Okay, so I've been telling my bachelor friend for a few weeks that I would do fish and I've not delivered.  Well I made Tilapia and a pilaf tonight.  Okay, so it wasn't really a pilaf, a pilaf is cooked in bouillon and mine wasn't but calling it pilaf makes it sound fancier.

Ingredients

• Thawed Tilapia Fillets
• Blackening Seasoning
• Creole Seasoning (Optional)
• Basil (Optional)
• Salt & Pepper
• Butter
  
• Rice (Minute Rice, Jasmine, Yellow, Brown)
  
• Corn
• Butter
• Green Peas
• Carrots

Utensils

• Pyrex Baking Dish
• Two Small/Medium Sauce Pans
• One Cup Measuring Cup
• Spoons
• Spatula

So you can get Tilapia frozen in bags of ten or so; one bag lasts me quite a while.  I don't love eating fish which is why I put so much stuff with it.  I'm slowly getting a taste for it.   Go about thawing your fillets, leaving them in the fridge or sitting out for a bit is the preferred way; I tend to soak mine in a lot of warm or hot water.  Once they're all nice and thawed out I pre-heat the oven.  Refer to the back of the bag of fillets for instructions.  This bag had 425 degrees, and cooking them for about 10 minutes.  I like to mist the pan with Pam; I had some issues with fish sticking to the pan before.

Now that the oven and pan are taken care of, lay the fillets down and apply a layer of the Blackening powder.  I use Old Bay, and I also apply a very thick coat of it.  For your first time, do a light dusting.  I like it laid on thick, personally.  Over this apply whatever other seasonings you want.  Salt and pepper I would highly recommend.  I added some Basil this time, simply because I had it and that's it.  I'm not altogether sure it did a whole lot for the fish, but it did for the rice - I'll get to that in a second.  This is your fish!

Pop the fish in the oven and think about the rice and veggies.  I did a simple rice and corn pilafish combo, but you can add green peas, carrots or whatever else you like.  I used normal, every day  minute rice I got from WalMart probably, but I've been told I should try Yellow Rice or Jasmine Rice, which I would like to eventually someday.  I prefer the mixed Gold and White corn that Del Monte has in most grocery stores.  When heating up the water for the rice I would suggest adding some Garlic Powder; this last time I added Basil and it was a good addition.  Drain all the water off of the corn when done and combine your rice and veggies.  This makes your pilaf!  When the fish is done and the veggies are done, you are done!