Lenten Meals Part 2: Baked Tilapia with Shrimp Stuffing

Another great dish to make during the Lenten season is Baked Tilapia with Shrimp Stuffing. Tilapia seems to have become the 'go to' fish over the past few years, holding it's own along with flounder, shrimp, salmon and tuna. I wanted to try something other than traditional baked tilapia, and found this recipe on the web a few months back. It's fairly simple to prepare, is very healthy and makes for a nice presentation. Serves well with steamed asparagus, rice and a nice glass of white wine.

BAKED TILAPIA WITH SHRIMP STUFFING
courtesy of applecrumbles.wordpress.com
(click here for original recipe posting)

Serves 2

1.5 fl oz Lemon Juice (or use juice of 1/2 a lemon)
8 large cooked Shrimp, chopped small
1 tbspn Olive Oil,
1 tbspn Scallions (green onion), chopped
2 cups fresh Baby Spinach
1 tspn Minced Garlic
1 tbspn Parmesan Cheese, grated
4 pcs. (4oz ea) Tilapia filet
Old Bay Seasoning, (about 1 tsp)
Sea Salt and Fresh ground Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven 425F
Squeeze/sprinkle lemon juice over tilapia and set aside.
Chop the shrimp small.
Heat oil in saute pan over med. hi heat.
Add chopped green onion, garlic, spinach, you can add sea salt & pepper if you want, to taste.
Simply toss until spinach begins to wilt … about 1 – 2 min. Add shrimp and turn off heat.
In a baking dish sprayed with non stick spray or coat with olive oil (I usually line a foil baking pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up), place 2 pcs. of fish side by side.
Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning…Not Too Much!
Top fish with the spinach/shrimp mixture, spreading evenly on top.
Top that layer with your other 2 pcs. of tilapia and sprinkle with Old Bay, salt & pepper to taste, and 1/2 TBS parmesan cheese on top of each fish assembly.
Bake about 20 minutes or til cooked through.

Lenten Meals Part 1: Scampi

Since we're now about half way into the Lenten season, I'd like to share a few seafood dishes that I enjoy making on Fridays. For this post, I'm going with two scampi recipes that I've had on hand for a few years: traditional shrimp scampi done on a stovetop, and a baked scallop scampi done in the oven. I only make these dishes occasionally, since both call for a nice amount of butter and a seafood ingredient that is fairly high in cholesterol. I do, however, use Smart Balance butter substitute instead of regular butter which helps cut down on the fat and cholesterol. Plus, a special meal once in a while isn't a bad thing!

SHRIMP SCAMPI

6 tablespoons butter (or butter substitute)
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs. (62-70 count) fresh raw medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed
1/4 cup shopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or dried dillweed

Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet until sizzling, add shallots and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until shallots are softened (2-3 minutes). Add shrimp, cook, stirring occasionally until shrimp turn pink (4-5 minutes). Stir in parsley, lemon and dill weed. Continue cooking until flavors are blended (2-3 minutes). Serve over hot cooked pasta.

BAKED SCALLOP SCAMPI
courtesy of cooks.com

1 lb. small scallops
1/4 lb. butter
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon minced garlic (fresh or jarred)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pinch paprika
1 pinch parsley flakes

Place scallops in a casserole. Melt butter and mix lemon juice and chopped garlic. Stir together. Pour mixture over scallops. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, paprika, and flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.