My friend Roseanna is also perfecting her cooking for one. While visiting today, she taught me to make a great baked talapia. The beauty of this cooking method is it can done in an oven or over a grill and the fish may be seasoned with whatever you have on hand. We do love our flexible recipes!
She says the fish needs a little bit of fat and a touch of salt and pepper. The rest is up to you.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Tonight's recipe uses the following ingredients. Adjust spices to your own taste. Roseanna often uses paprika instead of lemon pepper.
1 frozen talapia fillet per person. (2 if you are a big eater.)
1/2 tsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste
We added juice from 1/8 of a lemon
Sprinkle of lemon pepper
Generous pinch of dried parsley
Place each talapia fillet in the center of a square of aluminum foil. Drop the butter on top of the fillet. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice over that. Sprinkle again with lemon pepper. Finish by sprinkling with the parsley.
Fold the aluminum foil to make a packet, giving it a generous amount of head-space before closing the top with a butcher's fold. Crimp ends and roll over once.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes in a 425 degree oven. The longer time is needed for larger fillets. Ours were 3/4 cooked at 15 minutes. 
Open packet. Return to oven for 8-10 minutes to finishing baking and to allow fish to slightly brown. Fish is done when it flakes freely.
Open packet. Return to oven for 8-10 minutes to finishing baking and to allow fish to slightly brown. Fish is done when it flakes freely.
Close foil to keep the fish warm and let it rest for at least 5 minutes while you are getting the rest of the meal together. We served ours with a green salad. It would also be good with a baked potato or seasoned rice, and the vegetable of your choice.If you are cooking this on a grill, wait until you have a good bed of coals such as you would use for a baked potato. Place fish on the grate, not in the coals. Check a bit more frequently after the first 15 minutes than when baking in an oven. It will probably take longer, as well, because outdoor temperatures won't be as high as the controlled oven. The key is that fish is done when it flakes. It will be baking in the steam created by the packet.
