Homemade Fish Sticks a.k.a. Breaded Tilapia

I was craving some sort of fish a few weeks back.  I wasn't in the mood for salmon or tuna but tilapia sounded perfect.  I like tilapia because it is light, not too fishy, and you can cook it a variety of ways.  I was feeling fancy that day so I decided to do my version of fish sticks which I adapted from my version of chicken parmigiana (hmmm.... sounds like I have an idea for a future post!).  I also had some green beans and potatoes lying around so I whipped up some side dishes to go along with my fish sticks.

What you'll need:

The yummy finished product!

- Tilapia filets (I found a deal on bulk tilapia so I cooked up A LOT! But, clearly, you just need what you plan on eating)
- whole-wheat bread crumbs
- whole-wheat flour
- 2 eggs
- 3 containers long enough to fit your filets in
- glass casserole dish
- lemon juice
- olive oil

- potatoes, peeled and chopped into small squares
- green beans

optional: Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese to add to bread crumbs for flavor

Make it happen:
Before starting on the tilapia filets, wash, peel, slice and cube the potatoes. Then, place them in a skillet, sprinkle generously with olive oil and a pinch of salt and cook on the stove over medium for about 45 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.  Stir occasionally.

Let the green beans simmer with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt while you're baking the tilapia.

First, pour about 1/2 cup whole wheat flour into one of the containers and pour 1/2 cup breadcrumbs into another container (keep the flour and breadcrumbs handy in case you need to add more later on).  Then, crack your eggs into the last container and beat them until smooth.  Now, you're ready to bread your filets. 

The Breading Station

I've experimented with several different breading methods and looked at many different recipes and I have perfected a technique that works best for me and is great for double breading if you like a thick breaded crust on your fish or chicken (everyone has their own opinion and I refuse to say one way of baking is better than another).  First, roll the filet in the flour, then dip it in the egg, then roll it in the breadcrumbs. If you want to double bread the filets, dip it back in the egg and roll it in the breadcrumbs again.  Then, place the filets in the casserole dish sprayed with olive oil.  Repeat until all the filets are breaded.  Sprinkle a little lemon juice over the filets and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the breadcrumb coating becomes golden brown.

Serve it all up with your favorite fish condiment.  I like a dollop of cocktail sauce.  These are so yummy that my super picky 3 year old even ate them.  That's a successful meal in my book!

Know Your Weaknesses And Then Demolish Them

Part of the reason I do not mind aging is because you never stop learning and, therefore, you never stop bettering yourself.  I learn something new each day and I apply those lessons to my life so that I can be the best possible version of myself.  One of the greatest lessons that I have learned is to know what my weaknesses are.  When I know my weaknesses, I am able to formulate a game plan to overcome them.

Last winter, I discovered how much I enjoy hitting the gym first thing in the morning before heading to the office.  It was smooth sailing on 

My workout board and equipment

that routine for a year until I started my daughter in preschool.  That meant I would have to forgo my morning gym time on the days I had to take her school before heading to work.  The "old me" reaction would have been to not worry about it and work out whenever I felt like it which would have turned into never.  The "new awesome me" reaction was to opt for working out at home on those mornings and then research and devise several different workout routines and purchase a few pieces of equipment for those workouts.  Then, in the few weeks before my new schedule was to begin, I did several trial runs of my routines so that I could time them out and plan my mornings accordingly.  It is going on 3 months with this new schedule and my physique has not suffered even a little bit.  That was one of my biggest concerns going into this.  I have a huge disdain for working out at home, so I was afraid that the tone and definition that my dedication to my morning gym sessions had brought me would disappear once I took those a.m. sweat sessions home.  To the contrary, in fact.  Plus, it has opened up my mind up to the advantages of working out at home.  Though I will never completely dedicate my workouts to my living room, it is nice having another option for times when going to the gym is just not possible.  Weakness: Demolished.  Mission: Accomplished.

One of my favorite sayings is, "If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail."  The "new awesome me" refuses to accept failure as an option.  A little cocky sounding?  Sure.  Completely necessary for demolishing obstacles?  Most definitely.  You are the only one responsible for yourself and for your happiness.  You are worth the effort of ensuring your own success.