Sweet Chili Glazed & Walnut Crusted Tilapia & Grilled Zucchini Orzo

I haven't been making a whole lot of new things lately, note the lack of recipes in recent posts. I figured I'd better get on it before I lose a reader who reads this just for the food ideas. Maybe that person exists. I decided to go all the way and do something new. Seafood. Jeff and my favorite fish is Halibut, and hooray, it's Halibut season. But guess what, who can afford it right now for a measly Wednesday night dinner? Not us. So I settled for the real chicken of the sea, Tilapia. This is one of our favorite fish recipes. It's sweet, spicy and easy. Tilapia is a very mild and affordable fish that's available year round. The orzo was a successful off-the-cuff creation when I realized I didn't have a concrete side dish plan and just a mish-mash of pantry items.

Sweet Chili Glazed and Walnut Crusted Tilapia

For Glaze:
3 Tablespoons honey
1⁄4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon warm water

For Crust:
1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/3 Cup ground walnuts (I ground them in food processor)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 tilapia fillets
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the honey, chili powder and warm water in a small bowl; mix to combine. Place crumbs, walnuts, salt, chili powder and pepper into a shallow dish; mix to combine. Season both sides of tilapia fillets with pinches of salt and pepper. With a pastry brush, brush honey glaze on both sides of tilapia then press into crumb mix. Continue until all fillets are coated.

2. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When hot place coated tilapia fillets into skillet; cook 2-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and fish flakes easy with a fork. Remove and serve warm.

Note: It's not easy to keep the fish "pretty" while frying them up. You should use your thinnest spatula to flip the fish, and since there isn't an egg wash, the breading doesn't stick all that well. I just thought you should know, and not feel like a failure when a quarter of the crust falls off into the fry pan.

Serves: 2

Recipe adapted from: Picky Palate

Grilled Zucchini Orzo

1 medium-large zucchini quartered length-wise
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

1 cup orzo pasta
1 14.5 oz. can low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup onion finely diced
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/4 cup grated asiago cheese
zest and juice from half a lemon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Brush olive oil over all sides of the zucchini quarters. Salt and pepper evenly. Place on grill flesh side down over medium-high flame. Grill 3-4 minutes and flip once to the other flesh side, grilling 3-4 more minutes. Remove and let stand a few minutes until it's cool enough to touch. Slice into a large dice. Set aside and keep warm.

2. Pour chicken broth into a medium sauce pan and bring to a soft rolling boil. Add orzo and gently boil for about 5-6 minutes (check package directions). Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in small skillet. Add onions and saute until softened. Once orzo is cooked, drain and return to pot. Add onions, remaining olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, almonds, salt and pepper to orzo. Stir well to combine. Gently mix in zucchini and leave orzo over low heat for a few minutes until warmed.

Serves: 2

Breakfast & Dinner Courtesy of Mr. Tub of Ricotta

One tub of delicious, creamy ricotta cheese = two delicious, memorable meals. I've been making my mother's recipe for stuffed shells for years and for years I always have a half a tub of rotting ricotta in my fridge afterwards. But (trumpets sounding) Giada has (of course!) saved the day with her Lemon Ricotta Biscuits (muffins, my friends).

Chances are, if you're my friend, and if I even just kind of like you, you've eaten these stuffed shells, cooked by either yours truly or yours truly's mother. They're simple but special enough to entertain with and really budget friendly. They're one of my family's favorite meals and just might become one of yours as well. Over the years I've played with the recipe here and there with a sprinkle of this and a sprinkle of that. I encourage you to season the stuffing to suit your taste. It's really basic and takes well to amendments.



Beef & Cheese Stuffed Shells

20-24 jumbo shells pasta
2 jars of your favorite red sauce
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 small onion finely diced
7.5 oz. (1/2 container) of Ricotta cheese
1 generous handful of shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat over to 350. Spread one jar of red sauce on the bottom of a large rectangular baking dish. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool. Add ground beef and onion to large skillet over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Break meat up into very small pieces. When meat is cooked through, pour contents onto a paper towel lined bowl to drain. Once drained, place meat in a medium sized mixing bowl add the ricotta, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, garlic, salt, pepper and egg to the bowl and mix well.
Fill pasta shells with meat and cheese mixture to your liking and place in the prepared baking dish. Pour the second jar of red sauce over the shells. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese and place in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and top evenly with Parmesan cheese.

Now for the leftover ricotta:



Lemon & Ricotta Biscuits

2 cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
zest from 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ tsp almond extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together dry ingredients in bowl. With electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add lemon zest. In separate bowl mix ricotta, lemon juice, and egg. Add mixture to butter and sugar. Add dry ingredients in two batches. Fill muffin tin lined with papers or well greased. Top with sliced almonds and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 20 minutes.

A Giada Favorite

I heart Giada De Laurentiis. When she was new on the Food Network many years ago, my dad and I would scoff at her as if she was some pretty little bimbo trying to be our beloved Nigella Lawson. Then I started watching her in secret, all while continuing to pretend that she annoyed me to high heaven. But the thing is - I'm in love with her. Sure sure, she's gorgeous, but I'm not a man. So what I really love about her is that she's the biggest dork and isn't afraid to show it on tv. Oh, and also the fact that her recipes are delicious, easy, and always turn out. Like this one. I make this at least once every couple weeks. It's so simple, quick and super tasty. Here's the original recipe from the Food Network, but I've made some adaptations over the years of making this, and that is what's reflected below. This easily serves 4, or just 2 with lunch leftovers.


Farfalle with Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lb. ground Italian sausage removed from casing (I use a tube of Bob Evan's Zesty Italian Sausage)
10 oz. of sliced cremini mushrooms
10 oz. package of frozen peas, partially defrosted
12 oz. dried farfalle pasta
1/2 cup grated hard Italian cheese (I usually use Asiago)
Salt & Pepper

In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil.

In a large saute pan over high heat, add sausage and saute breaking any large lumps until brown. If you're using Turkey Sausage instead of Pork Sausage, add 2 tbsp. of oil to the pan first. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan and heat. Add chopped mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and saute for 4 minutes. Return the meat to the pan and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the pot of water has come to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and add the meat mixture. Combine thoroughly and gently cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Drizzle in remaining olive oil. If the mixture is dry, do not hesitate to use more olive oil if necessary. Check the seasoning and salt and pepper according to your taste. Turn off the heat and add the grated cheese. Stir well and serve in large bowl.

A Classic

I don't intend on this being a food blog, but I spend a lot of my time reading about and watching cooking so I usually have a lot to say about food. Lately, Jeff and I are eating at least 15 meals a week at home, so I'm spending plenty of time in the kitchen trying new recipes and perfecting old ones. This is a recipe that I've been making since Jeff and I first started dating. It's one of my parents' favorites and I like it because I don't have to make a separate trip to the butcher. I believe I originally found it in Cooking Light, but I've been unable to track the original recipe down on the net. It easily serves 4 with leftovers, and even though it takes a little over an hour from start to finish to make, it's pretty low intensity cooking.

Penne with Caramelized Onions & Chicken Sausage

3 large onions sliced

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. d

ried thyme

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Black pepper

12 oz. package of italian chicken sausage links (I used Al Fresco brand)

1 lb. Penne pasta

1/2 cup white wine

1-1 1/2 cup chicken broth

It doesn't matter what kind of onions you use for this. Whatever you prefer. I've tried the recipe with every kind and found I prefer the flavor and appearance of red onions. I didn't have 3 large onions this time, so I used 2 large and 2 small. Slice the onions somewhat thinly.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onions to the saucepan. It will seem like an overwhelming amount of onions in the pan, but they will cook down and reduce in size tremendously. Add the kosher salt, thyme and black pepper to taste. Don't go all low-sodium and skimp on salting the onions, the salt helps the onions release their moisture. Toss the onions well in the oil and seasonings. Cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the onions brown, turn the heat down to medium low. The goal isn't to sear the onions, just soften. Here are the before and after of the onions I cooked tonight.

While the onions cook, slice up the sausage links into 1/2 inch wide chunks and brown in a pan sprayed generously with cooking spray. Once browned, set aside and keep warm. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain. Once the onions have caramelized, increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Let the wine reduce for 2-3 minutes. Lower heat back to medium and add the chicken stock. Reduce for 5-8 minutes until you've reached a desired sauce consistency. The more stock you use and the longer you leave it reduce, the more flavor you will achieve. Finally, toss the onion sauce, the sausages and the pasta together and serve immediately.

This recipe allows for a lot personal variation. I encourage you to experiment. Next time I make this I may use red wine to deglaze the pan and beef broth to make it heartier. I hope you enjoy this recipe!