Baked Tilapia Recipe with Pecan Rosemary Topping

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It’s a testament to how my brain works that 95% of my memories of living in New York City revolve around food. One of our favorite haunts was Union Square. From the Smiling Pumpkin Ale at Heartland Brewery to the abundance of fresh, local vegetables at the Greenmarket, it had a “food lovers” vibe about it. Just a couple of skips away from the square is the Union Square Cafe, a New York City institution.

My husband and I enjoyed a couple of wonderful meals at the Union Square Cafe, but the real reason I’m telling you all of this is to get to one of the most modest dishes…well, snacks…served at the restaurant. The bar nuts.

These little nuggets are more flavorful than any roasted nuts I’ve ever come across, and they have become a family favorite. Tossed with olive oil, fresh rosemary, brown sugar and cayenne, these nuts are the perfect partner for a martini or a beer.

When I pulled some tilapia fillets out of the fridge the other day, I was poised to make my usual Baked Tilapia with Arugula Walnuts Pesto & Breadcrumb Crust (a dish that surprisingly makes my kids cheer when I tell them what’s for dinner). However, those bar nuts snuck into my mind and it struck me that those same flavors that make the nuts so addictive would work beautifully as a crust for the tilapia.

This was a hit with all three of my boys, big and little. And really, you can’t beat a flavorful seafood recipes that offers a mere 206.5 calories per serving, and a good dose of healthy fats.

It may not be the same as a trip back to New York City, but it certainly makes for a satisfying meal.

The recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small baking dish, stir together pecans, breadcrumbs, brown sugar, salt and cayenne pepper. Add the olive oil and toss to coat the pecan mixture.

Bake until the pecan mixture is light golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.

Increase the heat to 400 degrees F. Coat a large glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, whisk the egg white. Working with one tilapia at a time, dip the fish in the egg white and then the pecan mixture, lightly coating each side. Place the fillets in the prepared baking dish.

Press the remaining pecan mixture into the top of the tilapia fillets.

Bake until the tilapia is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Other tilapia recipes:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Fisherman’s Soup with Tilapia, Shrimp, Tomatoes & Capers
Cookin’ Canuck’s Baked Tilapia with Arugula Walnut Pesto & Breadcrumb Crust
Gimme Some Oven’s Tilapia with Tomato-Herb Pan Sauce
Host the Toast’s Margarita Fish Tacos with Chipotle Lime Sauce
Pinch of Yum’s Healthy Sweet & Sour Fish

Tagged as: baked, fish, healthy, pecan, recipe, rosemary, seafood, tilapia