Tilapia With Roasted Tomatoes, Capers & Olives
I am working very hard to eat healthy this year, and one way I am doing this is to increase my intake of vegetables, limit red meat, and focus more on seafood and poultry. Eating seafood every night can get expensive unless you are lucky enough to have fresh, locally caught fish in your area. Tilapia is a light-tasting, inexpensive fish that we buy often, and because of its mild flavor, it can be used in many recipes.
We have been purchasing a large package of tilapia in bulk at Costco, and I simply divide it up at home and freeze in meal-size servings. I was calculating the cost of this tilapia, and we can enjoy a good-sized tilapia fillet each for under $2 a portion by buying it this way. Certainly not expensive for a seafood meal.
This recipe has become a very popular one on my blog since it was published in a special Italian edition of Better Homes & Gardens a few years ago. If you do not have tilapia in your area, any mild white fish fillets will do such as flounder or snapper. I have found that the best way to cook these fillets so they do not dry out is to either bread them and quickly pan fry them or bake them as I do in this recipe in a sauce of roasted tomatoes.
This has quickly become a family favorite seafood recipe that we have often been making because it is flavorful, moist, and the addition of some roasted vegetables makes it a perfect quick mid-week dinner. This dish is what Italian home cooking is all about: fresh local ingredients cooked simply to truly enjoy the food’s natural flavors.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele
Tilapia With Roasted Tomatoes, Capers & Olives
With just a few additions, basic white fillets become an elegant and delicious entree.
Ingredients
- 4 Skinless, Boneless Fish Fillets (About 6 Ounces Each)
- 2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Salted Capers, Rinsed Well
- Salt & Pepper
- 4 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil
- 1/3 Cup Pitted Black Olives
Dressing:
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a casserole dish large enough to hold the fish fillets, add the tomatoes, capers, olives, 3 tablespoons olive oil, basil, salt and pepper.
- Roast the tomato mixture for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened and begun to release their juices.
- Use a large spoon to move the tomatoes aside, and lay the fish fillets in the casserole dish side by side.
- Spoon the tomato mixture on top.
- In a small bowl mix together the dressing ingredients and drizzle this over the fish.
- Bake until the fillets flake easily and are cooked through, about another 10 minutes..
- Serve a fillet per person with a spoonful of the tomato mixture and juice on top.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 filletAmount Per Serving: Calories: 298Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 339mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 12g
