I am back! Sorry I was gone for so long. I was in the process of moving to be with my hunny and I had to try and use up a bunch of frozen foods I had managed to stow away in the freezer so that left me with not having to cook for a very long time. I really missed cooking, but I hate to waste food even more. I couldn't bring the frozen foods with me since driving from Florida to Colorado is one long drive! The exciting news is my husband is home from his year long deployment where he served in Afghanistan and I am super uber excited! A year is a very long time for not being with your loved one and always worrying for their safety. You just never know when you will get that dreaded call or knock on the door informing you that were in harms way. Let me tell you... what a year it was! I don't want to go through that again, but in the Army it is inevitable. They seem to deploy every 2 years and sometimes sooner. Here is a photo of hubby at his homecoming with his adorable nieces. You probably can't see their shirts, but one of his niece's shirt says "Move it or lose it. I am here to pick up my Uncle Stephen" while the other one has the words "American Girl". Toooooo cute!
During hubby's deployment, my goal was to lose most of the weight I had gained over the years of being together and I am proud to say I had accomplished most of that goal. Hubby was in shock when he first laid eyes on me at his homecoming and his mother told me he whispered in her ear that I had lost a lot of weight and was so beautiful. Compliments will definitely get you everywhere :) I had been overweight during most of our relationship except at the very beginning, so this was a change for him. A good change indeed. I have more energy than I ever had before and I am definitely more confident in my appearance. Everyone knows how great they feel when they lose 2 lbs, 5 lbs or 10 lbs! I know I feel wonderful even when I lose a pound. Seeing that scale move down is what keeps me motivated. Hubby has agreed to eat some of the lean and green meals I am cooking so it is important for me to find meals that will be tempting to him as well. Otherwise, if a meal doesn't turn out tasty... we have emergency chicken nuggets in the freezer for him LOL so I want him to stay clear away from those little fried chicken pieces. No chicken nuggets allowed for dinner! This tilapia recipe is the first recipe I have cooked since moving here to Colorado. Unfortunately, the movers have not delivered our household goods and it has been 2 weeks! I am forced to live off of limited cooking utensils, a skillet, a pot, a knife, plastic forks and spoons, as well as paper plates. I hope our goods come soon! Did I mention no microwave?! Yeah, I miss my kitchen supplies, but at least my best friend and I are together again!
I am new to eating fish because I was always a scardy cat that I might not like it. What you do not try, you just won't know if it may become a favorite. While my mother in law was here waiting for my husband's arrival, she suggested I try tilapia. I got mine frozen from Wal-mart and I absolutely fell in love with it! Since then, I have made this recipe a second time for hubby to try and he approves! He is not much of a fish eater either, but he did like this. This is such a simple recipe and it is sooooo delicious. Simple and easy is what we like to hear right? The garlic cooked in olive oil really brings out the flavor in the dish so don't throw out the garlic when you are done browning it! Browned garlic is mild and tastes soooo good on the fish. The lemon juice adds a little zing which made it even yummier. The original recipe called for parsley, but I didn't have any so I lightly sprinkled some basil over the top after adding the lemon juice. I will definitely make this dish again! Enjoy!
Tilapia Al Ajillo (Garlic Tilapia)
Ingredients:
9 oz tilapia (1 Lean)
2 tsp olive oil (2 Healthy Fats)
1 clove garlic, sliced (1 Condiment)
1/4 tsp Mrs Dash garlic and herb seasoning (1/2 Condiment)
1/8 tsp black pepper (1/4 Condiment)
2 tsp fresh lemon juice (1 Condiment)
1 tbsp fresh parsley (1/4 Condiment)
Directions:
Season tilapia with Mrs Dash seasoning and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Put fillets in oil and brown for 2 minutes. Add garlic slices to the oil. Continue cooking for 4 more minutes and then flip fillets.
Fry until cooked through and fish flakes easily with a fork. I cooked the fish for an additional 2 minutes, but it will depend on how thick your fillet is.
The garlic should turn golden brown, but not be burned. If they begin to burn, spoon the garlic over the fish so they are no longer touching the pan. When cooked, drizzle the fish with lemon juice and sprinkle with parsley.
1 Lean Serving with 3 Condiments and 2 Healthy Fats
