Lemon Parsley Balsamic Tilapia

Whitefish is a type of fish that I am not very familiar with cooking. Thinking back on one of my favourite foods as a child and summers at my cottage, it's clear that I have definitely eaten my share of whitefish over the years through lots of orders of fish and chips. But it wasn't the whitefish that had my taste buds excited, it was the crispy batter hugging the fish combined with douses of malt vinegar that I loved. Whitefish doesn't have a lot of flavour on its own, but it has the ability to take on whatever flavour you choose to add to it. I decided to take on the challenge of making a light and healthy whitefish that would still delight my taste buds. It turned out to be much less of a challenge than I had thought. I found a very simple recipe for a tilapia marinade at RecipeZaar and paired my fish with a mini caprese salad instead of the greasy chips I have so any fond memories of devouring. After devouring this dinner with just as much enthusiasm as I had my fish and chips as a child, I would definitely make this light tilapia recipe again and would encourage you to try it out as well!

Note: To make the mini caprese salad, simply mix together halved cherry or grape tomatoes, mini bocconcini balls, chopped basil, a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and freshly ground pepper.

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets

2 garlic cloves (minced)

1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)

1/2 lemon (including zest)

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 dashes Tabasco sauce

Directions:

1. Place parsley, lemon zest, and garlic into a jar. Squeeze in lemon juice

2. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Tightly close jar with lid and shake well.

3. Marinate tilapia fillets for 20-30 minutes.

4. Grill tilapia on medium for 5 minutes per side, making sure to let excess oil drip off of fillets before placing on grill. You may also bake tilapia for 30 minutes, or pan fry for 15 minutes.