Baked Tilapia with Lemon Basil Cream Sauce

1. Healthy
2. Quick-n-Easy
   

I love fish fillets of all kinds. Tilapia (perch) have long been a staple of my diet. They are inexpensive, especially when you can talk your children into catching a large group of them. My musical accompaniment tonight was Tony Bennett and I am still in the mood for wheat beer. I served the fillets with fresh tomatoes in a basil, balsamic vinegar dressing and sauteed yellow crook neck squash with onions and garlic, two of my favorite side dishes.

• 1 pound tilapia fillets (wash and dry)
• 1 teaspoon garlic flavored olive oil
• 1 teaspoon citrus dill salmon rub (Colorado Spice, available at Central Market)

Wash and dry the fish fillets, wet with oil, lay on foil lined pan, cover with salmon rub and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

• 2 cups thinly sliced yellow crook neck squash
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, presses or diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

melt butter until golden on med low heat, add oil, garlic onion saute for 5 minutes, add squash and saute another 5 minutes, cover and set aside.

• for sauce, 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime or lemon juice

melt butter in small saute pan, add flour and saute on low for approximately 5 minutes. Do not brown, just saute for awhile, this will get rid of the pasty taste of the flour. Add the basil and half and half and simmer until mixture thickens, add lemon juice and remove from heat.

• dice three fresh medium ripe tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil diced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• sea salt to taste

combine ingredients above, let set for about 10 minutes and serve.