Broiled Tilapia and Teriyaki Veggies

In an attempt to eat more fish, we picked up a bag of frozen tilapia at the grocery store a few weeks ago. Man, have they been handy! They are individually frozen and thaw in 4 minutes in the microwave. I came up with a quick and easy recipe that makes this take less time than running to Sonic or Wendy's which is a HUGE benefit when we're starving and tempted. I'd highly recommend this for anyone - even non-fish eaters. Tilapia has a very mild taste and really takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with.

Alicia's Broiled Tilapia

1/8 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup sour cream

4 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese (I've used fresh and the fake jarred kind, and both are fine for this recipe)

1 slice of good wheat bread toasted and finely ground into crumbs (or you can use a handful of crackers crumbled)

1 tsp dried basil

1 clove garlic, minced (dried garlic powder is fine too)

the juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper

4 tilapia fillets

Mix all of the ingredients (other than the fish, salt, and pepper) in a bowl, just stirring with a spoon to combine. Meanwhile, turn your oven's broiler on, and line your broiling pan with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Salt and pepper both sides of the tilapia, and broil for 3 minutes. Turn the tilapia over and broil another 2 minutes. Evenly spread each fillet with the cheese/mayo/spice mixture, and broil for another 2 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the fish, you may need to add or subtract time. But this timing has worked perfectly every time for me. Serve immediately. Yum!

The side dish pictured is another favorite of ours. It's another quick dish. And, you can add diced chicken to make it a complete meal.

Teriyaki Veggies

1 bag of stir-fry veggies (frozen)

1 small bag of broccoli florets (frozen)

1/2 bag of bell peppers (frozen)

your favorite teriyaki marinade (1/8 - 1/4 cup)

1-inch slice of fresh ginger, grated

juice of 1 orange

1 clove of garlic, minced

honey, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

Steam (using the method of your choosing) all of the veggies. Meanwhile, add the rest of the ingredients to a small saucepan. Heat to a simmer, and reduce slightly. This will taste fine without any reduction, but I like the thicker consistency. After roughly 3 minutes of bubbling, taste-test and adjust flavors accordingly. Pour sauce over the veggies, and stir to coat.