Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Sauce

I know I'm not the only one who's been craving lighter, brighter flavors lately. Eggnog, cookies, cheeses, meats, sauces, pies, cakes, and all those wonderful holiday foods are terrific, but after eating them for awhile, it's nice to enjoy something a little different.

Not only does this tilapia give your palate a break, but as it's easy to pull together, it give you a break from slaving in the kitchen, too. This dish is light yet satisfying, and completely delicious. I found it made quite a bit of sauce, perhaps because I didn't reduce it as much as I could have. But it was nice to mop up the sauce with a good slice of bread, and would be tasty over rice as well.


Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Sauce (adapted from Cooking Light)

1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. drained brine-packed capers, lightly crushed
2 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 tsps. vegetable oil
4 (6-ounce) tilapia or sole fillets
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp butter
Lemon wedges and parsley (optional)

Combine first three ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Melt 1 Tbsp of butter with oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.

While butter melts, sprinkle fish fillets with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Dredge fillets in flour; shake off excess flour.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat two minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add fillets to pan; sauté three minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan, place on a serving dish and keep warm.

Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about a cup. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Serve sauce over fillets. Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley, if desired.