Tilapia Fish Cakes and Being Prepared

I really like tilapia. I think I might be one of the few people that adores it. It's a really great base fish. It's easy to cook and it takes seasoning very very well. It's also pretty inexpensive, which is another big tick in the plus column for me.

That was very British, wasn't it?

Anyways. I've been cooking in batches recently to try and replenish my freezer with things that do not require much attention. I generally go through phases where I make extras of things and put them in the freezer so that when I get busy I have quicker options. My reserve was drastically depleted over the last month, so I've been playing around with some good stock up recipes. I hate when I have nothing in the freezer. I feel unprepared for disaster. I think I need to make some quiche again, that worked exceptionally well last time.

I have a secret weapon when it comes to Tilapia. I buy Louisiana Fish Fry in a package and use that to coat a tilapia fillet, then I usually just put it straight in a non-stick skillet with no oil. It's delicious. I know I could probably mix my own fish fry seasoning, but one little package of it is less than a dollar and I use very little. I usually keep it in a jar in my pantry and just pull out what I need. Easy peasy.

So I decided to make fish cakes out of some tilapia so that I could keep them in my freezer, and I also decided to coat them with fish fry to give them a little extra something something. They tasted delicious with some fresh tomato and some Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog Chevre.

Tilapia Fish Cakes

6-8oz Uncooked Tilapia Fillets
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley or Chives, minced
1 Shallot, minced
1 Egg
2/3rd Cup Breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons Fish Fry Seasoning
Salt and Pepper

Put the tilapia fillets in a mixing bowl and mash up with a fork. Add the tomato paste, herbs, shallot, egg and breadcrumbs. Grind in some salt and pepper. Mix well.

In a shallow bowl or on a small plate, shake out two tablespoons of fish fry seasoning. Divide the fish mixture into four pieces and form it into small patties with your hands, about one inch thick. Coat with the fish fry seasoning.

Heat up a non-stick pan and place the patties in to cook. Turn a couple of times so that they brown evenly. Cooking them will take about ten minutes total.

Eat with something fresh and acidic at three in the afternoon on your day off while sitting at the dining room table reading other peoples blogs.

1 Year Ago : Curried Carrot Soup

Salmon, Sun Dried Tomato and Goats Cheese Omlitos

I feel as though I'm living a really muddled life these days. I'm working hard at my job, working hard on surviving being 2,000 miles from the other half of me, working hard on not spending money, working hard on getting this weight taken care of.

There really is a lot of working hard in my life and not very much quiet time. I really need to work on that quiet time. I was planning on getting away this weekend (which for me is tues/weds), but my plans fell through when sadly my partner in crime (the beautiful Tina, who is also working hard on being far from her other half) had to stay in town to finish some house buying stuff.

So now I have the whole weekend to myself. I've got a Groupon for a massage that I think I'm going to pull out, since Marshall is super swamped right now and I'm not willing to put my stressy shoulders on his plate. I've got a little bit of housework to do and a bit of writing, but biggest of all, I'm going to pull everything out of my pantry, figure out what the heck is in there, and come up with some sort of plan to work through it. 

When my roommate Josh moved in last week, I hastily made pantry room for him by shoving everything up onto the top two shelves in no semblance of an order. This will not do! Pantry busting shall commence!

So let's start with these little yummies. In my head I call these Omlitos. That's absolutely not a word. I really just made it up. They are like little omletty cupcakes. You can put any kind of leftovers in these, really, but I found the combination of salmon, sun dried tomato, pesto and goat cheese to be a real winner. They are easy to pack up for lunch the next day or two. You could probably even be so bold as to freeze them. I know I'm bringing you two fish dishes in a row, but I'm hoping you'll forgive me!

Salmon, Sun Dried Tomato and Goats Cheese Omlitos

Do yourself a favor. If you don't have a really good muffin pan that nothing ever sticks to, or one of those fancy silicon ones that I still seriously need to figure out how to add to my kitchen, use muffin liners for these. There is no added fat in them, so they have a tendency to stick.

I keep pesto in my freezer for times like this. If you don't have any on hand, use fresh basil instead.

1 Small Salmon Fillet, 4oz, cooked

3 Eggs

2 Tablespoons Sun Dried Tomatoes (chopped)

1 Tablespoon Pesto plus more for topping

2 Tablespoons Goat cheese

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare six cups of a muffin tin so that the mixture will not stick. Use liners, silicon molds, cooking spray, whatever your preferred method is. 

In a small bowl, beat the eggs together with some salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix in the sun dried tomatoes and a tablespoon of pesto. Split the cooked salmon between the cups and then pour over the egg mixture, trying to distribute the sun dried tomatoes evenly. Top with a little more pesto and the goats cheese. 

Bake for about 22 minutes until the omlitos have risen and cooked all the way. You can serve these either hot or cold. For me it was cold with a slice of toast and a smear of brie, and a light mixed green salad.

Makes 6.

Other recipes you might like:

Cinnamon Star Cookies with Maple Glaze

Parsley and Panko Crusted Salmon and Missing My Heart Sister

My friend Heather is my oldest friend. She and I have been friends for about twelve years. I call her my Heart Sister. She and her gorgeous baby girl Winry live 2,000 miles away in Georgia. Heather and I have a really great friendship. We can go months without seeing each other and nothing changes. It's quite lovely. Heather is busy working on growing Winry's brother right now and I'm thinking of her all the time. Subsequently, that means I am craving this dish all the time.

Heather made me a version of this several years ago and I make it often, especially when I'm homesick. This version is not quite the same as hers since I lost the recipe many moons ago, but I really adore it.

Marshall came over this week for some comfort food. With Stunt Guy gone, it continues to be nice to have someone to cook for. This is prime comfort food for me, especially with mashed potatoes and peas  and a nice glass of white wine.

It's really not just because it's delicious, it's because it's something Heather made me and it makes me think of home and family. The fish is super tender and melts in your mouth, and the flavor and the texture on the topping is really fantastic.

Parsley and Panko Crusted Salmon

I use salmon the most for this, though you could use tilapia or another lighter fish, just make sure you reduce the cooking time is the fillet is thin.

The Fish
1 lb Salmon Fillet
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

The Topping
2 Tablespoons Panko Breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley (minced)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Walnuts (chopped)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

If you have time, lay out the fillet and pour over a tablespoon of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and sit aside for a couple of hours. If you don't have time for this step, not to worry, it'll still be yummy.

When getting ready to cook the fish, preheat the over to 350F.

Set the fish on a non-stick baking sheet (Silpat is awesome here). Mix all of the topping ingredients together and spread over the fillet. Try to get the whole thing covered and keep the topping off the pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet. You want to be careful not to overcook it or the salmon will dry out. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes and peas, or maybe with rice and zucchini.

Makes 2 servings.

See more Marshall meals here:
Eggplant Parmesan
Asian Simmered Beef