baked fish | Pasta Princess and More

I was planning on having a salad for dinner from my garden and maybe adding some chicken and vegetables. How quickly plans can change. I went to the supermarket on my lunch break and just happened to pass by the fish case … fresh tilapia was calling my name. I also picked up a huge ripe mango and was thinking maybe grilled tilapia with mango salsa, but I’ve had that before and I wanted something different. I searched the internet for tilapia and came up with 3 recipes that sounded good; with ingredients I had at home. I finally decided on this recipe. I usually grill my fish, and rarely, if ever bake fish. That is about to change after making this recipe! Oh my … I was totally unprepared for this taste sensation!! I knew that I liked the ingredients, but I just didn’t imagine it would be this good. For a recipe so simple, and so quick I was quite simply amazed that it was this incredibly good! My original idea of a salad came together, but with a wonderful surprising twist and a recipe that I will be making over and over again. An added bonus is that this is very light and healthy and high in flavor! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Asian Inspired Baked Tilapia (serves 2)

2-3 tilapia fillets – about 3/4 pound
1 jalapeno pepper
3 green onions
2 -3 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Red Pepper, chopped for garnish
Scallions, chopped for garnish
Extra cilantro, to garnish
1 package/bag Mixed Baby Salad Greens

Heat the oven to 475F. Pat the fish dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish. Add jalapeno pepper, green onion, chopped ginger, and cilantro into small food processor and pulse until combined. Add the mixture to a small bowl with the fresh lime juice, soy sauce, white wine, and sesame oil. Mix until blended. Pour the sauce over the fish, pressing the solid ingredients down into the fish a bit. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through. Divide the salad greens between two plates. Remove the tilapia with a spatula and place half on top of the greens on each plate. Drizzle the fish with the marinade left in the pan. Garnish with chopped red pepper, cilantro and green onion. Serve with warm, crusty bread.