Baked Tilapia with Tomato and Basil

Yield: 2 servings | Prep: 10 mins. | Ready In: 35 mins.

What you need:

• Nonstick cooking spray

• 2 8-ounce tilapia fillets • ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper, ground • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced • 1 teaspoon onion powder • 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced • 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced

(or cherry tomatoes cut in half) • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Cathy Whittier, RDN, LDN In-patient Dietitian at CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray shallow 1-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Sprinkle tilapia evenly with salt and pepper; place in baking dish. 3. Sprinkle fish evenly with basil, oregano, onion powder and garlic. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

4. Arrange tomato slices evenly over seasoned fish and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

5. Bake about 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork (internal temperature should be 145 degrees). Squeeze lemon juice over fish and serve immediately.

Why we love it:

Tilapia is one of the most popular types of fish in the United States today, with a per capita consumption of 1.4 pounds in 2014. You can find ready-to-cook fillets in nearly every fish market and grocery store in fresh or frozen form. Tilapia is also an economically priced fish and has a mild flavor, making it an ideal choice for many moms with picky kids. Tilapia is low in calories and high in protein and, because these fish are vegetarians, their meat has a low mercury exposure and content. One of the simplest ways to prepare tilapia fillets is to bake them in the oven. Here is a simple but flavorful baked tilapia recipe to try.