Tilapia Piccata with Garlic and Herb Rice

This is one of my favorite recipes; especially during the week because it takes so little time. You can make lots of things Piccata-style, including chicken, shrimp, and other types of fish besides Tilapia. For rice, I have Wolfgang Puck's Multi-Cooker, which doubles as a rice cooker, but you can do the same thing cooking rice the traditional style. Note: this recipe, as most of my others, serves two people. If you want to make more, double or triple this.

Ingredients
For the Tilapia Piccata:

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 fillets Tilapia
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, or about half a lemon squeezed
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. capers (optional)

For the Garlic and Herb Rice:

• 2 cups rice (White basmati is my favorite)
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. parsley
• 1/2 Tbsp. chives
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Start cooking rice. If you don't have a rice cooker, this is how you do it: Place rice, chicken broth, and 1 Tbsp. butter in a pot. Bring to a boil. Once the broth has reached a boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and let simmer until all the broth has absorbed, about 15 minutes.
2. While rice is cooking, heat a saute pan on medium with 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil
3. Season Tilapia with garlic powder, salt, and pepper
4. Combine flour and Parmesan cheese. Dredge Tilapia in this mixture and shake off any excess. Be sure that the entire fish is coated.
5. Place Tilapia in saute pan. Cook on each side until slightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on a plate. Don't worry if the entire fish is cooked through because it will go back in the pan before serving
6. Pour 1 cup chicken broth and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice into the saute pan. Use a wooden spatula to stir; be sure to scrape up all the bits of flour. This helps thicken the sauce.
7. Let the sauce come to a boil and let boil for about 6-7 minutes; reduce heat to simmer for the remainder of the time. If you feel there is not enough sauce, add more chicken broth and lemon juice, bring to a boil, then bring back to simmer.
8. Place the Tilapia back in the saute pan and cover with a lid or foil. The Tilapia will suck up a lot of the sauce, giving it really good flavor. If you want, add the capers at this point. (Personally, I don't like capers, which is why you don't see them here; Piccata is traditionally served with capers though)
9. At this point, the rice should be done or close to done. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp butter, garlic powder, parsley, chives, and salt and pepper to the rice. (Hint: if you don't have these herbs or don't feel like buying them, it's okay! I always keep a seasoning packet of Garlic and Herbs in my pantry. You can find this on the aisle with the gravy, chili, and other seasoning packets. If you do this, only use about 1 Tbsp.)
10. Turn off all heat. Serve the Tilapia on the rice and pour any remaining sauce over it.

Gahlic Bread

We went over to a friends house for dinner last night and she asked me to bring garlic bread. This recipe, I think, is better than anything you can buy frozen at the grocery store. Plus you probably already have everything you need, except maybe the 99cent baguette!

Ingredients

• 1 baguette (I like french, but Italian, sourdough, and wheat are also good)
• 3 Tbsp. butter at room temperature (if you use I can't believe it's not butter light, like I do, it's already pretty soft)
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced (Tip: the garlic press is my favorite tool ever, it gets the garlic super tiny, you don't have to chop anything, and your hands don't smell like garlic for 5 days)
• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley (Tip: After I buy fresh parsley, I know I'm not going to use it before it all goes bad. Instead, I chop it all up and seal it in a ziplock bag--making sure it's airtight. I freeze it and can use it whenever I want. Note: this doesn't work if you want to use something as a garnish, just if you're actually cooking with it)
• 1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (Don't ever even THINK about buying that crap in the green cans; get it near the deli section or, better yet, grate it yourself)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

[Step 4]

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix the softened butter, parsley, and garlic until everything is well dispersed. Season with salt and pepper. I usually use about a 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper
3. Cut the ends off the baguette and slice the baguette in the middle, lengthwise; kind of like a sub sandwich.Lay the baguette on a baking sheet with the cut side up.
4. Spread the butter mixture over the baguette until you've used it all.
5. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the baguette.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, then cut and serve

Finished product; some is missing because we wanted to eat it right away!

You can add any kind of herbs you want to the mixture. Basil tastes great. You can also add a little kick by adding some crushed red pepper.

Banana Pancakes

Who doesn't love pancakes? Here is my recipe for pancakes, which are super easy and you can add to make them your own. Omit the bananas for my base pancake recipe.

This recipe makes about 2 servings, 3 medium sized pancakes per person. Double it if you want to make more.

Ingredients:

• 1 large banana, or 2 smaller bananas ( Tip: when bananas are at their ripest, remove the skin and wrap in plastic wrap; place in the freezer. They only take a few minute to thaw and this way, you can use them any time! This works great for saving bananas for banana bread, too!)
• 3/4 cup pancake mix (use any kind you want; there are some great whole wheat and whole grain ones out there)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (you can also use almond extract, but if you do so, only use 1/2 tsp-- it's really strong)
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to Warm setting, or about 150 degrees. This is so you can keep your first batch of pancakes warm.
2. Preheat a large skillet to medium and let it heat up
3. Mash banana with potato masher in a medium sized bowl
4. Add pancake mix, egg, water, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Stir until well mixed. Feel free to add more water and pancake mix as you see fit until you get the consistency you like.
5. Spray cooking spray in the skillet and pour 3 pancakes in the skillet; they should be about 5 inches in diameter
6. When pancakes start to bubble on top, about 4 minutes, flip them over for another 3-4 minutes. Put this first batch on an oven safe plate or baking sheet and place in the oven.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all batter has been used up.
8. Serve with your favorite toppings. Some options are butter and sugar-free syrup, bananas and strawberries with honey, or whipped cream! 

You can add things to make this recipe your own. Use the base recipe (by omitting the bananas) and add blueberries or chocolate chips. I like to add chocolate chips to the banana pancake recipe as well. 

Welcome!

Friends of mine constantly ask me what I'm cooking and how I do it. Furthermore, some are amazed at how I somehow balance being a full-time graduate student, which takes up about 60 hours a week, being a full-time super awesome girlfriend, and still manage to "play housewife." For me, cooking is a stress relief. There isn't much that makes a bad day better than holding a big knife and chopping away! Here, I will share some of my favorite recipes and how you can alter them to make them fit your lifestyle!

I enjoy cooking things that are somewhat healthy and quick. My inspiration comes from a variety of sources, including my favorite Food Network chefs, Bobby, Giada, Anne, and Ina, as well as cookbooks from some of the stars of my favorite guilty pleasure show: Real Housewives. I tweak the recipes to fit what I have on hand and what I like; overtime they become all my own.

Basic Ingredients
Before I start sharing any recipes, here is a list of ingredients that I almost always have in my refrigerator or pantry.

• Skim, organic milk
• Organic half and half
• Orange juice
• Lemons and/or lemon juice
• Yogurt
• 1/3 fat cream cheese
• Butter (I usually have regular stick butter as well as a tub of I can't believe it's not butter light)
• Parmesan cheese (already grated and a block of it)
• Mozzarella cheese
• Other sandwich cheeses and shredded cheeses
• Lettuce (romaine, spring mix, whatever)
• Vegetables (zucchini and squash are my favorite, mushrooms, etc.)
• Fruit (bananas, strawberries, apples, etc.)
• Chicken (breasts, whole)
• Frozen shrimp
• Frozen berries
• Fresh herbs (I never use them all when I buy them, so I chop them up and freeze them in separate bags)
• Bacon (after I open it I put it in a ziplock bag in the freezer; I can defrost it quickly when I need to use it)
• Eggs
• Onions, shallots (if you haven't cooked with these I suggest you try), LOTS of garlic
• Pasta (short and long)
• Rice (whatever kind you like)
• Chicken, vegetable, or beef stock
• Breadcrumbs (panko and regular; I never buy anything flavored though because it is so easy to flavor yourself!)
• Canned tomatoes (whole, diced, etc.)
• Spices: garlic powder, paprika, oregano, basil, etc. 
• Flour (white and whole wheat)
• 'Fake' sugar: I like splenda
• Natural sweeteners like honey and agave nectar

It seems like a lot, but these are basic staples for me. I obviously buy other things but with the items listed above, you can make so much.

Stay tuned for recipes!