It’s time for me to resurrect the popular Spring-Summer Menu series I started last year. (For past menus click here.)
I picked up a few pounds of pencil-thin asparagus this week at the grocery store. Tonight we just roasted it with a little olive oil. (On Saturday I’m making a Spring Vegetable Risotto with the other pound.)
I love it when Spring produce makes its way into the stores. Hooray for asparagus! This time of year it is so tender and flavorful.
I was craving something lighter and healthier now that Spring has officially come. (Though in Utah it’s still freezing cold and it’s been snowing.)
We love Tilapia because our kids will eat it. It’s not too fishy and it tastes great. It’s also affordable and easily found in most stores.
I think that when you cook fish, simple is better. Nothing could be more simple than this:
Baked Tilapia with Rice Pilaf and Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients:
For Tilapia with Lemon-Herb Butter:
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
pinch of garlic and onion powder
One 4 oz. Tilapia fillet per person
For Rice Pilaf: (Click here for recipe)
For Roasted Asparagus:
1 lb. for four people (about)
Instructions:
For Lemon-Herb Butter:
Stir the butter with a silicone spatula or butter knife to soften it. Add the zest, juice, herbs, and garlic and onion powders. Stir well. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form into a log. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
For Baked Tilapia:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse and dry the Tilapia fillets. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily. Top with Lemon-Herb Butter before serving.
For Roasted Asparagus:
Snap off the tough ends. Rinse. Toss with a little olive oil. Lay in a baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until tender-crisp. (The foil keeps the asparagus from losing too much moisture.)
10 Comments
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Oh this looks so good. We really like Tilapia too.
Seriously,baking, pan searing or broiling fish is faster than driving to get fast food – I don’t know why it isn’t more promoted for busy families. Two of my kids LOVE fish and two don’t, but will still eat it. This is first on my menu when we get back from our trip.
Great sounding and looking meal Lindsey! Most of the asparagus here at the moment seems to be coming from Peru, and it is thin. I hate the thoughts of eating anything fresh that has come from that far away, so am holding out for the lovely English Asparagus that should be hitting our shelves hopefully soon! Spring bliss!
This is one of my favorite meals! As soon as the asparagus starts appearing in stores I make fish! I think I need to live on a coast where seafood is plentiful….
The spring/summer menu series sounds great!
sounds delightful. I haven’t ever attempted feeding fish to the kids yet…I better get going so they can appreciate good taste! It’s gotta be better than chicken nuggets!
The perfect spring meal. Looks lovely!
I want some! I am so hungry and it looks so delicious and refreshing!
I will be making this THIS WEEK!
I just had this for dinner, only with haddock instead of tilapia because we can’t get it easily over here, and I swapped the rice pilaf with a quinoa one from another of your spring summer menus. Loved it! Love the spring summer menus. Keep them coming!
Still trying to like fish. It always looks beautiful and juicy and sometimes tastes good. Is tilapia very fishy? I do pretty good with halibut, mahi mahi and I can’t remember the other.