Tilapia with Sweet & Spicy Sesame Noodles Recipe

When I try to think of a quick meal to make everyone in the family happy, I usually end up with something Asian inspired. This recipe follows that trend. When cooking each element of the recipe separately it still comes together pretty quickly.

Within minutes of the sauce starting to bubble, your kitchen will fill with a wonderful aroma. It got everyone in our family excited for dinner as soon as it hit their noses. Then when we were sitting down to eat the flavors made our taste buds dance with delight. The noodles are sweet, spicy and full of flavor. I hope you enjoy.

Tilapia with Sesame Noodles Recipe

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Ingredients

8oz Package Udon Noodles (You could also use lo mein or spaghetti)
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
1/2 tablespoon Lime Juice (Fresh squeezed is preferred )

Sauce

1/2 cup Mirin (You could also use white wine or chicken stock)
4 tablespoons Sweet Chili Sauce
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
4 dashes Sesame Oil
4 tablespoons Light Brown Sugar

Fish

4 Tilapia Filets
Kosher Salt (To taste)
Black Pepper (To taste)
Garlic Powder (To taste)

Directions

Making the Sauce
Step 1
Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and whisk thoroughly. If you don't want it spicy make sure to reduce the amount of Sweet Chili Sauce. Four Tablespoons gives it a pretty good kick.
Step 2
Heat in a sauce pan on medium high, scraping the bottom of the pan frequently. The plan is to get this sauce to reduce and thicken, giving it a nice texture. Once it begins to bubble do not leave it alone. Keep moving the spatula along the bottom of the pan even if your arm starts to get tired. You'll know your sauce is ready when you drag the spatula and can see the pan trailing behind it. The sauce will be so thick that it is slow to come back together.
Step 3
Remove from heat and set aside
Cooking the Noodles
Step 4
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your noodles according to the package directions.
Step 5
Drain and rinse them with cool water.
Step 6
Pour the noodles into the sauce pan. Stir to coat the noodles.
Step 7
Add the sesame seeds. We had black sesame seeds in the pantry, but you can use any kind.
Step 8
Finish with the lime juice. These can be served hot or cold. I prefer them warm, but I know Kerry loves some cold noodles.
Cooking the Fish
Step 9
Pat your Tilapia filets dry with a towel. Then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Just so you know, this will also work great with chicken or pork,
Step 10
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium low. Once the pan is hot add a little olive oil to where you plan on laying down the fish.
Step 11
Add 2 of the Tilapia filets, flat side down and cover with a lid. The lid will help it steam through so you don't have to flip such a delicate piece of fish. The tilapia will be completely white when it is done and have just a little bit of give when mushing the top with your thumb. Approximately 6-8 minutes.
Serve it Up
Step 12
Serve the finished Tilapia with the Sesame Noodles. There should be enough sauce under the noodlesto drizzle the fish.