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Monday, June 8, 2009

Baked Whole Tilapia with Roasted Tomatoes - Guest Blogger

When I read through the guest post that Shayne sent me, I said out loud, "Pitter patter, pitter patter." I had never known my heart could talk until then. This dish sounds oh so good and simple.

For more good eats, visit Shayne at Fruitcake or Nuts. I first discovered Shayne's blog when I was searching around for some methods on how to do braised short ribs. Ever since then, I have followed her, even through her move to Mexico City. I have loved reading about the new culture around her and all the awesome food that is available to her and her family.

Now onto Shayne's recipe:

When Whitney from Rookie Cookie e-mailed me asking the be a guest blogger on her blog I was so excited, after all this was the first time that I had been asked in my more than 2-year blogging life. I shot an email back to Whitney right away and then realized that I was in Mexico City and everything was closed due to the swine flu and I was leaving for Michigan in 2 days. When was I going to find time to come up with a new dish, create it and then blog and send it to her?

So here I am back in Mexico City, life back to “normal” and cooking again. Just in time to get a post to Whitney. Sorry it was at the last minute!

At first I was not sure what I was going to create for her. Vegetarian lentil soup, Asian lettuce wraps, chicken and olives? Then when I made this dish and the family sat at the table together and enjoyed every bit of it, I knew that baked whole tilapia with roasted tomatoes was the dish for the Rookie Cookie.

This was the first time I had ever seen tilapia whole and they were nice and fresh so I had to pick them up (the plan was to get mackerel cause that was what they had the week before, but not this week). I also picked up a big package of cherry tomatoes to add to my daughter’s lunch for the week and I thought they would go nicely with the fish. So I added them to the roasting pan too.



2 medium white tilapia (make sure they smell like water and have clear eyes, no fishy smell)
Salt
Pepper
Lemons or limes, sliced
Rosemary sprigs
Olive oil
12 cherry tomatoes

Set oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the fish under cold water and pat dry. Cut 1 to 2 inch gashes in the meat of the fish. Be sure that there are not scales left behind and that the inside is cleaned.

Season the fish generously with salt and pepper inside and out. Lay 3 or 4 slices of lemon or lime in the cavity of the fish along with a sprig of rosemary. Lay 2 sprigs of rosemary on a baking sheet and place the fish on them. Drizzle the fish with olive oil to coat evenly.

Place the fish in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

While the fish is baking place the cherry tomatoes in a bowl and drizzle with about 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, about a teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary and salt and pepper.

Once the fish has baked for 30 minutes add the tomatoes to the baking sheet and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the fish is done.


I know that 40 to 45 minutes seams long to bake the fish and I was surprised that it took that long too and was still a little under done at the bone. I found that this fish is fairly fatty and thick and it did not dry out in the long baking process so do not be afraid to bake this fish for a long time.

We served the fish and tomatoes with bread and Tzatziki salad.

Thank you Rookie Cookie for giving me a place on your wonderful blog. And I want to say that I don’t follow you just for the food blogging but for the mom blogging, I enjoy it very much.

4 comments:

Ingrid_3Bs said...

This is a dish my Dad would LOVE! Whenever there is a similar dish on the menu when we go out he's all over it!
~ingrid

Shayne said...

OMG now that I read through this post again I see so may mistakes. I am so sorry. often I log onto my blog to fix them 5 or 6 time before they are all fixed.

Jen said...

This is a recipe after my own heart - simple, healthy and delicious!

Diana Washington said...

Wow that sounds really deliscious . I will try it soon.