Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia with Marinated Tomatoes and Olives

It’s been a week since Thanksgiving, and I don’t know about you . . . but I’m sick of eating turkey. I’m a stickler for eating leftovers first, but one can only eat so much potato filling and cranberry sauce, right? While I was at Wal-Mart doing some holiday shopping, I got a chance to check out STAR Usage Pairings Olive Oil, and decided to use them to make a healthy, cornmeal crusted tilapia for dinner that would be a 180 from the turkey-coma flavors we’ve been eating.

There are three different kinds of Star olive oil, made from three different kinds of olives, each meant to compliment the flavors of what you’re eating: Arbequina for vegetables, Hojiblanca for poultry/fish, and Picual for beef/lamb. All three are available at Wal-Mart for under $7.

Since I was pretty clueless that different olive oils are meant for different foods, I was really glad that each bottle’s label included a description, including why the olive oil was a good choice for the suggested food. Since I was making fish, I went with the middle bottle, made from hojiblanca olives.

This baked cornmeal crusted tilapia with marinated tomatoes and olives is actually a meal my mom makes. I’ve loved it ever since I was a teenager, and since Ben and my sister don’t really eat fish, I look forward to having a girls’ date with mom when it’s on the menu.

This dish is gluten free, low-carb, and super flavorful. The top of the fish gets crispy, and by cooking the fish on top of the marinated tomatoes and olives, the steam/juice helps to keep the fish really moist.

The dish only takes a few simple ingredients and really easy to pull together. Start by marinating 2 large tomatoes, diced and a can of jumbo black olives with a clove of minced garlic and Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil for poulty/fish. Set aside while prepping the fish.

After rinsing off the filets with cold water, coat the fish with Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil for poulty/fish and dredge in cornmeal, salt, and pepper. If there are spots that aren’t coated evenly, go back and press more cornmeal onto the fish once it’s in the baking dish.

Pour the marinated tomatoes and olives into a baking dish and gently place fish on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 400 degree oven for an hour. Then, enjoy!

As everything cooks, the tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil make this to-die-for sauce that rocks over rice (or spaghetti squash, for a lower carb option). Usually we just skip the starch to save room for more fish.

To learn more about Star olive oils, check out their Facebook page – they’ve got a giveaway going on right now!

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Baked Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia with Marinated Tomatoes and Olives

 

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Ingredients

• ¾lb Tilapia
• 4 tbsp Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Poultry/Fish
• ½ cup cornmeal
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 can jumbo black olives, drained
• 1 clove garlic

Instructions

1. Dice tomatoes and black olives.
2. Combine tomatoes and olives with ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, garlic (minced), and 2 tbsp Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Poultry/Fish in a large bowl. Set aside to marinade while prepping fish.
3. Rinse fish filets under cold water. Coat in remaining Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Poultry/Fish.
4. Dredge fish in cornmeal and remaining salt and pepper.
5. Pour tomato and olive mixture into a glass baking dish, gently place fish on top.
6. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for an hour, or until fish is cooked.

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