Tilapia Francese

I was so excited when I saw the submission request for a Fish/Seafood swap!  Then I realized how many restrictions I had on what I could make.  Obviously it had to be kosher (so any shellfish or bottom-feeding fish are out, plus anything that added bacon or other such ingredients).  But also I currently have more food restrictions and can't have anything that is high in mercury - because I'm expecting my first child this September!  We are very excited to be expanding our family.  Little One is doing well and growing as it should.  This also explains why my blog posts since January have lagged a bit (I basically had zero energy for several months).  But now I'm back and ready to hit the kitchen more frequently.

Sarah (who organizes the swaps) was very amenable to assigning me something that fits all my crazy restrictions.  Actually, she assigned me the recipe that she herself had submitted!  And I am so glad she did.  The tilapia francese was out of this world.  I had never made a francese before, but it was so easy I would do it again in a heartbeat.  And the sauce with the pasta?  Amazing!  I like to do these swaps to expand my repertoire, and I think that this one gets on the list of things I will make again.  And except for the fish and fresh lemons, I had everything in my kitchen already.  That's the best kind of assignment!

Another big plus for this one?  It takes almost no time at all.  We had it after a long day at work where I didn't start cooking until about 8 and we were still sitting down at the table maybe 45 min later and that includes clean up time.  I highly recommend this recipe.  You won't regret it!

Tilapia Francese (recipe submitted from A Taste of Home Cooking)

Ingredients
3 pieces tilapia filets
1 egg
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth (or No-Chicken Broth for those who keep kosher)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp minced parsley
1/2 lb spaghetti or other pasta, cooked according to package directions

Directions
- Place flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Beat the egg and water in a pie plate. Gently coat each tilapia filet with flour on both sides, then place in the egg wash, coating on both side, then put back in the flour and coat on both side.
- Heat butter and oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place tilapia in pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add lemon juice and wine and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Do not flip the fish over once the liquid has been added. Remove the tilapia from the pan. Add the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Top the tilapia with some of the sauce and garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley. Toss the spaghetti or pasta with the rest of the sauce. Serve immediately.