Oven-fried Tilapia

It's been a while since I posted... the start of the new semester has taken up most of my time. Jeremy and I have still been eating... but a lot of it has unfortunately been take-out. And the meals I have made I've forgotten to take pictures. Well, tonight I got the time to make dinner and remembered to take a picture.

Tonight's dinner was oven-fried tilapia with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. As part of our attempt to be a little healthier, we're trying to eat fish more frequently.I'm fairly picky about how I eat my fish but this was delicious. (I make a few other fish dishes on a regular basis but this was the first time I tried this.) I only needed one fillet but Jeremy had two. It had a nice crunch and nice spice. If you're not crazy about spice, you can go easier on the cayenne in the recipe. I think it helps to liven up what is otherwise a somewhat bland fish. Overall, I really enjoyed this and since the plates are empty, I'm sure I'll make this again.

Below are the recipes for the fish and the rice. I just steamed the broccoli in the microwave and then added a small amount of margarine.

Just a short note... The tilapia I used was bought frozen from the grocery store so I just thawed it before starting the recipe. I've found that most of the time the individually frozen fillets cook up just as well as fresh fish. And, it's easier for me to have fish more often if it's in my freezer... I don't have time to get to the grocery store frequently enough to buy fresh fish all the time.

Recipe:
Oven-fried Tilapia:
3 tilapia fillets (about 4 oz. each - adjust for the hunger of the people eating)
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. Italian style breadcrumbs
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. AP flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbs. melted butter or margarine

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish. Pour the milk into a dish (large enough to be able to dip the fish fillets into). Put the flour on a large plate for dredging.
3. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Coat each fillet in milk, then flour, then milk again, then breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet.
5. Drizzle the fillets with the melted butter.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until fillets are flaky and golden brown. Turn the fillets halfway through cooking so both sides get crispy and brown. Serve immediately.

Rice Pilaf:
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. rice
2 c. chicken stock (or water)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat two tbs. olive oil in a saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add rice and stir to coat with the oil. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the rice smells nutty.
2. Add chicken stock, thyme, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer for 15-18 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
3. Turn heat off and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.