Tasty Tuesday: Parmesan Pesto Tilapia

Eric and I completed a health screen recently.  If we completed the screen and got a high enough score, we'd be eligible for a discount on our health insurance.  We've been going to the gym quite a bit lately anyway, so we kept up our workout regimen.  We started trying to eat a little healthier for a couple of weeks prior to the screening as well.  After the health screen, we decided we'd earned an extra fatty meal so we each got an AM Crunchwrap from Taco Bell (total disgusting guilty pleasure) and a Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino from Starbucks.

I regret nothing!

I shared that story not because I want everyone reading this to know that my husband and I can pack away some serious shit, but because it seemed like a good introduction to the healthy recipe I'm going to share today.  (And also because I find it funny and ridiculous.)

So, as I said, we spent a couple of weeks trying to eat healthier meals.  This was definitely one of my favorites.  It's so simple and light that it's perfect for a weeknight meal.  (And, if you've been reading my blog, you've probably noticed that I'm a huge fan of simple weeknight dinners.  We're usually busy and/or exhausted during the week, so anything that requires minimal effort is perfect.)  I made very minimal changes to the original recipe (which was pretty perfect in its simplicity), but those tiny tweaks made it an absolutely perfect meal for us.

I wish pesto photographed a little better, but you get the idea.

Parmesan Pesto Tilapia

A recipe from Pinch of Yum.


Ingredient List:

• 2-4 tilapia fillets (I used 2 large fillets, but the recipe would work just as well with 4 smaller pieces of fish)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup basil pesto (I used Classico pesto)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tomato, chopped (I used a fresh garden tomato given to me by my BodyFlow instructor, and it was so delicious!)
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

1.  Preheat the broiler on the low setting.

2.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.

3.  Place the fish fillets on the baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil over each piece.

4.  Sprinkle the garlic salt, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese over the fish.

5.  Broil on low 10-12 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.

6.  Remove the fish from the oven, and top with pesto and chopped tomatoes.

As you can probably see from the picture, I paired this meal with a side of whole wheat gnocchi with more pesto and some Steamfresh mixed vegetables.

If you're looking for a quick, easy (I mean, seriously ... Look at those instructions!), healthy recipe, please give this a try.  Eric and I were both pleased with the way it turned out and plan to start including it in our regular meal rotation.