This is the recipe that Eric calls “The Best Tilapia Ever”! It’s easy to make and tastes awesome. I posted this photo on my Facebook page last night and I’ve had a ton of people message me for the recipe…so here it is:

UPDATE: I’ve added instructions and photo for Parmesan Crusted Chicken (or Turkey) below!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

4 Tilapia Fillets
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 egg)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon each of:

• oregeno
• basil
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• crushed red pepper flakes
• black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°, place a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet, spay with cooking spray.

Place egg substitute in a shallow bowl. Mix cheese, cornmeal and spices and place onto a large plate. Dip filets in egg, then dredge in cheese mixture. Place fillets onto prepared rack. Bake for 10 -15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. For the last 3 – 4 minutes I turn on the broiler (and watch it VERY carefully) to get it nice and crispy. That’s it!! Enjoy 🙂

I have also substituted thin chicken breasts for turkey cutlets for the tilapia. The cooking time is between 12 – 18 minutes (including the broiler at the end); depending on the thickness of the chicken/turkey.

Here is a photo of this recipe using turkey cutlets:

One of the things I miss most about not living in New England is the availability of fresh seafood. Living here in Tennessee I have to rely on what is available at my local Whole Foods (the best place I’ve found in the area) or resort to frozen fish. When I say frozen, I’m NOT talking about that disgusting formed and breaded product that some manufacturers attempt to pass of as some sort of food. I do, however, sometimes buy frozen cod, haddock, salmon, or tilapia fillets. This past weekend, Eric and I had been working on my son’s new home; doing some construction work and major cleaning. By the end of the second day of work we were ready for a couple of cold ones and a fun dinner. Since we never eat out in restaurants, we needed to come up this fun dinner on our own. Eric suggested a “fish fry”. Of course, my challenge was to make it as healthy as possible while still being delicious and fun. I think I did it. I hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think.

Beer Batter Fried Fish

¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup stone ground corn meal
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup warm beer
¼ cup egg substitute
½ teaspoon canola oil
½ teaspoon salt-free lemon pepper

4 – 4 oz. fish fillets (tilapia, cod, haddock)
2 Tablespoons canola oil

Mix all ingredients together; the consistency should be like a thin pancake batter (if it’s too thick add a little water). Heat 2 Tablespoons Canola oil in fry pan over high heat (heat to hot but not smoking), coat fish in batter, place into hot oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, carefully flip over (be sure there is still some oil visible in the pan, you may need to add a little extra). Cook 2-3 minutes on second side. Cut a piece with a fork to see if it flakes easily, depending on the thickness of your fish it may need another minute or two.

Guilt Free Tartar Sauce

1 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons sugar-free sweet relish
1 – 1/2 teaspoons horseradish
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt-free lemon pepper
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together; chill.

OK, I know it’s wrong to toot your own horn, but….this is, hands down, the best fish chowder I have ever eaten. It’s what Eric and I call CIYPG  (if you’re wondering what that means, send me a message and I’ll let you know!). That’s all I’m gonna say about that! 😛

Fish Chowder

6 medium red potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/8 teaspoon sage
2 bay leaves
3 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth
1 lb. Haddock (or Cod), cut into cubes
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cups fat free evaporated milk
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, saute for 2 – 3 minutes. Add potatoes, rutabagas, carrots and next 5 ingredients; mix well and saute for an additional 2 – 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and bay leaves, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 – 25 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Remove 2 cups of the mixture and place in a small bowl to cool for a few minutes (make sure you don’t scoop up the bay leaves in this). Meanwhile, place about 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a frying pan and heat over medium. Place the fish cubes into the pan, season with black pepper and saute lightly for 1 – 2 minutes. Put the 3 cups of milk into a bowl and stir in the cornstarch until smooth. Add the milk into the dutch oven and stir over medium-high until slightly thickened. Place the cooled mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add back the blended mixture and the fish, stir until well combined. Gently cook for a couple of minutes, until heated through.

Variation:

Seafood Chowder

The image above is actually Seafood Chowder. The recipe is basically the same; however I used 2 8 oz. lobster tails in addition to the haddock. The tails were frozen, so I thawed them in some cold water for about 30 minutes, then boiled them for 8 – 9 minutes. Once they were done, I put them in some room temperature water to make them easier to handle and then shelled them and chopped up the meat. I added the lobster at the same time as the haddock. Delish!!

Grilled Swordfish or Tuna Steaks

3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon spicy mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons olive oil

Swordfish or Tuna Steaks

Combine first 5 ingredients into a shallow bowl or plat (large enough to hold the steaks). Place steaks into the marinade; turning to cover well. Cover and allow to marinate for 30 minutes (or longer).

Broil (or grill) steaks for 3-4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the steak.

This was dinner last night. Hope you give it try and enjoy it as much as we did!

Baked Honey-Mustard Salmon

2 – 6oz. salmon fillets

3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons Honey
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup dry, seasoned, whole-wheat bread crumbs (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400°. In small bowl stir together yogurt, mustard, honey, cayenne, and garlic powder. Brush each salmon fillet with approximately 1 Tablespoon of honey-mustard sauce (reserve the rest of the sauce for dipping :)) coat the top and sides of each fillet with the seasoned bread crumbs. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until it flakes easily with a fork.

Seasoned Whole Wheat Bread

4 slices whole wheat bread
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Place bread slices on a baking sheet and bake at 225° for about 15 minutes, turn off oven and let dry for about another 15 minutes. Break up the slices into a food processor and add the spices (the types of spices and the amounts can be adjusted according to your taste and what type of recipe you will be using them in); blend in the processor until it turns into fine crumbs. 4 slices of bread makes a little over 1 cup of dried crumbs. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your fridge.

Sauteed Zucchini

2 cups zucchini, sliced
1 cup summer squash, sliced
1/2 cup onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup non-fat, low-sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth

Heat olive oil, over medium-high heat; add zucchini, summer squash, onion and seasonings until lightly browned. Turn heat down to medium and add garlic; continue to saute for another 1-2 minutes. Add broth and cover; continue cooking for 3-4 more minutes or until most of the broth has reduced; stirring occasionally.