Tilapia with Lemon Garlic and Capers with Roasted Bacon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Dinner tonight was nothing short of divine.  These two recipes partnered up as the perfect duo.

Tilapia with Lemon Garlic and Capers

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets or other thin white fish fillets (4 small fillets)

Dash of salt and pepper

Juice of 3/4 lemon (about 2-3 tablespoons)

1 tbsp. capers, drained

1 tsp. lemon zest

Directions:

1.)  Warm the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. 

2.)  Add the fish fillets to the pan and season them with a little of the salt and pepper. Cook them for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets, until the bottoms start to brown. 

3.)  Flip the fillets, pour the lemon juice over them, and season the second side with salt and pepper. 

4.)  Top the fish with the capers. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. When the fish is white throughout and flakes easily, remove it to a plate and serve. 

5.)  Top the fish with fresh lemon zest and spoon lemon juice and caper mixture from the skillet over the top. 

Roasted Bacon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

8 oz. bacon, chopped

2 lbs. fresh Brussels sprouts

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.   

2.)  Cook the bacon in a pot over medium high heat.  Add the Brussels sprouts and toss until they are coated with the bacon drippings.   

3.)  Spread the Brussels sprouts onto a prepared baking pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 10 more minutes.

Twice Baked Faux-tatoes and Baked Tilapia coated in Panko

Sunday night I made a casserole dish full of twice baked faux-tatoes to go along with baked tilapia coated in Panko crumbs (recipe below).  Needless to say, there were not many leftovers and even my brother, who is a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy, loved the faux-tatoes made with cauliflower.  Several have requested the recipe, so I figured I'd post it here.

You'll need:
1 head of cauliflower
4 oz. Neufchatel cheese
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1 bundle green onions, chopped finely
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices of bacon, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Chop the stem off of the cauliflower and cut into small pieces.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, placing the cauliflower in the pan.  You want the cauliflower to be tender, but not too soft.  Drain well, place into a large mixing bowl, and mash with a potato masher.  Mix in Neufchatel cheese, sour cream, green onions, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the cooked and crumbled bacon.  Spread evenly in an 8 x 8 casserole dish.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top and bake 30-35 minutes.  I cooked covered mine for 20 minutes, then removed the cover for 10 to allow the cheese to brown.

 

Twice Baked Faux-tatoes

The Faux-tatoes are delicious served with Baked Tilapia coated in Panko Crumbs.  To make, you'll need:
 3 Tilapia filets
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup unseasoned Panko Japanese bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. "Slap Ya Mama" cajun seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a baking pan lightly with cooking spray.  In a shallow dish, combine the melted butter, garlic powder, lemon juice, and cajun seasoning.  Dip each piece of tilapia in the butter mixture then press into the Panko.  Place the Panko covered filets onto the baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish is flaky.  Garnish with slices of lemon if desired.

Twice Baked Faux-tatoes and Baked Tilapia coated in Panko.