Blackened Tilapia

Blackened tilapia is a new favorite in our house for many reasons. For Luke, it's because he loves the flavor. For me, it's because it only takes a few minutes to make and I always have the ingredients on hand, plus, I can smother it with tartar sauce. With the blackening seasoning on it, you can't detect any sort of fishy taste, so it is great for someone who is afraid of fish. For this dinner, I paired it with roasted asparagus and strawberries for a nice light and fresh meal.

Blackened Tilapia

Ingredients:

8 tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons olive oil

Blackening Rub:

3 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Simple Tartar Sauce:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all spices for blackening rub. Note: combine spices and store in an old spice jar in the cupboard so you always have it on hand. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with Pam. Rinse and pat dry the tilapia. Brush with olive oil. Cover the fillets with the spices and rub it in on both sides. Place on pan and bake until nicely brown and flaky, about 10-11 minutes for large fillets and a minute or two less for smaller fillets. For tartar sauce, simply combine ingredients. If you don't want the fat of the mayo, try just the relish on your tilapia. You will still get that nice tangy flavor of tartar sauce, without all the fat.

Click here to download a PDF of this recipe.

Recipe adapted from 101 Cooking for Two: http://www.101cookingfortwo.com/2012/08/oven-baked-blackened-tilapia.html#.UT3HbhwekuE