Crispy Parmesan Tilapia

This was so good and incredibly easy. K, who is not a huge fan of fish, loved it and even ate the leftovers (which he never does).

Crispy Parmesan Tilapia:

Tilapia filets
Parmesan cheese
Italian bread crumbs
Egg- beaten
Oil for frying

Heat oil in pan. On a small plate add equal parts of Parmesan cheese (I used the shaker kind) and bread crumbs. Dredge both sides of the fish in egg then in cheese mix. Add to the oil and fry till brown and crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain before plating. I topped mine with a sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce from a jar *gasp*.

Shrimp Fried Rice

I had a shrimp cocktail tray that needed to be eaten but we weren't in the mood for just plain shrimp. I was thinking about a pasta dish but I came across this package of Cantonese fried seasoning mix & decided to give it a go. Yummy! Next time I will use peas & carrots instead of corn & green beans (if I can get my man to eat them).

Shrimp Fried Rice

1 package fried rice seasoning mix
1 pound shrimp- cooked, peeled and deveined
1/2 can corn
1/2 can green beans, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cups cooked rice
2 eggs, scrambled
Vegetable oil
Soy sauce
Sesame Seeds

In a wok (or frying pan) add 2-3 tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce, seasoning packet and sesame seeds to taste then add corn, green beans, onion and scrambled eggs and mix well. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook till onions are tender then add shrimp. Mix well and serve.

Pancho Villa Baked Tilapia

I found this recipe on Allrecipes and made a few changes. My man really liked it although I thought it needed a little something extra. It wasn't spicy enough (at all) for me. I will make it again and update my post when I get it just right. :)

Pancho Villa Baked Tilapia:

Pam Cooking Spray
4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
Salsa (fresh is best)
1 lime, juiced
4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 lime, thinly sliced
Taco Seasoning

Preheat oven to 350. Coat one side of 4 (8x10 inch) pieces of aluminum foil with Pam. Center each fillet on a foil square. Lightly sprinkle taco seasoning on top of tilapia and spoon a generous amount of salsa over fish. Sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro. Position 2 slices of lime on top of each fillet. Close and seal foil packets, and place on a baking tray. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Blackened Tilapia

I was in the mood for fish and decided to try it blackened. I found a basic recipe on Sparkrecipes and added a few of my own ingredients.

Blackened Tilapia:

3 tablespoons of paprika powder
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of ground white pepper
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
½ teaspoon of celery seed
1 pinch of garlic powder
1 pound of Tilapia fillets
1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Create a spice blend by pouring paprika powder, salt, onion powder, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, celery seed and garlic powder into a large ziploc bag. Shake till will blended. Add tilapia, shake til coated, and allow them to sit for 30 minutes in room temperature. Cover with foil and bake for 20 min. Remove from oven, move oven rack to top level, and switch to broil. Remove foil and broil for 10 min. Squeeze lemon juice over the Blackened Tilapia. Enjoy!

Fat: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 0.0g
Calories:79.3
Protein: 18.0g

Platinum Chef Challenge #7

I wanted to take part in the Platinum Chef Challenge this round. The ingredients are panko, bok choy, mint, mango, and yogurt. After much thought I decided to go with Panko Crusted American Red Snapper With Mango and Baby Bok Choy and a Spicy Red Curry Sauce for the first dish and Mint Yogurt Dessert with Marinated Fresh Fruit for the second dish. My husband and I really enjoyed taking part in the challenge and the food was really good. Definitely something we have never tried before!

Panko Crusted American Red Snapper With Mango and Baby Bok Choy and a Spicy Red Curry Sauce

4-6 ounces red snapper fillets, boned and skinned

4 heads of baby bok choy

6 mangoes

1-1/2 pound lobster

1 leek, diced

1 onion, diced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (Mae ploy) *

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 shallots, medium size

Kosher salt

Togarashi (Asian pepper flakes) *

Panko (Japanese honey bread crumbs) *

3 tablespoons melted butter

For the sauce:
Break lobster into pieces. Saute with diced onion, leek and ginger. Add tomato paste and cover with water. Simmer for approximately three hours. Add red curry paste. Strain through fine mesh strainer. Reserve.

To prepare snapper:
Season fillets with salt and togarashi. Brush the top of fillets with melted butter and crust with panko bread crumbs. Saute encrusted side of snapper until golden brown. Turn over and finish in 350 oven until medium rare or desired temperature is achieved.

To prepare bok choy and mango:
Split bok choy in halves. Wash to remove all soil. Skin and dice all mangoes. Reserve three for puree. Peel and mince shallots. Saute bok choy and shallots in saute pans. Finish with 1/2 of mango. Put remaining mangoes in blender and puree into a pulp.

Presentation:
Place baby bok choy and mango on bottom of plate. Top with snapper, panko side up. Sauce around and finish with mango puree.

Serves four.

* Available in Asian markets.

Mint Yogurt Dessert with Marinated Fresh Fruit

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Mint Leaves

1/4 Cup Water

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

1 Cup Whipped Cream

Place sugar, mint leaves and water in a sauce pan over low heat. Let simmer for five minutes and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let stand for five minutes and let cool. Place the yogurt and whipped cream in a mixing bowl. Add mint syrup mixture and beat until light and creamy.

Marinated Fresh Fruit

4 Cups of Diced Fresh Fruit of Choice

3 Tbs. Sugar

1 Tbs. Vanilla

Splash of Dark Rum (Optional)

Mix diced fruit with remaining ingredients in a bowl. Let marinate in the refrigerator for two hours before serving. Scoop on top of mint yogurt to serve.

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 231
Total Fat: 13.3g
Cholesterol: 65mg
Sodium: 278mg
Total Carbs: 0.8g
Dietary Fiber: 0.1g
Protein: 26.1g