Tilapia with Bittermelon and Black Beans

I’m into the third day of the South Beach Diet and this is really the first time since January that I got serious in doing something to lose weight. Well, aside from vanity reasons, there’s also some health reasons. I’ve been experiencing some heartburns and I think this is from eating too much unhealthy food. Well, they are delicious. I know I can’t give them up forever, so I’m just giving them up for a little while and maybe when I reach my ideal weight, I won’t eat too much of them again.{hah!} If I don’t stop or limit my junk food intake, I think I’m going to need some medical insurance soon.

I hope the heartburns didn’t come from too much caffeine. I can stand going on a diet but I can’t stand life without coffee. Well, that’s a another story.

I told you that I would be including some Filipino recipe into my SBD and here is the first one. You can find sautéed bittermelon in all filipino household menu.

Ingredients:
2 Tilapia {St. Peter’s Fish}
5 tbsp canola oil
1 large bittermelon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomato, chopped
1 onion,chopped
½ cup black beans {tausi}
½ cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Cut bittermelon in half lengthwise.Remove seeds using spoon. Make sure you take out all the white stuff.
• Slice it diagonally and put into a bowl. Smother it with salt,make sure each slice gets some salt into them and let it stand for about 5 minutes. Rinse it off with water and set aside. This is to get rid of the bitterness.
• Heat canola oil in a non-stick skillet. Fry Tilapia until golden brown and set aside.
• Take out half of the left-over oil from the skillet then sauté garlic and onion until onion becomes translucent.
• Add tomatoes.Sauté until tender.
• Add bittremelon and water.Simmer until tender.
• Add black beans, salt and pepper. Stir. Simmer for 30 seconds.
• Add  fried tilapia. Cover and simmer for 30 more seconds.
• Makes 2 servings.

Happy Weekends.