This is an almost effortless dinner that's amazingly good. The Red Pepper Tapinade Tilapia is perfect for a weeknight or even for a company dinner that's low hassle and still elegant. The secret is the tapinade. No, you don't make it (you might get extra points if you do, but I doubt it, frankly!). You buy the tapinade, then put it on top of the fish. I buy the Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke tapinade from Aldi, but Trader Joe's, Wegman's, and other markets have similar products. I keep a small jar of tapinade on hand for emergency purposes--i.e., I need a fast and good dinner. The air fryer cooks the fish in about 12 minutes, but you can use the regular oven, if you'd prefer (cook the tilapia at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes). The tilapia is light tasting, and the tapinade complements the fish perfectly. All you'll really need to complete your dinner is some rice and a green vegetable or salad. Simple, fast, good, and nutritious! Enjoy!
Red Pepper Tapinade Tilapia -- Serves 2
3/4 pound of fresh tilapia fillets (approximately)
1/8 teaspoon of salt and pepper
1/4 cup of red pepper and artichoke tapinade (or similar tapinade)
2-3 tablespoons of seasoned panko bread crumbs
Line your air fryer basket with a piece of aluminum foil that covers the bottom of the basket and extends about two inches up the sides of the basket. Spritz the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Cut the fish fillets down the center, vertical line running up/down the fillets (you'll have four pieces of fish) and pat the fish dry with a paper towel. Lay the pieces of fish on the foil in the air fryer basket, placing the thicker pieces on the sides and the thinner pieces, overlapping slightly on their thinnest sides, in the middle. Sprinkle the fillets with the salt and pepper. Divide the tapinade among the pieces of fish and spread it out over the tops of of the fillets. Sprinkle the fillets evenly with the bread crumbs. Spritz the bread crumbs lightly with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil. Put the filled air fryer basket in the air fryer, set the temperature to 360 degrees, and air fry the tilapia for 10-15 minutes or until the tilapia appears done to your likeness when you poke it (gently) with a knife or fork. I usually cook our tilapia for about 12-13 minutes, which means the fish is completely cooked through (in my air fryer). Remove the fish from the air fryer basket carefully using the aluminum foil as a sling. Let the fish rest a few minutes before serving it.
