Mediterranean Fish with Tomatoes and Olives

        

While “sheltering in place” these past several days trying to wait out the coronavirus disruption, I have been testing a variety of dishes and recipes that feature our spices and blends.  I love white fish of all kinds for its flavor and health benefits.  White fish also readily absorbs the flavors of any spices it is cooked with making it a good test vehicle for different seasonings.

One of the dishes I discovered was “Mediterranean Fish with Tomatoes and Olives.”  This dish is as old as the civilizations and cultures surrounding the Mediterranean itself and there are many variations out there.  I like this one because it can be served as an entire one dish meal if you choose and is cooked with a lot of garlic and mild pepper varieties which I also love.  

Yield:  4 servings                               Prep time:  20-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. of tilapia fillets
• 1/4 cup of garlic olive oil
• 1/2 medium-sized yellow onion (diced)
• 6 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 cups of pitted Kalamata olives (chopped)
• 2 cups of cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of red Aleppo pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon of garlic & parsley sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of Urfa Biber pepper flakes
• 1 cup of chopped parsley
• Juice from half a small lemon

 Instructions:

Sprinkle the tilapia fillets generously on both sides with the garlic & parsley sea salt and ground black pepper and set aside.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the diced onions and sauté until translucent, then add the minced garlic and red Aleppo pepper flakes and continue to sauté for another minute.  Add the tilapia fillets and cook on both sides for 2-3 minutes until they are slightly brown, and the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. 

Turn down the heat to medium and stir in the tomatoes and olives.  Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes become soft and juicy.  Stir in the parsley for the last minute of cooking time and add a twist of fresh lemon juice. Plate each tilapia fillet and spoon the sautéed tomatoes and black olives liberally over the fish.  Sprinkle the Urfa Biber pepper flakes over the entire plate and serve.

 

Aleppo Pepper Flakes

 

Garlic and Parsley Sea Salt

 

Urfa Biber Pepper Flakes

Garlic Olive Oil