Dinner Highlight: Tilapia Veracruz a la Elizabeth!

Healthy eating? Yes, indeed! :-)

Growing up, I was always on the "fluffy" side (aka "pleasantly plump," chubby," "baby fat"), and it wasn't until 2001 when I decided (with the aid of my step-mom) to become more active, eat healthier and lose some weight. It was a slow process, but needless to say, I achieved my goal! Yea! :-D

From 2001 to the present, I tried many different types of food that helped lose and maintain the weight, from fruits, veggies and protein (fish, chicken, steak - mmm..). I had also cut down on my carb and starch intake (rice, pasta, potatoes). It wasn't too bad. I was actually getting the hang of it. Now that I'm married, I want to continue eating the healthy yet delicious foods. Thanks to this new chapter in my life (and to my deep, deep passion for food and all its yumminess), I've been experimenting more with my cooking. This recipe is one of my (and my hubby's!) favorites : Tilapia Veracruz.

I tried this recipe for the first time when my husband made it for me. It was sooo delicious...

I never forgot that dish, so a few weeks back, I finally asked the hubby for the recipe so I could make it for dinner. He didn't have it with him, but based on my knowledge of what he had put in it, I decided to make it anyway with some changes. I made it again last night with the sides of veggies and Italian parmesan potatoes. Here goes the recipe... Enjoy! :)

Tilapia Veracruz -- a la Elizabeth

Ingredients:

For the main dish:
4 tilapia fillets
adobo seasoning
half a medium onion, diced
2 small tomatos, diced
2 Tbsp Spanish manzanilla olives (with pimiento), plus 1 Tbsp of the juice
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato dressing
1/4-1/2 cup water

For the potato side:
3 small to medium white potatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
Italian herb seasoning
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Rinse potaotes and rougly peel them. Cut them in rough 1x1 inch cubes. In a bowl, add the potatoes, generously drizzle some olive oil on them (enough to coat potatos), add about 2 tsp of salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 Tbsp italian seasoning and 1-2Tbsp of parmesan (can add more of any ingredients according to own preference). Toss all ingredients. Lay potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

While potaotes are baking, heat about 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a medium to large pan. Add the diced onions and tomatoes. When onions become translucent, add the sun-dried tomato dressing and water. Add olives and olive juice. Simmer for about 2 minutes. Season tilapia on both sides with Adobo. Place tilapia in the pan over the sauce. Cook both sides for 5-7 minutes.

You can make any vegetable side. I paired our dinner with Publix Italian blend vegetables. They can be found in the frozen section. I just added about 2 cups in a tupperware, seasoned with Adobo, and microwaved the frozen veggies for 2 minutes.

Buen Provecho!! :-D