Jalapeno Garlic Tilapia

(Portion sizes appear larger in picture!! Also, in this picture, I served with rice rather than over angel hair pasta as indicated below!)

This is one of Larry's favorite dishes from Johnny Carino's. So, when I stumbled upon the recipe, I thought I'd give it a shot. He loved it! Matter of fact, he wants me to make it for my father-in-law next time they come for a visit. I believe you can make this sauce to go over any type of fish, use with shrimp or just as a dip!!

2 (4 oz) tilapia filets
1/2 c flour
2 oz melted margarine
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 c diced jalepeno
1 c de-stemmed spinach, chopped
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 pinch garlic salt
4 oz heavy cream
1/4 c lemon butter*
5 oz angel hair pasta
1/8 c diced roma tomato
1 tsp fresh parsley

*Lemon Butter:
1 stick butter
1/4 c lemon juice
2 tsp garlic
Combine & refrigerate until ready to use.

Add margarine & garlic to medium temperature saute pan.
Dredge tilapia filets in flour & add to pan. Once tilapia has finished cooking on one side, flip them over and add jalapenos, spinach, salt, pepper & garlic salt.
In the meantime, prepare angel hair pasta.
As the filets begin to flake, add the heavy cream & bring to a slight boil.
Once the cream boils, remove pan from fire/heat and pour the lemon butter into the sauce.
Place the pasta on a plate, add a piece of fish & sauce on top.
Garnish with fresh roma tomato & parsley

I made Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes as a side item! Super yummy!!
You will not regret trying either of these recipes!

Chicken Parmigiana

In my quest to cook things outside of my comfort zone, I found the recipe for Rachael Ray's Chicken Parmigiana and naturally, it was awesome! I must admit though, I didn't follow her recipe completely. I used Prego's Roasted Garlic spaghetti sauce instead of making it from scratch (something Sandra Lee would do) and so it turned out "Semi-Homemade"!! (Wonder if I watch way too many Food Channel shows???)

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
1/4 cup chopped parsley (about a handful)
2 tablespoons chopped oregano (about half a palmful)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 chicken breast cutlets, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided, plus additional
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 small, yellow-skinned onion, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, such as Muir Glen brand
1 cup chopped fresh basil (about 2 handfuls), plus additional for garnish
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat broiler.
Set up three dishes on your countertop: Fill one with the flour, one with the eggs, and the other with a mixture of the breadcrumbs, half the grated cheese, herbs, salt and pepper.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 3 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. While the pan is heating up, season the chicken cutlets with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and coat each one in the flour, then in the egg, and lastly in the cheesy breadcrumbs.
Once the oil is hot, cook the chicken cutlets until golden brown and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side depending on how thick they are. Cook them in two batches, transferring the cooked cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate while the others, adding more oil to the pan between batches if need be.
While the chicken is cooking, place a medium-size pot on the stove over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and chopped onion. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the veggies have softened. Add the tomatoes and heat them through, about 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the basil, then season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Layer the chicken with the sauce in a casserole dish. Top the casserole with the remaining grated Parmigiano and mozzarella. Brown the chicken parm casserole under the broiler until the cheese has melted and is lightly golden brown, about 3 minutes. Garnish with some chopped basil before serving.

Heart Healthy - Homemade Salsa

I'm joining Robin at Big Red Kitchen for National Wear Red Day Event... So, here's my Heart Healthy Recipe. I'll save this space for my recipe but check Life's Little Blessings for my (coming soon) post on the Heart!

4 large tomatoes, seeds removed, diced

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 green pepper, diced

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

4.5 oz. can green chilis, chopped

1/4 tsp. salt

1 medium onion, diced

1/8 tsp. black pepper

3 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine tomatoes, green pepper, chilies, onion, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Heat thoroughly on medium-high temperature for approximately 10 minutes. Let cool and add the cilantro. Refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

Cajun Saffron Rice

I hit the jackpot recently while attending services at Mineral Springs church of Christ in Mineral Springs. As most of you know, this was my Mother's church. It's an awesome place to worship - it's a place of help, hope & home. I love this place. Not only did they give Mother a new life but they let her be a servant for God which was her pride & joy of life. This is where I was baptized by our very close friend Mike Reese and where we held Mother's final celebration. I make sure I attend each time I'm home because I feel Mother's love & touch while I'm there. Oops...about the jackpot - it happened to be Potluck Sunday when I was visiting! YUMMY!!! Anyways, this was the first dish I came to & just had to make it for the whole family to enjoy.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 ounces kielbasa, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (5 ounce) package saffron rice mix (I use Mahatma saffron yellow rice)
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium hight heat. Add the sausage and brown on both sides - about 5 minutes total. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Drain off the grease. Add the broth and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the shrimp, sprinkle with cajun seasoning, cover, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Season with salt and pepper.

I served this with toasted/buttered whole-wheat Orowheat Sandwhich Thins as I felt that was plenty. I think a side salad might be good too! Let me mention, the white stuff you see in the picture is melted mozzarella cheese - I thought it was a wonderful addition. And the next time I make it, I'm going to add crawfish tails!