We kid you not: the microwave is your answer to perfectly cooked fish in a flash. When you’re facing a dinnertime crunch at the end of a long day, this 15-minute meal ventures into the lifesaver category. The same recipe can be made with other fish such as salmon, rainbow trout, haddock, or catfish.
Hidden hacks
Bundling up tilapia and vegetables in parchment packets and heating it all in the microwave traps steam to add moisture and guarantees you’ll be serving restaurant-worthy tender fish.
High voltage
Most modern microwaves pump out at least 1,000 watts—cook times for most recipes are based on this power output. Look on the back of your microwave or inside the oven door to determine the power of the machine. If you have a lower-wattage microwave, you may need to increase cooking times.
Lemony Tilapia Packets
Ingredients
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup (250 mL) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 lemons, thinly sliced
- 4 - 5 to 6 oz (140 to 170 g) sustainable tilapia fillets
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or camelina oil
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) grainy Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tsp (10 mL) fresh thyme
- 2 tsp (10 mL) lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped parsley
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories246
- protein30g
- fat10g
- saturated fat2g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates14g
- sugars2g
- fibre4g
- sodium317mg
Directions
01
Fold 4 - 14 x 18 in (36 x 46 cm) sheets of parchment paper in half. Open up sheets and place equal amounts of shallots, bell peppers, tomatoes, and lemon slices on one side of each sheet. Place tilapia fillets on top of vegetables.
02
In small bowl, whisk together oil, mustard, thyme, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper. Spread mustard mixture on fish. Fold empty half of each parchment sheet over tilapia and vegetables and crimp them shut.
03
Microwave each parchment packet on high power for 4 minutes. Open a corner of a packet to check that tilapia flesh is cooked through. If not, microwave in 30-second intervals until cooked. Let parchment packets rest, sealed, for 5 minutes.
04
Carefully open packets and sprinkle with parsley.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
