Baked Tilapia on top of Quinoa with Brown Butter Dill Sauce

 

I'm finally back in my kitchen.  Had a bit of a rough week last week and wasn't able to make dinner once!!!! Blasphemy, I know! Normally you see dill sauce on Salmon, however I'm in Graduate school and cannot afford that.  I don't want to say Tilapia is cheap, but it is.  The Tilapia I used for dinner tonight was from the frozen section and it was still delicious.  The Dill Sauce is super simple as well and I would most definitely make it again when I make fish.  I served this Tilapia atop Quinoa (my first attempt I might add!) and aside roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus, and squash. Frozen Tilapia has officially became a staple in my freezer.  It thaws super quickly and it needs only a little seasoning and a squeeze of lemon and you are good to go! 

Tilapia:

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Season each Tilapia fillet with your favorite seasoning blend.

 2. Place each Tilapia fillet on a large piece of aluminum foil.  Squeeze 1/2 Tsp. lemon juice on the seasoned Tilapia, and fold the foil over making a tent.  Make sure to fold the ends up as well so the juices don't run out and all over your oven.  

3.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the Tilapia is white throughout and flaky. 

Dill Sauce:

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream 

1/4 Sweet Onion - finely grated 

3-4 Cloves Garlic - minced 

2 Tbs Butter - Browned 

1/2 Cup Fresh Dill - Minced 

1.  Begin by browning the 2 Tbs. butter in a pot over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is browned, add the minced garlic and grate the onion into the pot. Saute for a few minutes.  

2.  Add the heavy cream and dill and bring the mixture to a boil.  Let the Sauce simmer over medium heat until it thickens.  This will take about 10-15 minutes. 

3.  Remove from the heat and serve atop fish.  

Quinoa:

1. Rinse Quinoa thoroughly before cooking.  (This is important! Even though Quinoa is usually rinsed before packaging, it still needs to be rinsed before you cook it to ensure there is no bitter flavor)

2.  Cook Quinoa in a ratio of 2:1 (i,e: 1 Cup Quinoa to 2 Cups water).  

3.  After rinsing the Quinoa completely, add to a pot with the water. Quinoa quadruples in size, so keep this in mind when cooking.  I cooked 1/2 cup of Quinoa for Blake and I and it was more than enough.   

4.  Put the heat on high and once the Quinoa is boiling, bring heat down to medium.  Cover with the lid and let the Quinoa simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed. 

Roasted Veggies:

2 Yellow Squash 

1 Bundle Asparagus

1 Medium Sized Sweet Potato

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Wonderfully these veggies take just as long as the Tilapia, so you can put them in at the same time! 

2.  Cut up the Veggies into pieces that are around the same size and place flat on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle oil over the veggies and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  

3.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.