This is a quick and easy, yet sophisticated and super healthy fish dinner. Any flaky white fish will do. The light breading and sunflower seeds make a great crispy coating.

Sunflower Tilapia

4 servings
208 calories per serving

2 large egg whites
1/2 t pepper
½ t salt
1 t grated lemon zest
1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs
3 T unsalted sunflower seed kernels
4 6 oz. tilapia filets
Pam

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat it. Mix egg, half the lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix breadcrumbs, sunflowers and the other half of the lemon zest in another both. Dip fish in egg mix then dredge in breadcrumbs. Spray pan with Pam and add fish. Bake 10 minutes or until done.

Shake and Bake fans will love this one. Both the fish and the potatoes get a coating so the meal is crisp, the fish stays nice and moist, and the potatoes (‘chips’) are just a little different. This is crunchy goodness !

Baked Fish and Chips

4 servings
280 calories per serving

2 large baking potatoes cut into 8 wedges each
1/4 c light zesty Italian dressing
1 pack extra crispy Shake n’ Bake
1 lb. tilapia filets (or any other white fish)
1/4 c light mayo
Pam

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix potatoes with dressing and dust with ¼ c of the Shake n’ Bake. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and add the potatoes and bake 25 minutes. Spread mayo on fish and then dredge in the rest of the Shake n’ Bake to coat them evenly. Place fish in a wire rack sprayed with Pam and place that in the oven and bake 15 minutes or until done.

Poaching fish in milk makes for a delicate and mild fish dish. It is simple to put together and so elegantly perfect.

Milk Poached Fish

4 servings
158 calories per serving

4 5 oz. tilapia filets
2 bay leaves
3 T fresh lemon juice
Chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Skim milk (enough to cover the fish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place fish in a shallow baking dish. Cover with milk. Season with salt and pepper and add the lemon and bay leaves. Cook fish 20-25 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Serve with Ginger Carrots and Steamed Potatoes with Garlic Sauce for an awesome meal

This is a very aromatic meal and the sauce can really be used on any white fish, delicate or firm. I make a little extra sauce and really smother the fish for extra goodness.

Honey Tilapia

4 servings
230 calories per serving

Fish:
1 t oil
4 6 oz. tilapia filets
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Sauce:
2 1/2 T lemon juice
2 T green onions, chopped
1 T honey
1 T soy sauce
1 t bottled ground fresh ginger
1/4 t dark sesame oil

Prepare dressing by placing all ingredients in a bowl and mixing well.

Heat oil in a non stick skillet on medium high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and cook 3 minutes each side or until fish is opaque. Top each fillet with 2 T of dressing.

Rustic and earthy is the way I would describe this dish. The pepitas, capers and tomatoes just make this dish what it is – very special. This would be a great meal to make for guests.

Tilapia with Pepitas

4 servings
180 calories per serving

2 T pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
4 4-ounce tilapia fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T oil
2 T lemon juice
1/2 c dry white wine
1 T butter
1 1/2 T capers, drained and rinsed
1 c grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 c chopped basil
Pam

Toast the pepitas very briefly (do not let them brown) in a hot skillet. Remove and set aside. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and spray a baking sheet with Pam. Broil fish 3-4 minutes.. Heat oil and butter on medium heat and saute tomatoes and capers 2 minutes. Add lemon and wine and simmer 1 minute. Add fish (browned side up) and baste with sauce. Remove fish to a plate. Add basil, pepitas, salt and pepper to pan and saute 30 seconds. Spoon over fish and serve immediately.

In Italian, Puttana means whore. Pasta Puttanesca is supposedly a dish often made by these working girls who had little time to cook. Puttanesca sauce is quick to make, full of a bit of this and a bit of that, and so entirely flavorful ! The bite in puttanesca usually comes from anchovies. In this dish, instead of serving the sauce over pasta, it is used as a condiment for fish. And instead of anchovies, the slight bite comes from the mustard coating on the fish. Super good ! This is actually better a few hours later after the sauce has time for the flavors to mingle.

Tilapia Puttanesca

4 servings
178 calories per serving

4 4 oz. tilapia filets
5 t Dijon mustard
1 T oil
1/2 c chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1/8 c Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
1/4 c black olives, chopped
1/4 c sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/3 c chopped fresh parsley and basil

Brush mustard on fish. Heat oil in a skillet and cook fish 4 minutes per side or until done. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Add onions to skillet and brown for 6 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, dressing, olives, sun dried tomatoes and half of the parsley and basil. Cook 5 minutes then add the fish back to the pan and heat briefly. Serve with puttanesca over fish. Garnish with the remaining parsley and basil.

The coating on the fish is so zesty and perfectly balanced that you don’t want to stop eating this. And at only 150 calories per serving, you CAN keep going ! Very satisfying with a big, bold flavor.

Louisiana White Fish

4 servings
150 calories per serving

2 t oil
2 t Dijon mustard
½ t salt
½ t cajun spice (or more depending on your tastebuds)
4 6 oz. 1 inch thick fillets of cod, tilapia or other whitefish
Pam
1 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix oil, mustard, salt and spice and brush onto fish fillets. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with Pam. Place fish on sheet and bake 20 minutes or until fish flakes and is done. Sprinkle lemon
juice on fish and serve immediately.

Fish smothered in diced veggies. What a great pesto flavor shines through for using so little of it. This was an awesome meal and it is very quick to prepare !

Quick Whitefish and Vegetables

4 servings
180 calories per serving

4 4 oz. tilapia or other white fish filets
1/4 c low fat Italian dressing, divided
1 T pesto (prepared pesto is available in the refrigerator section at your grocer)
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
3 T chopped basil or parsley
Pepper to taste

Brush fish with half the dressing and sauté 4-5 minutes per side or until done. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add veggies, pesto, pepper and the rest of the dressing and sauté 5-7 minutes or until slightly tender. Garnish with basil or any other fresh herb.

The melon salsa is sweet but has a bite (onions + jalapenos) and is a perfect accompaniment to a simply broiled tilapia fillet.

Tilapia with Melon Salsa

4 servings
268 calories per serving

2/3 c honeydew melon, in very small cubes
2/3 c cantaloupe, in very small cubes
1/3 c English cucumber, peeled and diced small
1/3 c red onion, diced small
3 T chopped mint
1 t grated lemon zest
2 T lime juice
4 t oil
1 ½ t minced jalapeno peppers
¾ t agave nectar (or honey)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 6 oz. tilapia fillets
Pam

Tilapia with Melon Salsa

Preheat broiler. Mix first 10 ingredients and set aside. Spray baking sheet with Pam and sprinkle tilapia with salt and pepper and broil 3 minutes per side or until done. Serve with melon salsa.

The fish was so simply done – the ginger butter was really the show stealer here. It made plain, ordinary fish into a delightful meal. I think it would be equally good on shrimp or chicken – and it makes cooking such a snap !

Tilapia with Ginger Butter

4 servings
202 calories per serving

1 ½ T chopped cilantro
1 ½ T butter, room temperature (you can use any butter substitute here that you wish)
1 t minced jalapeno pepper
½ t grated lime rind
¼ t grated ginger root
Salt to taste
4 6 oz. tilapia fillets
Pam

Mix cilantro, butter, pepper, lime, ginger and ¼ t salt. Chill until butter is firm.

Heat a skillet and spray with Pam. Salt and pepper both side of the fillets and sauté 3 minutes per side or until done. Plate and add butter pats to the top of each fillet.

Ginger Butter