Quick and Easy Parmesan Tilapia Recipe

I am dedicating this article to my dear, life-long friend Brenda. Last Thursday night we had the first of many girls nights out on the new patio. The patio was complete enough for us to have 6 ladies over to eat, gab and bless the patio. For dinner that night Trina wanted to use up some frozen Tilapia. I instantly remembered one of the most well received recipes that I learned while working as a Demo Chef at Central Market. This recipe even converted a lifetime self-proclaimed hater of all foods from the sea. His wife actually thanked me every time she saw me for weeks afterwards. The best part is that you can literally have dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes. We topped it with a fresh-from-the-garden salsa made from tomatoes, basil, capers, olive oil, splash of red wine vinegar and salt/pepper!

So here it is folks!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
4-6 Fresh or defrosted Tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 tablespoons softened butter
1 large lemon
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

Equipment:
sheet pan
foil
small strainer (to catch lemon seeds)
spoon
fork
spatula

Directions:
Preheat your oven on the broil setting and move the rack to the top position. Cover a sheet pan with foil for easy clean up. Spread the olive oil evenly on the foil to prevent sticking.

Arrange fillets on the pan so that the thin parts of the fillets overlap to aid in even cooking. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel. Smear the butter evenly on each fillet. Squeeze half the lemon over top of the fillets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the edges of the fish turn opaque white.

While the fish cooks, combine the mayo, cheese, remaining half of lemon (juiced), garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. When the fish is cooked for the first 3-4 minutes, remove pan and spread an even layer of the sauce over each fillet with the back of a spoon. I like a heaping tablespoon of sauce per fillet. Return to the fish to the oven and cook an additional 4-7 minutes, until the top is bubbling and golden brown. To test for doneness, simply use a fork and pull apart the flesh at the thickest part of the fillet. If it flakes and is opaque all the way through, Bob's your Uncle...they are done.

If you need additional time to finish preparing your meal, cover pan loosely with another layer of foil to keep warm. Or simple use a spatula to gently remove fillets and enjoy immediately.

Variations:
add some dried Italian herbs to the sauce
add onion powder and celery salt to the sauce
add 1 large clove of minced fresh garlic to the sauce
add 1 tablespoon of capers to the sauce
add one pealed/deseeded and chopped tomato to the sauce
sprinkle each fillet with Panko bread crumbs on top of sauce for crunch
substitue fresh lime juice and garnish with cilantro
garnish with torn fresh basil or parsley just before serving
add your favorite hot sauce to the mayo mixture

Voila! Try this recipe even if you think you don't like fish or heaven forbid mayo. Trust me...even the 4 and 6 year old boys ate it all up. It's juicy, flavorful and delish.

Brenda, this recipe is going into your TasteBook!!!!!