Garlic Butter Fish with Creamed Spinach

Fish

4 tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 t pepper

1/4 t salt

1/2 t dried dill weed or parsley

1/2 t paprika

2 lb fish fillets or nuggets

Spinach

2 10-oz boxes frozen chopped spinach

2 T butter

1/2 c minced onion

2 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 c cream or half and half

4 T cream cheese

In saucepan, combine butter, garlic, pepper, salt, dill weed, and paprika. Heat over low heat until butter is melted and starts simmering. Remove from heat. Brush a little of the butter mixture in the bottom of a shallow baking dish (line baking dish with foil, if desired) then place tilapia fillets on the buttered area. Brush top of each tilapia fillet with the seasoned butter mixture. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes, until tilapia flakes easily with a fork.

  

Meanwhile, put the frozen brick of spinach in a microwaveable casserole with a lid.  Add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover, and nuke on high for 7 minutes. While the spinach is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat and start sautéing the onion and garlic.  When the onion is translucent but not browned, add the cream.  Bring it to just below a simmer, and whisk in the cream cheese until it’s melted. Check the spinach, and if it still has a cold spot in the center, stir it up and give it another 1 to 2 minutes.  You want it just barely done, not cooked to death. When the spinach is done, put a strainer in the sink, dump the spinach into it, and press it with the back of a spoon to remove all the excess water. Add the spinach to the sauce.

Now you’ve got the fish cooked and the creamed spinach cooked. Chances are they didn’t finish cooking at the same time. At least, they never do when I cook them. So put the spinach over the fish and smooth it out nicely, then nuke it for just a minute or two. You don’t want to actually cook anything, just to reheat it. Serve it directly from the casserole.