Archive | December, 2016

Panko Parmesan Tilapia with Lemon-Caper Sauce

27 Dec

tilapia-with-lemon-caper-sauceHere’s a nice fish recipe that’s fancy enough for company. It’s a bit of a patchke, but on these long winter days, especially when things have slowed down somewhat for the holidays, why not try out something a little complicated?

You can easily halve the recipe. If you do, start out with one egg and 2 Tbs. water. You can quickly beat up another egg if you have to.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
3 large eggs
¼ cup water
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. parsley flakes
2 lb. boneless skinless tilapia fillets
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying
1 cup dry white wine
2 tsp. chopped garlic
Juice of one lemon
2 Tbs. capers
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or scallions

Directions:

Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Beat the eggs and water in another shallow bowl. In a third shallow bowl, combine the panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes.

Dredge each piece of fish in the flour, then egg mixture and then the panko mixture. Place coated fillets on a plate in a single layer.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with a few layers of paper towel.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add the fish, but do not crowd the pan. Cook the fish on both sides until golden, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the baking sheet when cooked and keep warm in the heated oven until all the fillets are cooked.

Make the sauce by adding the garlic to the pan and cooking for 1 minute. Add the wine, lemon juice and capers and cook until the sauce is reduced to about a half-cup. Stir in the parsley or scallions and pour over the fish.

Serves 6

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Moroccan Chickpea Soup with Couscous

13 Dec

moroccan-chickpea-soup-from-a-cedar-spoonIt had been snowing all day, and the snow seemed almost a foot high  when the hostess of our annual book club potluck dinner called it off. I had just put together a spinach and cabbage salad to bring. What was I going to do with all that? So I put out a call to the other book club members inviting over anyone willing to brave the roads. My friend Char, who was wondering what to do with the huge kugel she had just baked, answered the call.

Char also brought his delicious soup, which came from a blog called A Cedar Spoon (which is where I got the picture too — much nicer than the one I took!). The couscous makes it thick so it’s almost like a stew. It’s perfectly spiced and just the right thing for a snowy winter day. We loved it, and I hope you do too!

Ingredients:

½ cup couscous
3 Tbs. olive oil
½ sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
tsp. paprika
½  tsp. red pepper {cayenne pepper}
¼  tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. turmeric
1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth {you could use chicken broth}
1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup milk, half & half  or unsweetened soymilk
Chopped fresh cilantro, crushed red pepper flakes, extra chickpeas and/or lemon wedges for garnish

Directions:

Cook the couscous according to the package directions.

While the couscous cooks heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and celery and a dash of salt and continue to sauté until the vegetables become soft. Add the spices and continue to sauté for 2 more minutes.

Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth and chickpeas and simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the milk or soymilk and stir well. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put half the soup into a large mixing bowl and puree using an immersion blender or a blender. Return the pureed soup back into the soup pot and mix well.

Divide the couscous into soup bowls and ladle the soup on top. Garnish with {fresh cilantro, crushed red pepper, lemon wedges and/or extra chickpeas.

Serves 8 to 10

 

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