Tilapia with Capers & Grilled Asparagus with Caper Vinaigrette

I stopped buying fish from grocery stores for awhile because it didn't taste like real fish to me. THEN. My good friend Beth who is one of the healthiest and creative people I know made me some of the most delicious Tilapia I had ever had. She brushed it with olive oil, sprinkled it with sea salt and a little no-salt Mrs. Dash (Garlic and herbs blend) and then wrapped it in tin foil and cooked it on the BBQ grill. I think the secret to this success was high quality Tilapia, and hers had come from Costco.

The next Day I went to Costco and bought a bag and have been SO happy with the quality of the Tilapia. The filets are really meaty and flaky.


Nothing goes better with fish than ASPARAGUS in my opinion and nothing compliments fish better than CAPERS so put on your happy pants because these two recipes combine all the forces of delcioso-ness!

Ingredients For Tilapia:

4 Tilapia filets

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/8 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp dried Oregano

1/8 Tsp Paprika

2 Tbsp capers, drained

Instructions:













1.Preheat oven to 425.

2. Place Tilapia filets in a shallow baking dish.

3. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Brush the filets with this mixture so that the garlic powder can adhere to the filets.

4. Next, pour the remaining olive oil mixture over the fish, sprinkle with remaining seasonings and top with capers. Cover with tin foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the fish is tender and flaky.

Ingredients for Asparagus:

1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

Cooking spray

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp freshly ground black peper

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tsp capers

1/4 small basil leaves

Instructions:






1.Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the asparagus over the cookie sheet.

2. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except basil. Brush the asparagus with vinaigrette until evenly coated. Top with basil leaves.

3. Bake for 10-15 minutes in a 425 degree oven, uncovered.

Drizzle everything with fresh lemon juice before serving.

Printable Version

Warm Quinoa salad with tofu and asparagus

Asparagus is by FAR my favorite vegetable. When Sunflower Market had it on sale for only $1.27 a pound this week, I bought 8 bunches because I know I will probably have to wait until next Spring before it goes on sale again. I would also classify quinoa as one of my favorite grains so a salad with both my favorites foods and a few other star foods like sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, and tofu is the best thing I've eaten in a long time. I used my Whole Foods cookbook as a guide but since I deviated from the original so far, I had to rename the recipe! This recipe is for a single serving so adjust accordingly.

Printable Version

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 C frozen peas
5-8 spears of asparagus, woody ends discarded, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 C cooked quinoa (May be cooked in chicken broth for extra flavor)
1-2 tsp minced garlic, the fresher the better!
1-4 tsp lemon zest, you decide
1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 block of extra firm tofu, diced. 1/4 block should equal 1 serving according to the package
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. To cook your quinoa, rinse your quinoa thoroughly to get rid of the bitter coating. After rinsing, place in a pot and cover with double amounts of water. It cooks similar to rice so if you have 1 C of quinoa, cover with 2 C water. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to low and cover for 20 minutes and don't peek or you'll let the precious steam out! This recipe works well with savory quinoa, so cooking in chicken broth instead of water would work too.

2. In medium skillet, saute the garlic in the olive oil on medium-high until fragrant. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, cook 1-2 minutes.

3. Add chopped tofu and cook until almost browned, about 4 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium-ish and add the chopped asparagus and frozen peas. Cover and let cook until the asparagus is tender but not wilted.

5. Add cooked quinoa and stir until all combined. Continue cooking for about 1 minute. Salt and Pepper to taste and serve immediately.