Tilapia with Kale, Chard, and Tomatoes
The inspiration for this dish was to clear the ‘fridge of last week’s leftover ingredients (you know those partially used cans of tomato sauce, vegetables that really need to be cooked, and containers that should be emptied).
Leftovers on hand for this Kitchen Invention included:
- Lacinto Kale (kind of like cavolo nero in Italy) – about 5 stems on hand
- Swiss Chard and Rainbow Chard – about 1/2 a bunch of each
- 1/2 can of Tomato Sauce
- Tomato Paste
- Vegetable Broth
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Anchovies (I know…I know…not everyone likes these little fishes…)
- Tilapia that was cooked the day before (See NOTE below)
What to do when you have interesting items ready to serve? Well, here goes the “Invention” for Tilapia with Kale, Chard, and Tomatoes. Enjoy…
Remove large middle stem from kale and chard. Chop kale and chard into small pieces. Rinse well and drain. Add olive oil to large pan on stove top; saute over medium heat until wilted and tender. Once 85% cooked, add 2 cloves chopped garlic and 2-3 anchovies to pan. Cook 1 minute, or until anchovies dissolve into the sauce. Grate zest of one lemon into the pan, along with the juice of the same lemon to pan. Allow to warm. Remove from pan to a plate and set aside.
Almost Ready...
Increase heat of pan and add 1/4 c. of broth to pan to deglaze. Add 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes (I used the garlic, oregano, and basil one, with no salt added) and 1/2 can of tomato sauce. Add seasonings to pan (oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and pepper are great). Bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower heat and simmer until it begins to thicken, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally, so it does not stick to bottom of pan.
Once thickened, add 2 Tbls. of tomato paste and stir well. Lay the cooked tilapia on top of the sauce. Lay the cooked kale and chard on top of the tilapia. Reduce to low, and heat for approximately 10-13 minutes, until it is bubbly and heated through.
Plated For Your Enjoyment
Ready to Eat!
Plate with tomato and kale mixture on bottom of plate, and tilapia on top…now grill some bread for sopping up all those tasty juices, pour a glass of wine, and enjoy!
(Note: the tilapia was cooked in olive oil, with a little salt and pepper on each side of the fillets…so no salt was added to the sauce, since there is SO much in canned tomato products.)
Our Kitchen Inventions 
this looks really yummy. I’ll have to try it out.
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It’s also great with pork chops – just cook them in the pan prior to making the sauce (set them aside on a plate once browned on both sides), then you can REALLY have fun deglazing the pan 🙂 I find that the chops need some time in the oven (once the dish is assembled) to finish cooking. Results are fabulous that way. Just cover, cook for about 15 minutes, uncover and enjoy!
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