Clean and Healthy Tilapia

Eating clean and healthy does not mean boring.

This recipe really kicks it up a notch, both in
flavor and with your metabolism. Cayenne, ginger,
and mustard are ingredients that help you burn
 fat. Plus you get the health benefits of tilapia.

Another nice thing is that it only takes 5 minutes
 to prep. Easy, easy!

 I combine the ingredients in a shallow pie dish.

 Dip the filets into the seasoning, coating both
sides.  These were rather large filets so I only
 used 3. The seasoning mix is enough for 4 filets
 or 5-6 smaller ones. Spoon any remaining
seasoning over the fish on the sheet. 

Put them on a baking sheet and into a 400º
 oven for 10-12 minutes until the fish flakes easily. 

I love fish with a spray of lemon juice. 

Leftovers make great fish tacos the next day. 

Clean and Healthy Tilapia

4-6 tilapia filets, about 1 ½ lbs 

¼ C olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 t paprika

1 t ginger

1 t black pepper

1 t mustard powder

1 t chili powder

½ t salt

pinch cayenne

Combine the olive oil, garlic, and seasonings in

a shallow pie dish. Dip each fillet into the
seasonings. Place on a baking sheet.
Roast in a 400º for 10-12 minutes.

Spray with lemon juice if desired. 

Enjoy!

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Tilapia Oreganata

Oven baked tilapia with a garlic-herb coating.

It couldn't get any easier. You can
 make any serving amount you want and
don't really need to follow the recipe exactly.
This quick and delicious recipe works
with any fish. 

  This uses just basic everyday ingredients for
the coating. Use as much garlic as you want.
Strip the oregano leaves off the stems
 and mince.  Used dried if that's all you have.

 Combine all the topping ingredients.

I rub the fish with olive oil, then
 with salt and pepper.

Next sprinkle on the topping, patting it on.
I mist the top with lemon juice.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Bake 350º for 10-15 minutes until
fish flakes easily. No messy frying.

You can cut up potatoes, season, and toss with
olive oil then put those in the oven 15-20 minutes
ahead of time while you are prepping the fish.
Another easy time-saving step.

Crunchy flavorful garlic herbed topping.
Moist and tender fish.

Healthy and delicious.

Serve with a spritz of lemon. I spritz
lemon on almost everything!

Tilapia Oreganata
4 tilapia filets
topping
½ C seasoned breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
2 T parmesan cheese
2 T lemon juice
2 T fresh oregano, minced
(or about 1 t dried)
salt and pepper
Combine topping ingredients.
Lay the fish on a sprayed baking sheet.
Season with salt and pepper.
Top with breadcrumb mixture. Pat on.
Bake @350º for 10-12 minutes, until
the topping is golden and the fish 
flakes easily. Spritz with lemon. 
Enjoy!

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Garlic Butter Salmon in Parchment Packets

Here's another great way to make salmon.

These little salmon bundles are a nice presentation

 for dinner. They make the most tender moist 

salmon and then there's the garlic butter.

That's should be enough to try them. 

You can make just one for yourself, or make

 two or twenty. Plus you can even prep them

 ahead of time so they're all ready to pop 

in the oven whenever you plan to eat. 

Cut the salmon into individual pieces.

 You want one salmon filet per packet. 

Melt the butter in a bowl and add the

garlic, parmesan, lemon, and herbs. 

 Slice the length of the zucchini, then
into half moons. Place in the center of
a square of parchment paper. Drizzle
with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with
kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper

 Lay the salmon filets on top, season again
to taste and spread with the garlic
butter mixture.

 Fold over the sides of the parchment
and the ends tightly.

 Bake in a sheet @375º for 15 minutes.

 Plate and open carefully.

 Garnish with parsley and Parmesan if desired.

Garlic Butter Salmon 

in Parchment Packets

per packet-1 serving:

1 salmon filet about 6-oz

1 T butter, melted

1 T Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

½ T lemon juice

¼ t Italian herb seasoning 

½ zucchini, cut into half moons

½ T olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

parsley for garnish

Melt the butter in a bowl and add the parmesan, 

garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and salt to
taste. Cut a sheet of parchment paper and place
the zucchini in the middle. Drizzle with olive oil
and season with salt and pepper. Top with the
salmon filet. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and
 pepper to taste and spread on the garlic-butter

mixture. Bring the two sided of paper together
and fold over to seal. Tightly roll the ends.
Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake @375º for 15
minutes. Place each packet on a plate; open
carefully. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan. 

double recipe for 2

Enjoy!

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Pasta con le Sarde

I had the pleasure of joining my cousin in Italy again, this time on a 9 day trip to Sicily.  We started in Palermo and made our way in a counter-clockwise tour of the island.  One of my favorite stops was the geological formation known as Scala dei Turchi just to the west of Agrigento.

It looks like a milky-white set of steps rising out of the Mediterranean Sea, and it's completely free to explore.  While I'm really glad I was able to climb it, I do hope that one day soon the government will decide to protect the area since it will likely become quite damaged from all the human activity.  For more pictures of the trip, check out my Instagram feed.

One of my other favorite stops was the UNESCO world heritage Baroque town of Ragusa.  Not only is it absolutely lovely, it has some of the best restaurants on the island including the 2 Michelin-starred Ristorante Duomo.  We were able to have a 7 course lunch there for only 45 euros (that's like $50 with the recent exchange rate)!

The pasta course was their take on a traditional Sicilian dish:  pasta con le sarde.  From what I remember the waiter saying, they used homemade saffron spaghetti with olive oil poached sardines and bread crumbs with wild fennel.  The version I made uses dry spaghetti from a box and canned sardines, but it's still pretty good, especially if you like sardines.

Pasta con le Sarde (adapted from The New York Times Cooking)
serves 2

1/4 cup raisins
A pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup olive oil plus 3 tablespoons
1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped, fronds chopped and reserved
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 cans sardines in oil
1/2 pound spaghetti or bucatini
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine the raisins, red pepper flakes, and wine in a small bowl and set aside.

In a heavy skillet, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-low heat.  When hot, add the fennel bulb, onion, and garlic.  Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender, about 25 minutes.

In the meantime, melt the butter in a small pan and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add the bread crumbs and cook until golden brown.  Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the fennel mixture is ready, add the wine mixture and sardines, breaking them into pieces.  Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the instructions on the box until al dente.  Strain and return the pasta to the pot set over low heat.  Fold in the fennel-sardine mixture.  Toss in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add 3/4 of the fennel fronts, the pine nuts, capers, and 1/4 of the bread crumbs.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta among two plates and sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs and fennel fronds over each.  Serve immediately.

Next:  Mini Homemade Pretzel Dogs
Previously:  Garlic Naan
Last Year:  Cleveland Cassata Cake (Bonus:  In a Jar!)
Two Years Ago:  Backyard Mint Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Freckles
Five Years Ago:  Coconut Lime Sorbet
Six Years Ago:  Curried Carrot Soup

Filets de poisson et asperges, grille

A springtime treat, with the asparagus and chives. And it is done in 10 minutes. Using the Silpat saves a lot of cleanup.

Serves 4

4 four to six ounce fish filets, such as trout, ocean perch, tilapia
1 pound asparagus--thinner is better--lower stems cut off
Cajun seasoning
Herbs de Provence
sea salt
pepper
herbs for garnish, such as scallion tops chopped, chives, chive flowers, capers, thyme

Preheat broiler.

1. On a baking pan (half sheet) place one pound thin asparagus, lower stems cut off, and the fish filets, skin side down.
2. Drizzle all with olive oil, toss the asparagus in the oil, and dust the asparagus and the fish with sea salt. 
3. Season the filets with Cajun seasoning and herbs de Provence.
4. Broil the fish for three minutes on top or until they are lightly browned. Turn and broil for one or two minutes more, tossing the asparagus as you turn the fish.
5. [OPTIONAL:] Nap the fish with Hollandaise or herb butter
6. Garnish with scallion tops, capers, chopped chives, and/or chive flowers.

Tartare de saumon

Easter brunch 2013 continues, with salmon tartare. This is a sort of French ceviche, where lemon juice "cooks" raw fish. It's really really good. It made a nice little starter for us, before the quiche.

This is another lightning dish if the fishmonger (butcher here in Iowa) dices or minces the fish, as the friendly folks at Fareway did for me. Don't dare use a food processor, as it mangles the fishie's tissues.

I suppose verrines are really supposed to have layers. That's easy to do, such as Thomas Keller's with a layer of red onion crème fraiche, or one I did yesterday with capers. A red layer of marinated roasted pepper, drained from the jar and chopped would be nice too.

These "verrine" glasses are actually votive candle holders from Walmart, 88¢ each.

Serves 4

8 ounces of salmon filet (belly if possible) cut into 1/8 in dice or minced
10 chive spears or 2 green onion tops
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, preferably Maille
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
salt and pepper

1. Chop the chives or green onion tops very finely
2. In a bowl, beat the chives, mustard, olive oil, and lemon juice into an emulsion.
3. Toss the salmon into the dressing and season.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
5. Serve in small "verrine" glasses, garnished with chives or green onion tops.