Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Put on your fancy pants for this one!


You'd think I'd just be looking for any excuse to use a Chuck Norris picture in my blog, wouldn't you? I can admit it was just luck that a Google image search for "pants" led me to it, but isn't it great? Ass-kicking, even? I thought so...

I know it's been a while. Just after having my gallbladder removed, and then my hospitalization immediately following, I had the privilege (read: TORTURE!!!) of developing a cyst on my tailbone, which became horribly infected. Long story short, I was out of work and school for a month total, receiving home health care for the majority of it. Despite unsympathetic professors trying to keep me down, I'm starting to come back out of things and feel like a human being again. Well, as human as I ever was, anyway.



To celebrate my survival, here's a new recipe: Tilapia Amandine. It's adapted from a recipe on the Whole Foods website for Catfish Amandine. The dish consists of tilapia dredged in seasoned flour and pan-fried until crisp and golden brown. The tilapia is then topped with a savory, lemony pan sauce and toasted slivered almonds. This dish is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or to impress unexpected company without much effort. Another bonus is the short ingredient list (half of them are seasonings) consisting mostly of pantry staples. Served with a simple side salad, sauteed green beans, and oven roasted potatoes, you've got dinner in a snap, and once you taste this one, I guarantee you will add it to your repertoire.

Tilapia Amandine

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets (defrosted frozen is fine)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons olive oil + more for the pan
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley
pinch salt
pinch pepper

Tools:

plate, pie pan, shallow container for dredging
10-in sautee pan
plate lines with paper towels

Instructions:

1. Fill your sautee pan with about 1/4" olive oil and heat on a medium setting.

2. Toss the flour and spices in your dredging pan or plate until thoroughly combined. Dredge the first two fillets in the mixture, tapping off any excess and once the oil is hot enough, pan fry the fillets for four minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy on each side. Repeat for the last two fillets, transferring each fillet to the paper towel-lined plate to drain when finished cooking.

3. Rinse and dry your pan and return it to the burner. Turn the heat to low and add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the almonds cook them until they are golden brown, 3-5 minutes.

4. Once the almonds are toasted, add the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, and pepper to the pan, Mix and simmer for about 1 minute to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.

5. Plate your tilapia and pour the sauce over them. Enjoy!

Serves 2-4