Mealtime Magic: Lemon Dill Tilapia Tacos (from Seriously Good Freezer Meals)

I have a friend who does a lot with freezer cooking. I've started getting into it a little bit myself - I teach lessons after school, which means I don't always have a lot of time to cook during the week, but I don't like just eating sandwiches all the time. I had the chance to receive a copy of Seriously Good Freezer Meals: 150 Easy Recipes to Save Your Time, Money and Sanity. 

I loved the ideas in this book! There are lots of family-friendly recipes for every need: vegan, vegetarian, GF; breakfast, lunch, or dinner; large batches for sharing; desserts and more! There's a much bigger variety than I thought as well. Each recipe has instructions for freezing, and instructions for serving right away.

The beginning of the book is also great for cooks, whether they're new to freezer cooking or have done it for a while (there's a specific section called "for the advanced freezer cook"). There are even plans for making 7, 30, or 50 freezer meals in a day, with grocery lists and planning tips.

I have the opportunity reprint one recipe, courtesy of Robert Rose Publishing.

Lemon Dill Tilapia Tacos

Makes 6 servings

• 1/4 cup (60 mL) melted butter
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) chicken broth
• Grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons
• 11/2 tsp (7 mL) dried dill
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) minced garlic
• 2 lbs (1 kg) skinless tilapia fillets (about six 6 oz/175 g pieces)

To serve

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
• 12 6-inch (15 cm) corn tortillas, warmed

Toppings

• 1 cup (250 mL) shredded lettuce
• 1 cup (250 mL) canned or cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) salsa or pico de gallo (optional)

In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill and garlic.

Place marinade mixture and tilapia fillets in a gallon-size (4 L) freezer bag or bowl. (Label the bag if freezing for later.) Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, or cover bowl. Transfer to refrigerator to marinate for 15 minutes.

Make It Now Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Drizzle olive oil over a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to oven while it preheats. Once oven is preheated, remove baking sheet from oven, add fillets and return it to oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until fish is flaky and lightly crisped on the edges. Remove from oven and chop into chunks. Arrange tortillas on a work surface. Evenly divide fish and lettuce, plus beans and salsa (if using), among tortillas. Serve.
Make It a Freezer Meal Freeze bag.
Thaw and Cook Place bag in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours to thaw. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Drizzle olive oil over a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to oven while it preheats. Once oven is preheated, remove baking sheet from oven, add fillets and return it to oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until fish is flaky and lightly crisped on the edges. Remove from oven and chop into chunks. Arrange tortillas on a work surface. Evenly divide fish and lettuce, plus beans and salsa, if using, among tortillas. Serve.

Tip: You can also make a dilly sauce, if desired. In a small saucepan, combine 2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch and the marinade from the bag. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Build your tacos and then drizzle a little lemon dill sauce overtop.

Karrie Truman is an urban homesteader wannabe who is the proud owner of the blog Happy Money Saver. The site is currently ranked #1 on Google search engines for the term “freezer meals” and, on average, garners 1 million unique monthly page views, has over 600,000 unique visitors and reaches 215,000+ through social media. Karrie has worked with brands including Frigidaire, Quaker, Albertsons and Kimberly-Clark. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and The Huffington Post, and featured in All You magazine and her local news.