Tilapia Fillet with Tomato Sauce and Dill Weed

Ingredients

2 Tilapia fillets (about 5 oz each)

1/4 cup fresh dill weed (divided)

4 teaspoons corn starch (divided)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)

1 teaspoon olive oil

For the “marinara-ish” sauce:

1 cup tomato sauce

1/3 cup baby carrots, finely chopped

1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped

2 stalks of celery, de-stringed and finely chopped

3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped or pressed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Preparation

Chop the veggies. (I use veggie chopper to save time.)

In a large plate, spread out 1 tsp corn starch and gently place one Tilapia fillet on it. Move the fillet around against the plate to make the corn starch evenly cover one side of the fillet. Move the fillet aside and spread out another tsp corn starch on the plate. Flip the fillet and move it around until the other side is covered as well. Use your fingers to polish both sides. Do the same with the other Tilapia fillet.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat up 1 tbsp vegetable oil over high heat. Use both of your hands to hold one Tilapia fillet and slowly place it in the skillet. Let it cook for 1 minute. Flip it around to cook for another minute or until the fish is cooked through. Transfer it to a serving plate and set aside. Repeat this step to cook the other fillet.

While the fish is cooling down, reduce the heat to medium high. Add 1 tsp olive oil in the same skillet. (You can use the remaining oil but likely it’s not enough.) Put the pressed garlic in and quickly stir a couple times. Next, add the chopped veggies and stir all together a few times or until the onion is translucent. This step took me less than a minute because I would like to leave the veggies crunchy. If you prefer tender, go ahead and cook for a bit long.

Turn off the heat. Stir in tomato sauce, sea salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Your skillet is hot enough to warm up the tomato sauce and melt the sugar. Add more sea salt or pepper if desired.

By now, the fish should cool down a bit but still warm. Divide the sauce by two. Use a big spoon to place the sauce on each fillet. Sprinkle fresh dill weed on top of the sauce. Serve immediately.