Tilapia Baked in Couscous

I serve couscous quite often as a healthy side dish. Here's taking it one step further...crusting tilapia with a flavorful couscous mixture, then baking it. All you need then to complete the meal is a salad or green vegetable of some sort.


Tilapia Baked in Couscous
Serves four.
Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray.


One 10-ounce box couscous
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus 1 lemon, thinly sliced
Four 8-ounce tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine the couscous, almonds, sun-dried tomatoes and cumin and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the 1/4 cup olive oil and the lemon juice.


Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the tilapia fillets in a single layer in the dish, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover the fish with the couscous mixture and arrange the lemon slices on top. Pour 2 1/2 cups water around the fish, cover with foil and bake until tender, about 25 minutes. Top with the parsley.