If you search the internet or cookbooks, you will be amazed by the innumerable fish recipes for tilapia, with each offering a different texture and taste. Nevertheless, baking is still one of the best methods of cooking tilapia.Tilapia isn’t only delicious, especially when baked, but also provides you with a balanced diet. With the mild taste of tilapia, you are free to use strong flavours.
Eating tilapia at least twice a week has various health benefits. The best part is that it is available all year round. When it comes to calorie content, a small piece of tilapia only has 85 calories compared to the same piece of salmon with 158 calories.
Moreover, tilapia contains one gram of fat for the same sized portion, whereas salmon has 7.9 grams of fat.
Furthermore, tilapia has no carbohydrates or fiber. It is also low in sodium, which is a perfect choice for individuals with heart and kidney problems, and it is a good source of phosphorus and niacin. Moreover, tilapia is also a wonderful source of protein, which is important in muscle or tissue healing and formation. In addition, it has plenty of selenium and vitamin B12. The nutrients in every tilapia fish recipe also varies depending on how the fish is prepared and cooked, as well as what sauces or fats are added. In marinating tilapia, you should be careful not to overdo it because it can break down the protein content, which can result in a mushy fish.
Another cooking method for tilapia is grilling, but, again, you should be careful in handling it because it is thin and, thus, can easily tear. In addition, you should grill it only for a few minutes because it might dry out. You can grill the tilapia with some seasoning added or you can choose to marinate it first.
Baking tilapia is also a wonderful way of cooking it, and most people prefer using this method. Brushing on some oil or melted butter ensures that it remains moist. Placing the tilapia on a bed of celery, onion, and other vegetables or placing some thinly sliced vegetables on top of it are also ways of ensuring that you will keep the tilapia from drying. If you are health conscious and don’t want to add more fat, steaming the tilapia is a great alternative.
If you desire to have a flavourful dish, you can sauté the tilapia in oil or melted butter. If you prefer to use oil over butter, try using peanut or sunflower oil because they will not change the flavour of the fish. Other oils, such as olive or canola, can incorporate their taste into the fish. While it is desirable to add fats in preparing tilapia, doing so in moderate amounts will ensure a balanced diet.