Coconut Tilapia with Stuffed Bell Pepper

ForI LOVE fish! In fact, when I finish with my juice fast I intend to use it as an opportunity to completely change my food lifestyle by eating primarily vegetarian... except I can't give up fseafood. I just love it to much, so I will actually be adopting a pescatarian diet.

In the mean time, here is a meal I made last week before starting my juice fast thanks to some beautiful fresh tilapia I found at Costco. 

When I got it home I knew I wanted to do something simple by tasty with it and since I was feeling kind of lazy I came up with this quick and simple way of cooking it. It turned out to be DELICOUS!

Coconut Tilapia and Stuffed Bell Peppers

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

I suggest starting on the peppers first so they can be baking in the oven while you cook the fish!

For Fish:

1/2 cup Coconut Flour (find at your local natural foods/ health store or whole foods)

1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper, 2 tsp Paprika 

3-6 tbs Virgin Coconut Oil (it has much more flavor and health benefits then 2nd pressed)

Fresh Tilapia- at least 4 fillets 

For Stuffed Peppers:

2 large bell peppers (I prefer red, orange or yellow over green personally) to stuff

1 pepper to chop up

3 big handfulls of chopped Kale (stems removed)

1 zucchini chopped

1 cup of cooked rice (jasmine, brown, black) or quinoa (left overs work great!)

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tbs lemon

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil or coconut oil

The fish is so easy- just mix the salt, pepper and paprika into the coconut flour and set on a plate. Dredge the fillets straight from package or after a quick rinse if you prefer in the flour then set on a clean plate. 

Heat Coconut oil in a large flat bottom pan. Bring to high heat. When oil heated add dredged fillets and turn heat to medium. Let cook 3-4 minutes then flip and cook another 3-4 minute or until flesh is firm. 

To make Stuffed Peppers:

1: Rinse all veggies and cook rice if not already cooked, set oven to 350 to preheat

2: Cut top off pepper by running knife all the way around so as to keep the seed bunch easily removable with the top. I then chop the out parts of the pepper top up and add it into the mix but you can save it to pace back on as a top when cooking if you like- just remove the seeds/center. 

3: Clean out interior of peppers from any seeds or pith (the white bits) and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 min. Then place them directly in a cold water/ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and rub interior with a bit of oil using fingers. 

4: Dice other veggies (zucchini, peppers, kale) into small 1/2 inch bites and mince garlic. 

5: Heat another skillet with oil (I like coconut) to medium heat and add zucchini, peppers and garlic. Cook 4 minutes

6: Add kale and cook another 4 minutes. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper and any other seasoning you might like! Add rice. Stir until whole mixture is well incorporated. 

7: Using a spoon, stuff peppers with mixture. You can really pack it in!

8: Place peppers in a glass baking dish and put on middle rack in oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes!

Once peppers are tender slice in half gently and using a spoon plate with fish! Or use more peppers and double the filling and give each person a whole pepper! I served half a stuffed pepper per person and so 2 stuffed peppers served 4 of us!

Bon Appétit!