Tilapia with Bacon and Green Beans

I was looking for something different the other day and had some tilapia filets to work with. I also had a can of green beans and some bacon, and went looking for a recipe that might incorporate all three. What I found was lots of green bean and bacon recipes and one tilapia and bacon recipe that used some brown sugar. In a moment, I'd combined the two and here's what came of it: 

Ingredients

• 2-4 tilapia filets 
• 3-6 strips of bacon, cut into pieces of varying size 
• 1/3 cup chopped onion 
• 2 tsp's of lite brown sugar for each filet 

 Preparation

In a non-stick skillet, brown the bacon pieces over medium heat until they're as brown as you like. Sauté the onions until soft. Add 1 Tbl butter or margarine if you don't have sufficient bacon fat to sauté the onions.

Salt and pepper the first side of the tilapia, and use one tsp of the brown sugar for each filet, spreading over the filet evenly. Turn heat to medium-high and lay filets on top of the bacon and onions, sugar side down.

Salt and pepper the opposite sides of the filets and spread with more brown sugar. After 3-5 minutes (edges of fish begin to turn white), slide a nylon spatula under each filet and the bacon and onions, and turn the filet. Repeat for each filet.

Add drained green beans to pan and salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice over each filet.

Serve with rice or pasta.

Simple Baked Whitefish (Cod, Pollack, Whiting)

I'm a fan of fish, fixed just about any way. I like fried fish with tarter sauce, grilled salmon fillets, orange roughy, tilapia, etc. But this week I found a sale at my supermarket of simple pollack fillets and decided to go for a light, baked fish.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb whitefish fillets (one fillet/ person)
• lemon pepper
• parsley
• 1 tbl butter or margarine
• 1/2 lemon
• salt
• pepper

(Preheat oven to 325°) Begin with spraying a glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Lay thawed fillets in the baking dish after checking for stray pin bones. Either melt the butter and drizzle on or take small bits of cold butter and arrange on top to get good coverage when it melts. Lightly salt and pepper the fillets, then sprinkle some lemon pepper lightly over fish, then use some chopped parsley (fresh is nice) across them. Finish with a squeeze of the lemon down the length of both fillets.

Bake uncovered in oven for 20-25 minutes. Fish is done when it the thickest part of the fillet will flake easily with a fork. Be careful removing fish from pan to plate, it will be fragile. But oh so light and flakey!

Serve with lemon wedge. Serves 2

Jiffy Hush Puppies

Fish n' Chips is one of my favorite meals, and these go great along side.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Jiffy mix
  
• 1 cup flour
  
• 1 egg
  
• 2 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
  
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
  
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of Emeril's Essence (BAM!)
  
• Milk
  

Combine all ingredients except milk. Just before cooking, add milk. Drop by teaspoons into deep hot fat. Cook until done (about 2 minutes at 350 degrees). Flip over halfway through cooking to brown both sides.

Sauteéd Fish With Mustard

Ingredients:

•  1 lb. fish filets
  
•  1 lg. clove garlic, crushed
  
•  1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  
•  1 Tbs. spicy mustard (brown or chinese)
  
•  1 bay leaf, crushed (about 1/4 tsp.)
  
•  1/8 tsp. salt
  
•  juice of 1 lime
  
•  1 Tbs. chopped dill (optional)
  
•  1/4 cup cooking oil
  

Prep:
Combine the lime juice, garlic, mustard, bay leaf, cayenne, and salt in a bowl. Coat fish with the marinade and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes. Sautee gently in the oil until done, turning once. Sprinkle with dill.

Honey Dijon Fish

Ingredients:
Marinade

•  1/2 cup Honey Dijon salad dressing (or Honey Dijon Mustard)
  
•  1 tsp liquid smoke
  
•  1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  

Other ingredients

•  1 tsp dried dillweed or 1tsp fresh dill
  
•  2 tsp lemon pepper
  
•  1/2 tsp salt
  

Prep:
Place thawed fish (cod or other white fish) in a dish or sealable bag and add the marinade. Close and let marinate for 30 minutes..

In a baking pan melt 2 tbls butter and add the remaining ingredients. Place fish on the melted butter and spices and bake @ 400 degrees for 15 minutes then broil for 4 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!