I still remember the day my husband made his ultimate decision to switch to a pescatarian diet (No land animals including but not limited to beef, chicken , pork). People chose to make dietary modifications for health, religious or other moral reasons. Whatever their reason, they need support from friends and family. There will be several challenges to deal with. Old family recipes will be changed, new favorite eat out spots will be discovered, thanksgiving menus will be rehashed and people might also experience some financial constraints as a result.
Questions I had to answer encompassed ” What on earth am I going to cook!!:” How am I going to ensure a well balanced diet? And my proteins? What can be substituted for what? My brain was buzzing with questions I had no answers to; but after extensive research and lots of reading, I think I’ve got some of it figured out (Well I sure hope I do by now because its been almost 2 years).
We do eat more fish now than we did before (obviously) . One lesson I learned the hard way is that overcooked fish taste just as bad as other overcooked proteins like beef, chicken etc. Fish is naturally tender with very little connective tissue ; so worry not about tenderizing, focus on not overcooking and drying out.
Tilapia is one of my favorites. It’s a lean fish, so easily dries out if overcooked. To help retain moisture in this recipe, it was pan-fried with some smart balance olive oil buttery spread. Fish was flaky, moist and evenly cooked. This simple, quick recipe is definitely on top of the list for me.
Blackened Tilapia w/ Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients – Tilapia
- 2 Tilapia fillets (~ 1 lb)
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil butter spread
- 2 Tbsp. Meko Dry Rub African spice rub from EssieSpice.
- 1 tsp. roasted garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Ingredients Sweet Potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (~1 lb)
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp . olive oil buttery spread
- 3 sage leaves
- 2 Tbsp. Tamarind-OH! Sauce
Method- Tilapia
- Rinse Tilapia fillet under cold water and pad dry with clean kitchen towel or paper towel.
- In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well ( Fish rub).
- Completely coat fish with rub ( refrigerate while you prep sweet potatoes for baking)
- Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil spread in a large fry pan or skillet. Add fillet and cook until fish starts to darken around edges (~ 3 mins). Flip, add 1 tbsp. olive oil spread and cook for another 3 minutes or until darkened.
- When ready serve immediately. Feel free to top with your favorite home made sauce.
Method -Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat Oven to 425
- Wash, peel and dice sweet potatoes into ~1 inch pieces.
- Melt olive oil spread in skillet, and sage and cook for ~1 min.
- Add in potatoes , cinnamon and Tamarind-OH! Sauce , mix well to completely coat potatoes.
- Transfer to oven and bake covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and caramelized.
- Serve warm with Tilapia.
Hope you try this recipe and enjoy its simplicity!
Looks delicious! I tried being a pescatarian a few years back. I really enjoyed it, but it would be made easier with recipes like this!
Thanks Jasmine! Funny how my husband is yet I’m not, I just can’t give up other proteins yet ? but I tend to eat like him most of the time.
I’m the same way. I ultimately felt like I needed other protein besides fish and shrimp! I also tend to eat whatever my husband east – it’s just easier to prepare!