Did you say Tilapia?

 

It is said that we don't have enough fish in our diets, so at least once a week, I try to buy some.  I personally don't like plain fish.   It needs to have either some sort of stuffing or sauce.  The fish I bought this weekend, Tilapia, is a great fish to stuff and roll.  It is nice and thin, and doesn't fall apart.

I decided to make the stuffing out of croutons, crunched up Ritz crackers, spinach, garlic, sauteed Vidalia onion, and a few herbs.  

  

First I cook the onions and garlic.  I also add salt and pepper, and some paprika.  Then I add the defrosted Langostinos (if you can't find them, you can use shrimp).  In a separate bowl I mix the croutons, Ritz crackers, shredded Parmesan cheese.  

Dump the onion mixture in, and start tearing up spinach leaves....

I add probably 1 cup of chicken broth, enough to moisten the stuffing, along with a healthy splash of white wine.  Add as much broth as you need to make it moist enough.   I also drizzled some olive oil in as well.  Keep mixing and tasting.  Make sure you can taste the flavors.  You might need to add some additional onion or garlic powder.  When you are satisfied with the taste and texture, set it aside and get the fish ready

Tilapia is a nice, firm piece of fish that is perfect for rolling.  The only thing is, one side is a little thicker than the other.  So, I take my meat mallet and gently pound the thicker side, just to make it a similar thickness.   All you have to do is spoon your stuffing on the fish and roll it up.  I don't bother tying it. I just roll it and place them in a pan, with the loose end underneath.

When they are all in the pan, I lightly spray them with some vegetable spray, and sprinkle them with seasoned bread crumbs.  I cooked them in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  Your time could vary depending on your oven, so just start checking them after about 15 minutes.  You want the stuffing to be hot.

When they are done, remove them from the oven and let them set.  I decide I want a light sauce to spoon over them.

In a small pan, I pour 1/4 cup of chicken broth, 1/2 cup of half and half, 2 tbs. of Dijon mustard, and 1 tsp of tarragon.  I also grate in a little lemon zest.  Let this simmer for a little bit, then spoon over the fish.

Last but not least, some green beans, sauteed in a little butter, salt and pepper, and sprinkled with some French's French Fried Onions just before serving.

The stuffing was really delicious and the fish was cooked just enough so that it didn't get dried out.  

I know I promised to make my rendition of Bertucci's Sausage soup on Friday, but as you could tell, my plans changed just a bit!   I promise to share it with you this week.  It is definitely worth waiting for!