Chili-Lime Marinated Tilapia

Another quick and easy protein I love to have on hand is frozen fish fillets. Tilapia, is one such fish that I like to buy cos it’s inexpensive and comes very well packed in individual packets, which makes it easy to thaw. Tilapia is a delicate and lean fish  that easily takes on the flavor of the seasonings you use.

In this dish, I marinated the fish fillets in a spicy (almost batter-like) garlic-chili and lime marinate and pan fried it. I would imagine that you could also bake the fish and it’ll taste just the same. I just prefer frying it  in a non-stick pan cause it’s quick and easy.

The spicy tilapia fillets go great with a fresh, sweet and tangy mango salsa/salad.

Chili Lime Tilapia

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
Juice of 1/2 a Lime
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion salt
1 egg white
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Method:
– Start by blending the roughly chopped garlic along with the juice of half a lime in a food processor/blender, until it becomes a paste.
– Then add the cayenne, cumin powder, paprika, one egg white and onion salt and blend until it’s all well mixed.
– While the blender is running, pour in the oil in a slow and steady steam, just like you’re making mayonnaise.
– Pour the spicy marinade over the fish fillets and using a brush, make sure to coat both sides of the fillets well. Leave them to marinade for about 15-30 minutes.
– Heat a pan on medium and pan fry the fillets of fish for about 6-7 minutes on each side until tender. There’s no need to add any oil to the pan if you’re using a non-stick, as the marinade itself contains oil.
– Serve with some sweet and tangy mango salsa.(see recipe here)

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