2 Tbs of lemon juice and the ginger in the skillet.  Turn the heat up to high and simmer for 1 to 3 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Add lemon zest and more lemon juice if you want (I added it all).  Then put the fish back into the skillet with the sauce and cook for 1 - 2 minutes more until heated.

Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce

This is the first time that I have cooked fish... ever! I am definitely not a seafood fan. I don't like shrimp, lobster, crab and almost every fish (except tuna from sushi). I guess I did eat fish sticks when I was younger but all I can remember is hating fish. However, as I am getting older I am becoming more aware of the advantages of eating fish- especially for infant brain growth. No, I am not pregnant nor will be for at least two years (despite the fact that two of my aides at my school thought I was/dreamed I was). I guess that is what happens after you get married. However, I know that you really need to eat fish while your pregnant to help with brain growth, so I am trying to start to eat it now and learn to like it.

I went with the most bland fish I could get, tilapia. I wasn't planning on cooking it that day, but when I typed in recipes I found that I could make it with the extra sugar snap peas that I had (which I used in 3 separate recipes because the bag was from Costco and huge) along with some random potatoes. The sauce was super good. I think you could have put it on anything and it would have been wonderful. I wish I had made more, but I used up all of my balsamic vinegar making it!

Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce With Thyme Mashed Potatoes and Sugar Snap Peas

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients

3 lbs of potatoes (russet, red, gold, whatever you have available)

3 Tbs butter

1/4 cup milk

1 Tbs dried thyme (or 1 1/2 Tbs fresh)

3 garlic cloves

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves (minced)

3 Tbs butter

2 cups of sugar snap peas, trimmed

2 Tbs olive oil

6 tilapia fillets

Turn oven to 375 degrees. Poke holes in potatoes and roast whole until soft (around 45 minutes). Take out and place in food mill. Turn food mill to mash potatoes. Add butter, milk, thyme and sauteed garlic to the potatoes. Mix. Season with salt and pepper. You can make this ahead of time.

Boil a small pot of water. Drop peas in and boil for 1 minute. Drain and put the peas to the side.

Heat 1 Tbs of oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper then saute fish until golden (around 2 min per side)

Simmer vinegar and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until the vinegar has reduced to a thick syrup (around 5 minutes). Whisk in butter, small pieces at a time, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Place some potatoes, tilapia and peas on a plate and drizzle with sauce.