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

The Next Meg White

Last Saturday, Gramps Brittain predicted that Marlo was going to be a drummer because she's always got her arms moving around. She must have heard him because she has since been pounding on any surface she approaches. Last night she gave us a drum solo on the seat of one of our dining chairs. After watching the video, I promptly cleaned the house.

Not Ready to Go Vegetarian? Me Either.

The verdict is in. Eating meat is really bad for the environment. The amount of resources that go into producing one pound of meat is astounding, not to mention the pollution and greenhouse gas emissions the livestock industry is responsible for. About a year ago my father handed me his Rolling Stone which was opened to an article about the pork livestock industry and how absolutely horrific it is. I was so grossed out just a quarter of the way though, I accepted the point and quit reading.

I consider myself to be a generally healthy eater. Okay, okay, I do enjoy baked goods, and on occasion I will whip up a high sodium Campbell's can of Cream of whatever casserole and enjoy every bite; but I'm not so much into frying food, I don't drink a whole lot other than water during the day and I enjoy one light beer every evening, I stay away from fattening condiments (yucko mayo), I really avoid anything prepackaged, and I shell out a fortune for olive oil and won't cook with anything else. I'm always interested in upping the ante, though.

A few weeks ago, Dr. Oz was on Oprah discussing how to prolong your life. I never miss a Dr. Oz episode and neither should you. They talked in length during this show about a restricted calorie diet and how people who have maintained this lifestyle for years (like 10 years) have been shown to actually reverse cell deterioration. Meaning - they're bodies are getting YOUNGER. I was fascinated and am bound and determined to go on this diet, how about on my 50th birthday. See, if you couldn't tell already, I really enjoy food. I like talking about it, learning about it, making it and yeah, eating it. But I'm not kidding myself, sooner or later it'll lose its luster for me and I'll be more concerned about staying alive than about some new chicken recipe. You can learn about a restricted calorie diet here.

But for now, I'll just keep on keepin' on with my regular calorie intake, and focus, instead, on what I can do to keep my family healthy. And I find it very interesting that reducing meat intake is not only better for your body but it's significantly better for the environment. I'm not ready to totally give up my carnivorous appetite, though. Can't I meet you half way? Just for now? Apparently, I can. This article on Slate magazine discusses in detail what meats are more environmentally friendly. Turns out, chicken is the way to go and any red meat (beef, bison, lamb, and pork - yes they consider the "other white meat" really red meat) is environmentally devastating. Turns out red meat is pretty bad for your body, too. Just google "red meat cancer" and you'll get the point quickly.

Recycle. Avoid plastic bags. Eat chicken. Feel a little better about yourself.

TV Detox

I've read about half of about half of these books. Let's just say that reading isn't my forte. I desperately wish otherwise though. My peers are all very well read individuals, and in an effort to avoid having to do the work myself, I have an uncanny ability to absorb every drop of worthwhile knowledge they take away from their books by letting them tell me all about it. Most readers enjoy telling you about the books they read, so it works out very well.

See I grew up in a household somewhat confused about its literacy. My parents watch a lot of TV, well, my mother watches a lot of TV and my father spends most of his free time surfing the internet (which does actually involve a lot of reading, he's not playing poker). Surprisingly, though, there are many books in the house, tucked away on a shelf in a back room or in a cabinet in the kitchen. My mother's book collection involves decorating, cooking and crafts. My father's library includes mostly biographies or historical themed non-fiction. As a child, I'd occasionally see him reading them outside of a bedtime routine. I remember one occasion where he was reading a new book (probably some kind of Who Shot JFK book) and I was impressed that he was already half way through the book after just having started it that day. After commenting on this he said something like, "no I just skip around to the chapters I want to read." Being a kid (and an adult) who is painfully obedient to all the rules of life, including the unstated rule that you have to read chapters 1 & 2 before you dare venture into chapter 3, this completely blew my mind. Skip around?! How do you know what's going on in the story, I thought. This was well before the concept of reading non-fiction for pleasure ever entered my mind. Now non-fiction is really all I can fathom reading for pleasure. My imagination is kind of stale. I pity Marlo the day she asks me to tell her a story.

But, essentially, this all comes down to Marlo. I look at her and I know she's a smart kid already and I want her to use the brains in that big noggin wisely and not rot them in front of the TV. I understand full well that this is only likely to happen if mom and dad surround her in a culture of reading. She has to see mom and dad reading as a normal occurrence for her to have a chance of picking up the habit. She has to see new books as something to get excited about more so than a new episode of The Office.

So this week, Monday through Friday, Jeff and I are having a "No TV Week". We were inspired by the husband of Jeff's colleague who is a principal and does this every year at his school. Not only are we going to do it this week, but we're going to have a No TV Week the last week of every month. Hopefully we'll force ourselves into reading habits instead of the dreadful couch potato TV zombie habits we currently participate in.

Our reading list this week:



Emily: Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English by John McWhorter
and
Numerous research articles for her research paper



Jeff: City of Thieves by David Benioff

It's Beautiful Out. Why Aren't You Grilling?

By now, you know how I feel about grilling. It's my favorite way to cook-anything. Meat, pizza, vegetables, you name it - I'd rather it on the grill. Not only does food cook better, but it tastes better and there's half the clean up afterwards. Here's a few of my favorite grilling recipes that are easy and delicious.

Grilled Chicken with Pesto



4 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves*
2/3 cup homemade or store-bought basil pesto
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salt and pepper both sides of chicken breasts. Combine pesto and lemon juice in a bowl. Pour over chicken breasts in a shallow dish. Let chicken marinade for about 20 minutes in the fridge. Dampen a cloth or paper towel with olive oil and oil the grill rack, or (with flame off) coat the rack with cooking spray. Preheat the grill. Shake off excess pesto and place chicken on the grill over high heat. Grill about 5 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through, turning just once.

*It's a good idea to pound your chicken breasts down to an even thickness. This helps the meat cook more uniformly and quickly.

Adapted from: FineCooking.com

Grilled Asparagus a la Francesca

In Wicker Park, Francesca Forno is probably one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Chicago. A little over a year ago, I ordered a side of their grilled asparagus and thought I'd hit solid gold. I was set to reproduce it at home. Here is my version.



1 Lb. Asparagus, rinsed and tough ends trimmed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/2 of a lemon, or lemon wedges for each diner

Place asparagus in shallow dish and pour olive oil over asparagus. Salt and Pepper asparagus generously and toss to evenly coat each spear with olive oil and seasoning. Over a medium-high flame, line up asparagus on the grill perpendicular to the grates. Grill about 3 minutes and then turn each spear and grill 2-3 more minutes depending on how thick the asparagus is and how done you like your asparagus. I've found that nice sturdy thick spears hold up better to grilling than the delicate pencil thin spears. Obviously then, you will have less spears to individually turn. This can be tedious. Remove asparagus from the grill and place on serving dish. Top with Asiago and squeeze juice from half a lemon over the asparagus, or just serve with lemon wedges. Don't skip the lemon though. Trust me, you need it.

Honey Pecan Pork Chops

It's annoying when I have no specific plans for the meat sitting in my fridge. It eats at me all day. What's worse is when I decide on some brilliant recipe, but only have half the ingredients and none of the motivation to go to the grocery store (I live across the street from a grocery store, but still, laziness happens). For this reason, I am in love with this recipe. I always have all the ingredients (yeah all 4) in my pantry, and this is a considerably tasty way to make pork chops and the presentation always turns out fancy, too. I can imagine children loving this recipe. It reminds me of the flavor of Chicken McNuggets dipped in honey which I believe I ate as a part of my Happy Meal once a week as a child. But don't let that comparison lower your expectations. You'll be using top of the line pork (right?) and not Grade D chicken "meat". That alone places this dish in a whole other league. Quality ingredients do more than half the work for you. Give 'em a try. Once you see how quick, easy, and delicious they are, I bet you'll make them again (and again, and again...).

Honey Pecan Pork Chops

10 ounces (2 medium) boneless pork loin trimmed and pounded thin (1/4 - 1/2 inch)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans

Salt and pepper both sides of pork loins generously. Add flour and more salt and pepper to a large ziplock bag. Place pork in bag and shake to coat evenly. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat watching carefully so it does not burn. Shake off excess flour from pork and add chops to the skillet. Brown both sides, turning once until the pork is cooked to your liking. Depending on how thick your pork is, this can be anywhere from 4-6 minutes per side. Transfer meat to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Remove pan from burner and lower burner heat to medium-low. Replace pan to heat and add honey and pecans to the pan drippings. Heat through and stir constantly as to not burn the honey. I always add the drippings from the plate the pork was transfered to as well. Spoon or pour the sauce over the cutlets, serve.

What a Weekend!

The last time we went to Chicago was the first time we returned since we had moved away. That was in the middle of January immediately following a blizzard. We left, cursing the city and relieved we had relocated to have Marlo in a more docile environment. This time, we had a change of heart. Jeff drove me up to Chicago for a long weekend to celebrate my birthday. We stayed with my lovely sister Sara (thanks again for sleeping on your couch for 3 nights), and enjoyed the city in a more gentle climate. After this trip, when we left, we did so with a heavy heart. We really do miss you Chicago.

Here are a few highlights from the fun-filled weekend.

Our friends Mike and Andrea drove in Saturday night to have a delicious Mexican dinner (also my first Margarita since before I was pregnant) with us at Lalo's (mmmmmm). We let Marlo and their drop dead gorgeous little girl, Mira, get acquainted for a while at my sister's apartment before we went to dinner. We're not into blind dates. As you can see, Marlo was a little obsessed with Mira. Mira couldn't understand why she was so excited. I love how around :30, Mira strokes Marlo's face as if she were saying "Calm my child." It all worked out. By the end of the night they were kissing - on the lips. We told them to save it for college.



The big "birthday" night was Sunday. Jeff got us tickets to watch a live recording of NPR's This American Life. The show was hilarious. I was a little drunk (see the bottle of wine below), so everything was a little extra funny! Aunt Sara babysat so Jeff and I could have a nice dinner before the show. The restaurant was my choice, and since the show was at the Chicago Theater in the Loop, I seized the opportunity to eat at a restaurant downtown. We showed up at Bandera on Michigan Ave. for a nice dinner. I love this restaurant. The hotel I worked at was right around the corner so my coworkers and I would go there frequently for lunch or after work cocktails. Let me rave about it here for a moment. The place is perfection. If you're going to Chicago and staying downtown. Go there. It's easily overlooked because it's on the second floor above Citibank, but do yourself a favor and don't miss it. The atmosphere is swanky yet casual. Classy yet cool. You could go all dolled up for the opera or in jeans after a long day of shopping. The food is incredible. They have a variety of foods on the menu, but what they're most known for is rotisserie chicken which you see cooking up right in front of you when you first walk in. However, perhaps what's most memorable about Bandera is the service. I've probably eaten here a dozen times and have consistently been blown away by the service (minus one time when the waitress never remembered to bring my sister a straw). The wait staff is always kind, prompt, and knowledgeable.



This romantic evening brought to you by: Jeff Anderson, my husband - he's taken, back off.



A close up of the chips and queso they managed to make into an elegant appetizer and the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that was super delicious.



Behold the Hacked Chicken Salad. The most perfect salad ever concocted. The first time I ordered this was the day we found out we were having a girl. This salad is possibly, above all, the reason I go to Bandera, and folks, I'm NOT a salad person. I would post the picture of what Jeff ordered, Bangers and Mash, but it looked kind of vulgar and this is a family show, right? Anyway, he always gets it and its always good!

This past weekend may very well be our final farewell to the city we spent years together in. My sister lost her job last week and will be moving away next month, first to live with us (yea!!) transiently before her final move to Brooklyn. I'm excited for her new chapter in life, but we will miss the free room in our old city. I guess we'll have to start visiting the Big Apple!