Tilapia with Black Beans & Kale

I know I lost some of you immediately with the title.  
Some people seem to have an unnatural dislike of both tilapia and kale.  
So, I guess they're not reading anymore, so let's not worry about them, okay?

I thawed the fish a couple of days ago, but I've been too wiped out to cook.  
To sum it all up, two nights ago, I suggested scrambled eggs instead of really making something.  My hubby acted like that was a grand idea, hence the reason I love that guy!  

The next night, ditto.... both of us exhausted.  He suggests we go have "happy hour" for dinner.  So, yep, of course that happened and we happily had street tacos, nachos and beer.

Ahem, today I planned ahead and thought through this.  
What was really easy?  
What did I have already on hand?  
What was healthy? 
Because you know... I was eating nachos, tacos and beer last night, I needed something that was good, and good for you.

Serves 2 (easy to double)
Ingredients

2 tilapia fillets
3 cups kale, chopped
1/4 cup onion, thinly slivered
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, or canned drained tomatoes
1/2 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Fresh lemon for serving

Preheat the oven to 375.

Cut up the onion, the tomatoes and the kale.  I did the onions quite thin, as I knew I was only going to cook them for a short time.

Kale?  I use a big knife and cut the ribs out, then I chop, chop, chop them into small pieces.

 
Add to a big bowl. Add the beans, chili pepper flakes, the lemon zest and the olive oil.  NOTE- don't add the lemon juice until serving as it sometimes makes the kale a yucky color.

Toss to coat. Add a little salt and pepper, toss again.  It's totally OK to taste it now and make sure it tastes good.

Put two large pieces of foil on the counter (about 18 inches long) and add a big pile of the "salad" kale mixture.  Top with a fillet of fish... ummm... the tilapia  (not the MacDonalds sandwichs- hehehe).  

Salt and pepper the top of the fish. Fold up the edges, making a little flat envelope, like the one pictured below.  Put on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  

Serve at once, but be careful opening the foil it will be very, very steamy.  Serve with a big wedge of lemon.

Link to My Favorite Tilapia Recipes
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Grilled Summer Squash with Pecans & Blue Cheese

I liked the picture of the ingredients more than the picture of the finished dish...

I liked the recipe the second I saw this in the edition of Food & Wine June 2016, I wanted to make it.
But sadly, I did not follow all the instructions.
Either that, or I did not give good direction to the Hubster when he went out to grill.
Can you repeat "al dente" after me?

YES... do not, do NOT overcook the squash. 
 You don't want a squishy texture, you want barely cooked with the yumminess of blue cheese and the crunch of pecans.
You do, believe me.
I love this dish and I will make it again, but we will be super vigilant to ensure the squash is undercooked.
Or, you can follow the directions from Food & WIne below and remove the part most likely to get squishy.    

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

    1/2 cup pecan halves

    1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

    Kosher salt

    Pepper

    2 pounds mixed zucchini and summer squash

    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

    1 tablespoon honey

    1 teaspoon thyme leaves (I used dried, but I think fresh would be better...)

    2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

    Grilled bread, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the pecans with the butter and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and roast until fragrant and browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely, then coarsely chop.

Quarter the zucchini and summer squash lengthwise and cut off the soft, seedy 
centers. In a large bowl, toss all of the squash with 2 tablespoons 
of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Light a grill. Grill all of the squash over moderately high heat, turning once, until lightly charred and tender, about 
10 minutes. Cut the zucchini and summer squash into 2-inch lengths; transfer to a large bowl. 

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice with the honey, thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil; 
season with salt and pepper. Add the lemon vinaigrette 
to the grilled squash and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl 
and top with the crumbled blue cheese and toasted pecans. Serve with grilled bread, or serve as a side dish/salad.

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