Talapia Fillets

I have to admit, I was not a fan of fish in my youth. Growing up I had tuna fish sandwiches and the occasional trout when we caught one from the river. As an adult, I have expanded my palate and discovered that I really do like fish. Hmm...who knew?

Luckily, my kids are not as reserved and they love fish. My five year old even asked for this as her birthday dinner - it's definitely a favorite in our house!

Ingredients:

8 small talapia fillets

3/4 cup flour

2 tsp Mrs. Dash

1 tsp salt

3 Tb olive oil

I always tend to buy my talapia in the frozen, individually vacuum sealed packages. So...if you're like me you want to take your fish out of the freezer and allow it to thaw before you begin cooking it.

Now, if you're even more like me, you will have forgotten to take your fish out of the freezer until right before you need it. If this is the case, then you're in luck! Talapia doesn't take very long to thaw, so all you do is fill a sink with cool water and place your individually vacuum sealed packages into the water for about 5 to 10 minutes. This will obviously not work unless your talapia is completely air tight.

Once your fish is thawed, you're ready to go!

Place the flour, salt, and Mrs. Dash seasonings in a shallow dish (like a pie plate). Mix them together with a fork.

Place 2 Tb. of olive oil in a skillet on the stove over medium to high heat.

Once your oil has had a few moments to heat up, place your fish in your flour mixture. Completely coat both sides of the talapia.

Then use a fork to transfer the talapia over to the frying pan. Do the same thing with the remaining fillets.

Don't over crown the frying pan - mine holds four at a time.

Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes and then.....

flip the fillets over and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes (usually closer to 5).

Because I can only cook 4 fillets at a time (and I need 8 for my family), I will take the cooked tilapia and place it on a plate in a warm (not hot) oven while I cook the next batch.

This is where the additional oil comes it. Place 1 to 2 Tb. oil in the fry pan and start the process over again.

In the end you will have some yummy, and easy, talapia fillets.

You could just stop there and eat it with some rice. However if you want something a little fancier, you can make a sauce to go over the fish.

Take 1/4 to 1/2 cup water (or chicken stock) and add it to the fry pan. The flour left in the bottom of the pan from cooking the fish will act as a thickening agent. Stir constantly while you add the liquid and within a few minutes you will have a nice little sauce to go on your fish.

Whether you have it with the sauce, or without, your family will definitely enjoy this dinner!

*Served with herbed rice