Meatless Meals #5 - Baked Parmesan Herb Tilapia + A List of Other Meal Ideas

Today I'll wrap up my meatless meals recipes with one of our favorite meatless "mains"; Baked Parmesan and Herb Tilapia. My Mr loves this so much that he has told me he'd love for me to make it every single Friday.

(Since we have so many meatless meals that we love I have included a list of meal/main dish ideas at the bottom of this post).

Tilapia is one of my favorite fish to work with. Because it doesn't have a tremendous amount of flavor, (I'd compare it to chicken) you can add almost any seasoning you like, and it is extremely hard to go wrong.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• a zip of white wine
• a zip of fresh lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil (dry basil may be substituted)
• 1-2 tablespoons finelychopped fresh oregano (dry oregano or Italian seasoning may be substituted)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6-8 (4oz?) slices/pieces of tilapia

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Melt the butter with the garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is almost all melted, add the wine and lemon juice. 
3. When the butter starts to bubble, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. 
4. Stir the breadcrumbs together with the Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, pepper, and salt in a bowl. 
5. Dip the tilapia in the butter mixture, then press into the seasoned bread crumbs. 
6. Place the tilapia into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
7. Bake fish in preheated oven 15 to 25 minutes or until fish just starts to flake.
   
   *Baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish you use. Watch the fish closely so that it does not overcook.
   *Note: This fish can also be made in a broiler.
   1. Follow steps 1-6 above. Broil 5 to 7(ish) minutes or until flaky and golden brown.
   
   

Hint: Set out a bowl of fresh lemon wedges on the table for those who'd like an extra splash of flavor.

For side ideas check the bottom of this post. Our favorites with this recipe are wild rice and sauteed/roasted yellow squash (...oooo...OR fresh cucumber, tomato, basil salad!!!...I'll have to share this recipe later on...it's perfect for the summer and so refreshing)...and when it's not lent we like a good white wine with this meal. 

Wild Rice

Sauteed Yellow Squash

Cucumber, Tomato, Basil Salad

As promised, here is a list of some of the other meatless meals we LOVE:

• Fresh Basil, Tomato, and Garlic Pizza (No sauce. Just E.V.O.O., sea salt, and pepper)
• Fresh Spinach, Garlic, and Sauteed Mushroom White Pizza
• Bowtie Pasta and Pesto Salad (with sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, pine nuts, and garlic... and a little feta tastes great with this)
• Greek Pasta Salad/Pizza (with olive oil, sea-salt, pepper, garlic, tomatoes, feta, olives, capers, red peppers, and red onions)
• Breakfast for dinner (i.e. fruit pancakes with cheesy eggs)
• Pico De Gallo Quesadillas (with sour cream to top and black beans and fresh fruit as sides)
• And when we've had a really loooong day and our cupboards are bare (well almost bare) we resort to Annie's Shells and White Cheddar Mac and Cheese!

I hope you find these recipes and ideas useful, and enjoy them as much as we do!