Tilapia Bowls with Avocado Dressing

I’m a salmon person. It’s easy, it’s delicious, and I can get a lot of it at Costco. When Tyler came with me to Costco last Friday, he held up tilapia filets and..

“What about tilapia? It’s really good. Don’t you want something different?”

Um, no. I don’t.

Instead, it was a half-complaint “But what do you want to do with it? Isn’t tilapia kinda blah?”. Regardless, the tilapia went into the cart. Relationships are about compromise, people.

Fast forward to Tuesday and I have enough Tilapia to feed a large family, coupled with a hankering for mexican food. This is an easy fix. Tilapia is like the tofu of fish, you just season it and it doesn’t taste like chewy water. So tilapia filets turned into mexican-inspired bowls. The result? Just look.

Have you ever SEEN compromise look so tasty? And easy, and healthy, and flavorful, and…salmonless. Even I have to admit that branching out wound up better than my go-to. But admitting Tyler was right? Let’s not get crazy.

Tilapia Bowls with Avocado Dressing

Keep in mind that this recipe is hard to mess up, so feel free to experiment with seasonings and whatever you have on hand. You can make this with chicken, or without the fish as a vegan dish. You can add store bought pico or sub in salsa, use rice instead of quinoa…there are lots of possibilities. This is a dish to have fun with, and it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 jalapeño
• 1/4 small red onion
• 2 limes
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• 1 15oz can corn
• 1 15z can black beans
• 1 head chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 avocado
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• salt to season
• 1/5 tbsp cilantro
• Tilapia
• Cajun Seasoning (or any mixture of paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic salt, cayenne pepper..)
• Olive oil
• Tilapia filets (we cooked three so we were guaranteed leftovers)

Directions

1. Start by cooking your quinoa according to package directions. We try to use broth instead of water whenever possible for more flavor.
2. Finely dice the red pepper, jalapeño and red onion. Place in a small bowl. What we’re doing here is mimicking pico, and Tyler doesn’t like tomatoes. Mix well and add the juice of half a lime, as well as a little spice to taste (chili powder, cumin).
3. Next chop up your lettuce, set aside.
4. Grab a colander to drain and rinse your beans and corn. This will help take out a lot of that added sodium you get with canned veggies. Life tip: make an effort to do this thoroughly whenever possible.
5. In another bowl, mix together the corn and beans. Add citrus juice or spices here too if you want more flavor.
6. Into a small blender, add the juice from half a lime, 2 tbsp coconut milk, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 avocado, cilantro and cumin. Blend until well combined. Be sure to taste and add more lime/cumin as necessary. You want to get a dressing consistency.
7. If you’re not using a pre-made seasoning or rub (like cajun, mexican, etc.), begin mixing together the paprika, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. You can start with about 1/2-1 tsp of each and move from there. Add in the salt, garlic salt, and/or pepper a little at a time at the end. Rub this seasoning on both sides of the tilapia.
8. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan on med-high heat. When hot, add your seasoned tilapia and cook about 1:30 to 2 minutes on each side. A timer comes in handy here.
9. Now all your ingredients should be prepped! Grab a bowl and add a little of this and that until you have your masterpiece. Drizzle (or cover) in the avocado dressing, devour, and feel good about going back for seconds.