Tilapia with a Sweet Onion, Tomatoes and Tarragon Salsa

Tilapia is not a common fish that I would go out and buy to cook; as it is mostly farm raised and I prefer wild fish.  However, one of the chefs I was speaking to earlier this morning, was talking about the Tilapia Fish Tacos he had made last week and it was absolutely delicious, low in fat and very tasty.  So, I did a bit of research on Tilapia and this is one of the facts I found out about Tilapia that got me to the Market today, to buy some for dinner tonight: 

"Tilapia have very low levels of mercury, as they are fast-growing and short-lived, with a primarily herbivorous diet, so do not accumulate mercury found in prey. Tilapia is a low saturated fat, low calorie, low carbohydrate and low sodium protein source. It is a source of phosphorus, niacin, selenium, vitamin B₁₂ and potassium."

Perfect.  Low in saturated fat, low carbohydrate and vitamin B12, just what I was looking for in a meal.  Now, let me just start adding ingredients to it to make it tasty and still keep it low in saturated fat.

Let the chef in the kitchen, apron on, hair in ponytail, heels on and ready to cook:

Baked Tilapia ready to serve!

Recipe

1 pound Tilapia
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 medium sized organic sweet onion, chopped
1 medium sized organic tomato, seeded and chopped
1 Bay leaf
2-3 tablespoons fresh Tarragon, chopped (I add 3 tbsp, as I love the flavor of tarragon)
2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dry basil
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 lemon
3 tablespoons of capers
Salt and pepper (white pepper) to taste

Fish should be refrigerated until ready to cook.

1. In medium skillet pan, heat oil on medium low heat; add onions and cook until onions are translucent. 
2. Add chopped tomatoes to cooked onions with bay leaf, tarragon, basil, minced garlic clove and red chili flakes; cook for about 5 minutes while stirring. Add a little bit of salt and white pepper to taste.
3. Let the mixture of onions, tomatoes and herbs cool completely (this can be made ahead and refrigerated; until ready to use). Squeeze 1/2 lemon juice and stir well.
4. Preheat oven to 375*F
5. Rinse Tilapia in cold water and pat dry with paper towel.
6. Add some EVOO (1 tablespoon, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan) to a baking pan and place Tilapia on baking pan.
7. Spoon cooled onion and tomato mixture on top of Tilapia and add capers on top of each fillet. Be sure you remove bay leaf and discard.
8. Place in the center of the oven and Bake for 30-35 minutes

Serve this recipe with  1/2 cup of rice medley (brown rice, wild rice and heirloom red rice) and some sliced lemon!

Buon Appetito

Sformata di Pollo

Sformata di Pollo

Chicken Flan

Wondering at times what to do with leftover baked chicken from the night before?  Chicken salad, chicken sandwiches, chicken enchiladas or tacos?  You can make lots of dishes with leftover chicken, but tonight, I revisited Italy again by creating a simple dinner with leftover baked chicken and some Italian fresh herbs.

Sformata is the feminine spelling of Sformato; which is similar to a soufflé without the fluffy/airy texture.  The word Sformato derives from the word Sformare which means to unmold.  Sformata is made with eggs and usually baked in Ramekins in a Bain Marie.  Try this recipe for a light lunch or dinner, I assure you, it is easy and quite delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 Walla Walla sweet onion, diced small

1 clove of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
4 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy creampinch of nutmeg

Parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup balsamic
Basil for garnish

Equipment:Prepare 6 Ramekins and spray with oil and dust lightly with Parmesan cheese.
Prepare a deep baking pan for Bain Marie (water bath)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400*F

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil and cook onions over medium heat until translucent.  Add minced garlic, thyme and rosemary to skillet and cook for about 30 seconds; add cooked chicken and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the eggs, heavy cream and nutmeg.  Add the chicken mixture to the eggs and mix well.  Spoon mixture into prepared Ramekins until 3/4 full.

Fill the 12 inch baking pan filled with 1/4 hot water (Bain Marie).  Place Ramekins in baking pan and bake  uncovered for 30 - 35 minutes until lightly browned on top and test with toothpick comes out clean.  Remove Ramekins from baking pan and cool for about 5 minutes.    Take a sharp knife around the mold and gently unmold Sformata onto a serving dish.  Garnish with basil and drizzle with some reduced balsamic.

***Prepare reduced Balsamic while Sformata is cooling.   Place Balsamic in a pan on medium-low heat, whisk frequently until consistency has reached desired thickness.

Buon Appetito