Tortilla-Topped Tilapia for Two (or more)

Tortilla Tilapia for Two

Let me start off by saying, I do NOT like touching, cooking, or eating raw fish!  (See how I capitalized, bolded, and italicized that font?  I don’t just throw that “I don’t like that” sh#@ around, freaks!)  Take this blog post as a lesson that anybody can grow to love (or at least tolerate) a fish dish. 

Growing up in a rural, lake-filled, Midwestern household, we ate fresh-caught bluegill or walleye that was oh-so-carefully pan fried, or battered and deep fried, at a minimum of once a week.  It was freshly caught, and yet for my Barbie-doll-loving, encompassing-all-that-is-pink, girly-girl self, participation in anything past catching and reeling it in came to a screaming halt.  No brutally ripping the day’s catch off the hook, gutting, or filleting for this gal, oh no oh no oh no…*Sorry, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.*  As an adult, I have come to the eventual realization that my “fishing with daddy” excursions were not so much to enrich my life experiences, but more to increase his daily catch limit. He will neither deny, nor confirm this theory of mine, but I know it’s true… To this day, my perfect fillet o’fish consists of a heavily beer-battered fillet, doused in malt vinegar, and covered with a thick blanket of tartar sauce; and served with a loaded baked potato on the side…not a very healthy adaptation of the food, but one I love nonetheless.  If I have the opportunity taste a fillet that has been freshly dusted in cornmeal and flour, then pan fried to crispy perfection by my Daddy-O, I am all over it.  That man can prepare a venison tenderloin or a fish fillet for me that defies all taste odds…I just cannot do it.  I have tried, and have come to the conclusion that there are some things better left to the elders for posterity’s sake.  

In what seems like a never-ending quest to find a somewhat healthy, non-fried, non-battered, but still tasty, fish dish for me and the SOB, I created this Tortilla Tilapia for Two recipe.  I was given the challenge by Alyssa JoJo, so what could I do?!?!?  I will say, though, I quite liked this recipe, and with an extra squeeze of lime or lemon on top (or the below-mentioned lemon-lime beer salt), I did not need to douse it in tartar sauce, and that is saying something from my perspective.  Please try, enjoy (or not), and send us some feedback.  We love our freaks and aim to please <3

Ingredients for Two

Double or triple recipe accordingly for number of servings made

2 tilapia fillets

1 cup crushed corn tortilla chips (for an extra splash of white trash, use Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch Doritos and omit other spices)

2 fresh limes, juiced

1 tablespoon dried cilantro, or ¼ cup fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt; lemon or lime flavored if you can find it (which I HAVE, but found somewhere in Texas in a gas station between San Antonio and Corpus Christi next to a cooler full of beer—they dress their beer bottles, similar to salting the rim of a margarita glass)

1 egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a shallow bowl, mix together tortilla crumbs, lime juice from 1 lime, cilantro, and spices.  For maximum mixture, place ingredients into a food processer and pulse until combined.  If anybody who is going to eat this does not like cilantro, use parsley instead.  (Trust me, cilantro haters can detect one single leaf of cilantro in an entire dish, so don’t waste your time thinking, “oh, they won’t notice that if I don’t tell them it’s in it”.  It doesn’t work, and it’s just not worth it.)

In a separate bowl, beat egg.  BAM!  That’s it…easy enough, right?!?!?

Dip tilapia fillet in egg, then in tortilla crumb mixture, pressing crumbs to adhere.  Repeat with remaining fillet(s).  Yes, it is icky, but if you use tongs, it ain’t so bad.

Carefully place tilapia fillets onto a baking sheet.  Press more tortilla crumb mixture on top if needed (not too much or it won’t get crispy, but you want a nice even layer and not be able to see the fish through the breading).  Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  If fillets are thick (more than ½ inch) check after 15 minutes.  If fillets easily flake with a fork, they are done.  If not, bake another couple minutes or so.

After removing from oven, and immediately before serving, squeeze juice from one lime over fish fillets.  I served this with a salad of arugula and segmented grapefruit, but oranges would work just as well and probably be a little sweeter.  I then drizzled olive oil and orange champagne vinegar (from TJ’s, yo) over the salad, and sprinkled with a liberal dose of salt and pepper.  That is all it takes to make a salad, freaks!  Stop whining that you can’t get your veggies in.  I know you’re just not trying…  It was a nice, refreshing combination during the SAD season that has so cruelly and predominately raised its evil head and invaded this late winter in the Midwest, as it always does…

Truly, though…this was an incredibly easy recipe to prepare, and I highly suggest making it if you find yourself in a fish rut and would like to try something different.

Next week, Freaks!
 <3 Mama Lanette