What's Cookin'?

I just got dinner in the oven.  What are you having tonight?  It's been interesting trying to plan meals the last few weeks.  My husband and I are doing the South Beach Diet.  (The sweet man has been wanting to do it for a while now, but he didn't think it would be good form for him to loose weight while I was gaining through the pregnancy/ies)  Call me a slacker, but I refuse to cook separate meals for us and the kids.  So I was on the hunt for Family Friendly South Beach Phase 1 recipes.  I figured if I could find a main dish that we could all enjoy I could make sides for the kids and sides for us - that wouldn't be too bad.  Honestly, although I sat and longingly stared at their mashed potatoes, my Faux Mashed Potatoes really weren't bad.  And, as of this post I have lost 10 lbs!  Yay, me!

So, what is this meal I speak of?  Baked Tilapia Parmesan.  I can't remember exactly how I came across this recipe.  I want to say I was using Ziplist to search. (Ziplist, if you are unfamiliar with it, ROCKS!  Go check it out!)

Back to the recipe.  I need to give a much deserved THANK YOU to Nikki at Now We're Cooking for sharing this recipe.  It has been a family favorite since the first bite.

Baked Parmesan Tilapia

Recipe Source: Now We're Cooking 

Prep/Cooking Time: 30 minutes / 5 mins prep

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2 lbs tilapia fillets
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
• Grease baking pan. In small bowl, mix together the cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice, basil, onion powder, salt and pepper.
• Arrange fillets in a single layer in prepared pan. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes until done and flaky.
• Remove fillets from oven and cover them with the cheese mixture on top side. 
• Place under broiler for 2 minutes or until the topping is browned.

Be careful not to overcook the fish.

Makes 8 servings.

Ok, so yes - South Beach Phase 1 does not allow for butter.  Simple solution - I substituted Smart Balance Spread.  Tastes just fine!

Just to let you know how super easy this meal is - the fish was done before I finished typing up this post.  =D