Asian Inspired Tilapia

I’ve really enjoyed challenging myself to write from inspiration I find outside my own kitchen.  However, for today’s post all I had to do to get inspired was to walk by my back door.

I feel I should preface.

A couple of weeks ago I posted here , about how I had started taking another , stronger,  prescription for Prednisone in the hope of shrinking my chronic nasal polyps that hinder  my sense of smell (among other things).

Well, so far, so good an knock on wood,  I’m off the pills, and will a little help from a prescription nasal spray, I’ve had my sense of smell back for a few weeks now. ( insert quiet , reserved Yippie here)Anyway, past experience has taught me that I should enjoy being able to smell while I can, because I could go back to being all stubbed up any minude.

So, last weekend, while enjoying the fantabulous spring weather and my ability to smell, my Sweetie and I went to the local Big Orange Box Store to get a few supplies to begin an herb & salad garden.  I now have a variety of  pots on my back deck full of the promise of tomatoes, peppers and lettuces as well as parsley, basil, cilantro, thyme and rosemary.

My inspiration for today’s post came from the smell of cilantro and basil in the air after it rained this morning.

All I could think about all day was mixing those two flavours with a little lime and ginger and tamari.

The result? Asian Inspired Pan Fried Tilapia with Peppers and Snap Peas

Asian Inspired Pan Fried Tilapia

This was perfect portion for one, but could easily have been multiplied for more.

4 oz Tilapia fillet,
3 tbsp olive oil
1 stalk lemongrass
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 medium size leaves of fresh basil
1 tsp fresh cilantro
1 lime
kosher salt
2 tbsp gluten free tamari sauce
1 tsp Siracha or other hot sauce, optional
12  sugar snap peas
1/4- 1/2 of red pepper, thinly sliced

Peel off any dried leaves from the lemongrass. Bash the stalk with the back edge of your knife to release the flavours, then cut into 3 or 4 pieces, set aside.
Preheat a large pan over med high heat. Add oil to pan and saute peppers and snap peas together for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally,  to soften them up.  Add the garlic, ginger and lemongrass to the pan, continuing to toss the contents of the pan about, so nothing burns. Using a spatula, push the veggie mix off to one side of the pan.  If needed, add a little more oil to the pan then lay in the fish. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the flesh becomes opaque a bit more than half the way up the fillet. Turn the fish and cook for another minute. Roll the lime on the counter and cut in half. Squeeze lime juice over the fish and the veg, then drizzle with the tamari sauce.

I served this over a little Basmati rice infused with star anise and a piece of cinnamon stick, a drizzle each of tamari and siracha and sweet chili sauces.