Oven Roasted Whole Tilapia and Quinoa with Swiss Chard & Kale
Oven Roasted Whole Tilapia
Cook time: 60 minutes
Serves: 1-2
INGREDIENTS:
- 2lb whole tilapia, cleaned and descaled
- small bunch fresh oregano, preferably Puerto Rican oregano
- ½ lemon, thinly sliced
- 3 whole cloves garlic, smashed
- 1” piece ginger, roughly chopped
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- olive oil
PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 400° and line a rimmed sheet pan with foil. Pat the fish dry on both sides
and set in the center of the pan. Season the interior of the fish liberally with salt and pepper and
then stuff with the oregano, lemon slices, garlic, and ginger. Starting at the fish’s back bone,
make 3-4 slits down to the belly, slicing through the skin just until you feel your knife scrape the
ribcage. Season the exterior of the fish with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Transfer to the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes until the skin has begun to crisp up and the fish
is cooked through. Serve with quinoa and herby aioli alongside.
Quinoa with Swiss Chard & Kale
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 5 stems kale, leaves removed, stems reserved for another use
- 5 stems swiss chard, leaves removed, stems reserved for another use
- 1 lemon
- kosher salt
- black pepper
PREPARATION:
Place the quinoa in a medium pot fitted with a lid. Add 2 cups water and ½ tsp salt, and place on
a burner over medium high heat. As soon as the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low,
cover with the lid, and allow to cook gently until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is
light and fluffy. While the quinoa is cooking, roughly chop the kale and chard leaves.
As soon as the quinoa is cooked, remove the lid, add the greens to the pot, and toss with the
quinoa one or two times, it does not have to be evenly incorporated at this point. Squeeze the
juice from ½ of the lemon over the greens and return the lid. Allow the greens to steam in the
quinoa pot for 5-10 minutes, until wilted. Toss to fully mix with quinoa. Taste and add additional
lemon juice and salt if preferred. Transfer to a platter and serve alongside oven roasted whole
tilapia and herby aioli.
Herby Homemade Aioli
Makes 1 cup
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbs rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- pinch kosher salt
- pinch black pepper
- ⅓ – ½ cup olive oil
- small bunch mixed tender herbs, minced, such as Puerto Rican oregano, basil, chives,
- parsley, dill or cilantro
PREPARATION:
Place the egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk to
combine. Add the oil to the egg mixture in a very slow stream, whisking constantly, until all of the
oil has been incorporated. If the mixture seems to separate along the way, simply stop adding oil
and whisk until it pulls back together, then continue adding the remainder of the oil until a
creamy, desired consistency is reached. Stir in the minced herbs, taste and adjust seasoning to
your preference. Serve alongside beer battered fish, french fries or alongside oven roasted
whole tilapia.