April 8, 2013

Kitchen Shame

 
We all have kitchen shames. I know we do.

One of my big ones is that I can not properly boil and peel an egg. I wind up with a shredded egg, shell covered counter, and an increasingly frustrated toddler who was promised an egg 5 minutes ago (eternity in toddler-time).

Another one is that I buy large bags of frozen tilapia fillets. Like the skimpy probably-farmed-in-horrible-conditions fillets that cost $8.99 for 20 servings. It's cheap, it keeps for a long time, and it's a really easy dinner when I am meal planning. I know some foodies are gasping in horror at the grossness of this, but hey - I've got a family that likes to eat every day! The nerve.

One of my favorite ways to cook them is also shamefully easy.You can do it while the fillets are still frozen, if you like, but I prefer to defrost them in a bowl of water beforehand. This recipe even includes vegetables, so you pretty much have a well-balanced meal within 25 minutes. Ain't no shame in that, right?

Easy Tilapia
Adapted from Allrecipes 

Ingredients:
4 (4 ounce) fillets
tilapia
2-3 tsp butter
Old Bay, to taste (if you don't have Old Bay, you're missing out! But you can use Seasoned Salt instead)
Garlic powder, to taste
1 lemon, sliced
1 package frozen vegetables (I like broccoli or cauliflower)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees F). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.


Place the tilapia fillets in the bottom of the baking dish and dot with butter. Season with Old Bay seasoning and garlic. Top each one with a slice or two of lemon. Arrange the frozen mixed vegetables around the fish, and season lightly with salt and pepper.

 

Cover the dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until vegetables are tender and fish flakes easily with a fork.








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