Lemon Tilapia with Cucumber and Feta Quinoa

I did it!  I finally made quinoa!  I've been reading about it for years and I've finally gone ahead and made it.  This adventure into quinoa came about during Passover, when all other starchy side dishes besides potatoes were off the table.  As you can probably tell by now, tilapia is a fan favorite of ours, so this recipe fit perfectly with what we had and what we wanted to make.

This recipe can be whipped up quickly, which makes it a perfect weeknight meal.  Get your quinoa rinsed and boiling, and by the time it's fluffy the rest of the dish is ready to serve!  Make sure you go lightly when you salt the quinoa (you might not even have to) since the feta cheese will bring salt to the table.  Feel free to garnish with dill and enjoy!

Lemon Tilapia with Cucumber and Feta Quinoa

Serves 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

-                ½ c quinoa, rinsed

-                dash of salt and pepper

-                1 lemon, halved

-                2 tilapia fillets, rinsed

-                2 ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil

-                ½ c cucumber, peeled and diced

-                ¼ c feta

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup of water to a boil.  After the water begins to boil, reduce to a simmer and cover, allowing quinoa to absorb all water (10 – 15 minutes). 

Season the tilapia fillets with salt, pepper, and juice from half of the lemon.   Coat the bottom of a frying pan with 1 ½ tsp of the olive oil and sauté the tilapia over medium heat until the fish is opaque throughout and flakes easily (about 4 minutes on each side).

When the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, using a fork to fluff the quinoa and stir in 1 tsp of the olive oil, cucumber, feta, and juice from ½ of the lemon.  Salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve quinoa  
immediately with the fish.

Adapted from: Martha Stewart

Posted by Ali B at 8:56 PM