I usually get fresh fish at a local market, Seaside Market, located in nearby Cardiff-by-the-Sea, but occasionally I pick up frozen fish from Trader Joe's.  Nothing beats fresh fish, but I have to say that I was truly surprised at how good the frozen Tilapia was...if I hadn't known better,  I would have guessed it was fresh.  The TJ's fish is flash frozen ("flash frozen" implies that it was frozen very quickly, likely on the fishing boat) and I find that I've always been happy with the frozen fish I've tried from TJ's.

There's one important thing to remember when cooking with frozen fish, or rather when thawing frozen fish.  Run the fish under cold water to thaw it.  If you use warm water, you will ruin the texture of the fish.  Same applies to other frozen seafood such as shrimp, scallops, or calamari. 

The fish I used is Tilapia loin.  The loin is the top part of the fillet, near the spine, and is superior in taste and texture.  Nearly any kind/cut of fish will do for this recipe.  A useful guide to environmentally-friendly and ocean-friendly fish is the Seafood Watch, which is great at pointing out good fish choices and the ones to avoid (due to overfishing, fishing practices, toxicity, etc).  There's also a selection of Seafood Watch Pocket Guides, such as the ones you might have seen at aquariums.  At TJ's the sources for various fish seem to change, so just check the packaging for country of origin.

I served this tilapia over Trader Joe's frozen Mashed Potatoes, topped with some Ratatouille .  Have you seen the new Ratatouille jars at TJ's?  To me, ratatouille is a substantial meal, a stew made with eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini (brought into modern popularity by the Disney French rat).  But it can also be used as a side, a filling, or a topping...and in this little jar, those are more fitting uses.  I found that it worked pretty well as a side with the mashed potatoes.  I think the ratatouille would be nice with an omelette or even tossed with pasta.

Herb Crusted Tilapia

1 lb frozen Tilapia Loin Fillet or other white fish (I cut the 3 long tilapia loins in half for 6 smaller pieces)
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 Tbsp 21 Seasoning Salute (a blend, located with the other spices)
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil

1.) In a shallow bowl, beat together the egg and milk.
2.) On a plate, mix together the bread crumbs, seasoning, and salt. 
3.) Dip each piece of fish in the egg mixture and then coat with the bread crumb mixture.
4.) Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook each piece of fish for just a minute or two on each side.  If the fillets are very thick, you might need to cook for 3-4 minutes.  Do not overcook the fish.  Fish is done when it is white and flakes easily.  The outside will be golden and crisp.

Makes 6 pieces.
Serving suggestion:  Serve each piece with 1/2 cup heated Mashed Potatoes (available frozen, use 8 frozen nuggets prepared according to directions) and 1/3 cup heated Ratatouille.    Each product will yield enough for 6 servings.