Greek Tilapia with Yogurt, Dill and Lemon

I’m not a huge fan of white fish for some reason. I remember when I was little they used to have Friday fish fry’s – I never liked fish fry’s or fish sticks…it’s just not my thing – or tartar sauce….never liked it either! But as I’ve aged (ugh!) – I’ve tried to open myself up to more white fish. Tilapia is, in my opinion, the most basic white fish – and it’s one of my favorites. It takes on flavors so beautifully and really becomes a wonderful canvas to play with. Except I don’t play with it…I eat it!

I found this recipe a long time ago on epicurious….it’s so easy, so delicious, and so refreshing. Oh, and incredibly healthy. So that works well for me! Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this dish:

Now, I should mention – I made N’s fish slightly different than mine – I used a mixture of mayonnaise and greek yogurt to top his fish. You’ll notice the slightly different colors on 2 of the fish, and that’s why. It’s richer than with only yogurt, but the yogurt adds a great tangy bite – which is why the combination is really nice as well.

This is a simple dish to prepare – get a small pan ready and line it with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the tilapia down. I recommend getting 2 pieces per person. I mean, tilapia is so low calorie it’s ok to eat a large portion of it. I only got 3 pieces for some reason – duh.

Prepare the topping for the fish: cut the dill and mint into small pieces.

Mix the herbs with 6 ounces of Greek yogurt. I used fat free – which is just as delicious, tangy, and thick as full fat. Add in 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and a sprinkle of lemon juice. Probably 2 teaspoons worth – you don’t want to add in too much liquid b/c you want the topping to really stick to the fish. Now, add in the feta. I used about 3 ounces for the three pieces.

Recommendation: use a good quality feta. Higher quality will have much more flavor – I like to go to the local Mediterranean store which sells feta from Aladdin’s in Cleveland — the best feta around. Seriously. If you have the option between Greek and French style feta – I prefer French…it’s creamier and super tasty. Note: I did not have this for this recipe….but the one I used was pretty good….not nearly as good as Aladdin’s! The better tasting your feta is – the less you’ll need to use, which will result in less calories consumed trying to create a flavorful dish.

Layer the topping on top of the fish – then lay two very thinly sliced lemon pieces on top of each fish. Put the fish under the broiler for 15 minutes until lightly browned and the fish is completely cooked through. Serve this with steamed broccoli – or a marinated onion, tomato, cucumber salad (recipe to come).

So delicious, so easy, so healthy. I hope you try it…and enjoy!

Greek Lemon Roasted Tilapia

Serves 2-3

Click here for recipe.

Ingredients:
2-4 tilapia fillets
6 oz. fat free greek yogurt
3 oz. feta cheese
2 T. chopped mint
2 T. chopped dill
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 lemon – slices and reserve 2 t. juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare the broiler – lay tilapia on a foil lined pan.
2. Prepare the topping for the topping – chop up herbs into a small dice.
3. Mix together the yogurt, herbs, salt and pepper, lemon juice, and feta.
4. Spread the yogurt topping evenly ontop of the fish fillets.
5. Thinly slice remaining lemon – remove the seeds!
6. Lay 2 slices of lemon ontop of each filet.
7. Cook the tilapia by placing under the broiler for 12-15 minutes until top is slightly browned and fish is cooked through.

Enjoy!