Whole Baked Tilapia Cuban Style

For a Cuban inspired dinner, I prepared the following recipe. It was both easy and flavorful and definitely a hit among our guests! The recipe comes from Emeril Lagasse and I used whole tilapia fish. I will definitely make this again!

Whole Baked Tilapia Cuban Style
recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse

2 (3-pound) whole fish, such as striped bass, tilapia, flounder, or sole, cleaned and scaled
2 limes, juiced
3/4 cup Spanish olive oil, divided
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced, divided
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced, divided
1 lemon, sliced thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup dry white wine
Sliced green onions for garnish

Rinse the fish well under cold running water and pat dry on both sides as well as inside the cavity. Make several slits about 1/3-inch deep on both sides of the fish. Place the fish in a non-reactive shallow dish or platter and pour the lime juice over the fish. Set aside while you continue with the preparations.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Rub the bottom of a shallow glass or ceramic dish large enough to hold the fish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Saute 1/2 of the onion slices and 1/2 of the pepper slices in 2 tablespoons olive oil and then place along the bottom of the baking dish. Lay the lemon slices over the vegetables, but reserve a few slices to stuff inside the fish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons more of the remaining Spanish olive oil and season with salt, black pepper, to taste, and crushed red pepper flakes. Place the fish on top of the sliced vegetables.

Using a mortar and pestle, combine the garlic, kosher salt and oregano and mash to form a paste. Spread the garlic paste inside the cavity of the fish and into the slits on top. Place the remaining lemon slice inside the cavity of the fish. In the same small bowl that you used to make the garlic paste, combine the tomato puree and vinegar and stir to combine. Pour this tomato mixture all over the fish. Top with the remaining onion and pepper slices and drizzle the remaining olive oil and the wine over the top. Season again with salt and black pepper, cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil, and bake until the fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork, 45 to 50 minutes. Garnish with the green onions and serve hot or warm, with the pan juices drizzled over all.

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Tilapia DeJonghe

Tilapia DeJonghe
(a twist on the traditional Shrimp DeJonghe)
adapted from THIS recipe

2 lbs tilapia fillets
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Lightly grease an 11x 13 inch casserole dish.
Place tilapia evenly in the casserole dish. Pour wine over the tilapia.
Mix together butter, garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, parsley and bread crumbs.
Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over the shrimp. Refrigerate now if desired.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until tilapia is firm and topping is golden brown. Serve immediately.

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Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes

The following recipe was made & shared for my Tomato Event. You can read and get links to other recipes shared HERE.

Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes
shared at the event by Joelen
recipe HERE and omitted olives

4 Tilapia fillets
salt and pepper
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
¼ cup pitted black olives, diced
¼ tsp hot red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup red onion, diced
1 Tbsp lime juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Arrange fillets in greased baking dish large enough so fillets do not overlap.
Season with salt and pepper.
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl.
4. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over fillets.
5. Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

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Fishing for Dinner

I had a craving for seafood today and so I fished out some tilapia to bake. I came across this recipe and tried my hand at making it a little healthier. It also gave me a reason to try out some Cajun seasoning I recently bought! The recipe isn't really labor intensive... in fact I'm sure a child could do it! I served this with 2 small baked red potatoes and some steamed broccoli.


Here's my adapted recipe for Cajun Seasoned Tilapia:

4 to 6 tilapia fillets, fresh or frozen
cooking spray or 1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper

Heat oven to 400°. Lightly grease a large shallow baking dish.
Combine the seasonings in a gallon sized freezer bag.
Place one tilapia in the freezer bag and shake until fully coated.
If using frozen tilapia fillets, dip the tilapia in water to moisten before placing in the seasoning bag.
Arrange the seasoned fish fillets on the prepared baking pan.
Brush the fillets with melted butter or spray with cooking spray.
Bake the fish fillets for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven, or until fish is cooked through.
Fish will flake easily with a fork when done.
Carefully remove the fillets to plates with a spatula.

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The Nutty Tilapia...

If there is a recipe that I've been so delayed in making, it's this one. Something always came up - dinner out, errands, laziness... But finally, tonight's dinner will be the long awaited Macadamia Nut Crusted Tilapia. The last time I had prepared this was for my birthday luau about 3 months ago. We loved it back then that we wanted to make it again. This time, I served it with sesame bok choy and king oyster mushrooms. It's light, flavorful and great for hot summer nights.

Here's my recipe for Macadamia Nut Crusted Tilapia:

4 frozen tilapia fillets
1-2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup crushed macadamia nuts
1/2 panko breadcrumbs
salt & pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk eggs with water for egg wash.
In a shallow baking pan, combine the nuts, breadcrumbs, salt & pepper.
Dip each tilapia fillet in the eggwash and dredge in the nut/breadcrumb mixture until fully coated.
Plate coated fish on a plate and chill for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Place coated fish on a light greased baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

Here's my recipe for Baby Bok Choy & King Oyster Mushroom Saute:

3-4 baby bok choy bunches
1 1/2 cups king oyster mushrooms (or any kind of mushroom)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons sesame oil

Heat large skillet or wok over high heat.
Meanwhile, prep your veggies by cutting bottoms of the bok choy and rinsing any debris between the stalks. Cut off the green tops and set aside.
For the mushrooms, slice them and if you prefer, remove stems.
When skilley or wok is hot, add oil to coat the bottom.
Add garlic, ginger and bok choy bottoms (not the green leafy tops!).
Stir until stalks are softened; then add mushrooms.
Stir until mushrooms start to brown and soften.
Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and salt & pepper to taste.
Stir and then add bok choy greens.
Remove from heat, add sesame oil and toss until greens wilt.

*I'm also submitting this dish to the Original Recipes blogging event hosted by Lore of Culinarty. This is one of my fave blogging events each month because it showcases the creativity of so many bloggers. Check out the round up mid month!

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