Before you furrow your brow too much, let me explain. I call this the Orange Zest Baked Tilapia.

The idea came from delish.com’s recent magazine issue. I liked the Greek-Style Tilapia recipe, but some of the ingredients didn’t resonate with me. As Emeril used to say (and probably still does), I kicked it up a notch. If you try it in your house (perhaps on a Friday during Lent) let me know how it goes!

Orange Zest Baked Tilapia

Prep Time: 12-15 minutes
Cook Time: 16-18 minutes
Total Time: 30-33 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Ingredients:

• 2 oranges
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 1/3 – 1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets
• 3/4 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 pint organic grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
• 2 cups dry Orzo Pasta (I like having enough cooked orzo for leftovers)
• Aluminum foil, to cover the pan of fish in the oven
• 2 teaspoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) for cooked orzo
• 1/2 cup Reduced fat Feta cheese (for cooked orzo)

Zest the 2 oranges; you should have about 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest. Set aside. Cut the oranges in half and juice them. You’ll need 1/4 cup fresh orange juice.

Wash and then cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Rinse fresh dill; chop up.

Place the tilapia fillets in the Pyrex 13″x9″ pan. Pour the fresh orange juice over the fillets. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fish. Follow with the orange zest, dividing it among the fillets as best you can. Then sprinkle the chopped dill over top. Lastly, add the sliced tomatoes to the dish, and cover with aluminum foil.

Bake the tilapia dish in the oven for 16-18 minutes, or ’til fillets are opaque even at the thickest part.

While the fish is baking, boil water for the orzo in a 4-quart pot. Once the water is boiling, add the orzo and follow the pasta directions on the container. My orzo was done in 10 minutes. Drain well.

Put the cooked orzo in a serving bowl and add 2 teaspoons of EVOO. Stir. Add a smidge of kosher salt and then the feta cheese. Stir and serve the orzo with the orange zest baked tilapia and roasted tomatoes. For those who like a little sauce, the juice on the bottom of the baking dish is excellent over the tilapia and orzo.

Photos by Kelly Estes