Puxa Vida Tilapia

I’ve a house full of kids who complained tonight when I announced we’d be having fish for dinner.  Awwwwwwww, maaaan! the lot of them moaned. Apparently eating fish is akin to watching reruns of Hannah Montana, or watching your mom bust a move when “Ice Ice Baby” finds its way onto the radio. It’s not pretty.

Still, I pressed forward with the dinner plans, undaunted. When the kids were called to the kitchen table, they dragged their feet and held their plates forlornly for a scoop of rubied red tilapia. Then.

Momthisisthebestfishever.

Momthisfishisthebestfishever.

Alyssa said it twice. One mouthful after another. The.best.fish.ever.

And before I knew it, I had a house full of kids who were asking for seconds. Because really, this is the best fish ever.

Puxa Vida Tilapia

Subtle white tilapia is baked in a Brazilian-style sauce that is so flavorful, it'll make you want to do The Robot in the middle of the kitchen. "Puxa Vida" means WOW in Portuguese, and you'll likely find that this recipe makes you feel wowalicious all over. The meal bakes up without those fishy flavors that keep most people away from seafood. It's a great way to get your family to eat fish, and an even better way to serve up some serious restaurant-style eats to company. Which is exactly what we did with the recipe below. So, be warned, it makes a lot. Which, as it turns out, isn't a problem when you're making the best fish in the world.

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Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

FOR THE TILAPIA:

• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 1 jalapeno seeds removed
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
• 2 15 ounce cans fireroasted diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 pounds tilapia
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 4-5 cups short-grain brown rice cooked

FOR THE BLACK BEANS:

• 3 15 ounce cans black beans
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

FOR THE TILAPIA:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Finely chop the red bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor.
• Drizzle the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the chopped vegetable mixture in the oil until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, diced tomatoes, and honey to the mixture.
• Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and allow the sauce to simmer until it thickens, about 8-10 minutes. Add lime juice to the sauce and remove from heat.
• Place the tilapia in a deep baking dish. Pour the sauce over the fish, making sure it's all well coated.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when pulled with a fork. Serve over brown rice with black beans on the side.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Enjoy!

FOR THE BLACK BEANS:

• Combine all ingredients in a small slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.