Mediterranean Tilapia

I made this yummy fish for dinner on Wednesday. As part of our healthier eating initiative, E and I have decided to try and eat fish at least once a week. Fish is a great low fat protein. It's full of omega-3 fatty acids (can lower elevated triglyceride levels), and vitamins like D (necessary for calcium absorption) and B2 (important for iron metabolism). We're both new to cooking and eating fish regularly so we're experimenting with different recipes for fishes that we're familiar with. We used tilapia in this recipe. Overall it was a delicious and filling meal that we'll definitely make again!

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tilapia fillets
salt and pepper to season fish
1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, drained*
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp capers
Approximately 20 Kalamata olives, quatered**

* I used basil, oregano, and garlic seasoned tomatoes. I like a lot of garlic ok?
** I dislike black olives, which is why I buy Kalamatas at my grocery store's antipasto bar. But if you're so inclined go ahead and use canned black olives.

After you slice your zucchini into rounds, place in a saucepan with the garlic and olive oil. I cheat here and use pre-minced and jarred garlic, it's a great time saver! However, the flavor is probably a little more dull than if you use fresh, so adjust garlic amount to fit your taste buds! Saute the zucchini and garlic until zucchini is crisp tender (the vegetable version of al dente) or the edges are just beginning to brown. You're going to put it in the oven for 30 minutes, so unless you want to serve zucchini mush, don't fully cook it at this point.

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the sauteed zucchini and garlic in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. I did not spray my pan with any non-stick spray, and it came out just fine. Place the fish fillets on top of zucchini, sprinkle with salt and pepper to season.

In a mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, lemon juice, olives, and capers. Mix together, then spoon over each fish fillet, completely covering the fish. Place fish in 400 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes. Fish should be completely opaque and flake easily.

We served ours over a bed of brown rice. For the record, I don't really care for brown rice. I always make mine in chicken broth (cheater tip: dissolved bullion cube) instead of plain water. It adds just a bit of much needed flavor. I struggled with how to serve this, I really wanted to serve it with pasta. So I popped into my friendly SparkPeople.com, which offers food comparisons, for some guidance. Well, I'm still not really sure why we're supposed to eat brown rice, the nutrition facts are basically the same. I chose brown rice because it just sounded and felt healthier than pasta. I'll get back to you on why we should choose one over the other. Anywho, here's the finished dish! I hope you're able to enjoy this healthy recipe with your family!