Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia

Serves 2 (Note that this is only 2 servings!)

2 large tilapia fillets
1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
3 garlic cloves
1 inch grated ginger (1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Scallions, chopped for garnish
Extra cilantro, to garnish

1. Heat the oven to 425*F. Pat the fish dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.

2. Chop the pepper and garlic, and grate the ginger. Put in a small food processor with the soy sauce, white wine, sesame oil, and cilantro. Whir until blended. Pour the sauce over the fish, rubbing it in a little. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through. Garnish with scallions and cilantro.

Served with rice and green beans

Results: Based on how amazing the original recipe looked, I was really excited about this meal. But I was disappointed. There were way too many flavors competing and it was way too salty. Chris thought it was too spicy (I did not). Neither of us really liked it.

Recipe from The Kitchn.

Tilapia with Prosciutto and Artichokes

Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes (this would have been much shorter but I was utterly confused by the instructions), Cooking Time: 11 minutes

4 (5-oz) tilapia fillets
4 thin slices prosciutto
8 fresh sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 (14-oz) cans quartered artichokes, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Cut each tilapia fillet lengthwise in half to make 8 pieces total. Cut each prosciutto slice lengthwise in half. Wrap prosciutto slice crosswise around each piece of fish. Tuck 2 sage leaves underneath each prosciutto slice. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets and cook, in batches, if neccessary, turning once, until prosciutto is browned and fish is just opaque, 2-3 miutes on each side. Transfer to platter and keep warm.

3. Whisk together broth and cornstarch in small bowl until blended. Add broth mixture and artichokes to skillet; bring to boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture simmers and thickens, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and parsley. Spoon artichoke mixture over fish.

Served with couscous.

Results: OK, the picture isn't that great, because this dish was seriously lacking in some color! Something green (salad, green beans?) really would have improved the presentation. The fish was really tasty, but this was artichoke OVERLOAD! I used less than the recipe called for and this was just too many artichokes. I would put the artichokes and sauce on the plate, then add the fish on top, so that the sauce isn't in every single bite. Otherwise, this was a good way to serve fish, that I'll probably repeat without the artichoke sauce.

Also, the day after I made this, I saw Rachel Ray (what can I say? I like to watch cooking shows while running on the treadmill.) make a similar dish wrapping sage and prosciutto around jumbo shrimp instead of tilapia. That sounds pretty good too.

Grilled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

Recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Serves 6

1 tsp dark sesame oil, divided
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper*
1 cup chopped scallions*
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp red curry paste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp Asian fish sauce
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro*
6 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
salt
Cooking spray

*Use your food processor to chop the red bell pepper, scallions and cilantro (separately) to make this easier to prepare. Be sure to have everything prepped and measured prior to cooking! Once you start, it happens fast!

1. Preheat broiler or grill (I am afraid of my broiler and also afraid of cooking fish inside my house. I grilled (or had my husband grill) the tilapia while I made the sauce. I'll leave the broiling instructions here, if you want to broil instead.)

2. Heat 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and scallions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, Asian fish sauce, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro or basil if using.

3. Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce.

Served with couscous and sugar snap peas.

Results: This meal is as delicious as it is pretty. My in-laws are visiting this weekend and I'm pretty sure they were licking their plates clean! The sauce is amazing! We had enough sauce left over for another meal, so I put it in the freezer and I'm hoping it will be just as yummy next time. Everything is very easy, but make sure you have everything prepped before you start cooking! Will definitely make this again!

Oh, and we knew the fish would be too much for the boys, so this is what they had: