Parchment-Baked Tilapia with Grapefruit

I love tilapia. It’s one of the most sustainable fish, its mild flavor makes it a blank canvas for seasonings, plus it’s inexpensive. I prefer the Publix brand, as they come frozen and individually wrapped in plastic and make it very easy to grab one or two filets from the package to thaw overnight in the fridge.

I usually prepare tilapia on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil and some kind of herb and spice blend. Though the April edition of Everyday Food magazine gave me a great new idea. There was a recipe for parchment-wrapped salmon with ginger and oranges gracing the cover. I’d seen this cooking technique used before with fish, but had never tried it myself. It was so easy with the tilapia! The texture was amazing – it honestly tasted like a different fish! It was super moist and really creamy and buttery. The parchment essentially steams the fish in the hot oven, making for a low fat cooking method and very easy clean up. The grapefruit was so tender and mild, and just melted with the spinach, avocado and feta.

Pre-baked fish, nice and neatly stacked.

Rolled to make a seam with ends folded under.

A big heap of goodness.

Parchment-Baked Tilapia with Grapefruit

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A fast, easy, healthy dinner, perfect for a busy weeknight.

Ingredients:

2 tilapia filets, thawed
1/2 a grapefruit, to taste
1/4 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 clove of garlic sliced
2 handfuls of spinach
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/8 cup feta, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut two 16-in-long pieces of parchment. Place parchment on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut ends off grapefruit so fruit stands on end. Take knife and carefully cut rest of peel and pith off grapefruit taking strips off vertically. Slice grapefruit into 1/4-inch thick rounds, then in half.

Stack ingredients in this order: spinach, grapefruit, tilapia, onions, garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bring long ends together and fold three times so parchment is snug around the top of the fish. Tuck ends of parchment under the fish. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked through (you'll have to open one packet to check).

Serve immediately!