Our Family Recipes: Tilapia with Homemade Pesto

Growing up meal time was a "fend for yourself" time. Generally. We did have meals together. Sometimes. As a general rule if you were hungry, you found something to eat or went hungry. After getting were married, I remember my husband asking me what we were going to have for dinner. To me it seemed a funny question. I told him I was going to have cereal and asked him what he was planning to eat. It seemed a perfectly logical to me. (I should say here that my husband was one of six children and they ate nightly meals together). He asked in his very sweet way, “Don’t you think we should make something and eat together?” I was baffled. After all, it wasn’t a birthday, Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving. It was a regular
day. It wasn’t even Sunday. “Seriously?” was my response. Probably not what the poor guy wanted to hear. The next night we had meatloaf. I was very proud of myself. It was a regular day, and I had cooked dinner. Again my sweet husband asked (so kindly as to not offend), “Do you think we should have
something with the meatloaf…like potatoes, rice or corn?” “SERIOUSLY???” I had just cooked a main course, which to me was a big deal. The idea that he thought there should perhaps be more on the table was totally foreign. We’ve come along way since then. I now usually cook a nightly meal, not to mention making breakfast & lunches. Cooking has become something I usually enjoy. We are busy with 3 children so meals have to either be very simple and fast, or planned ahead of time. And yes, we do still have cereal for dinner every now and again.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Tilapia with Homemade Pesto

Source

1 ½ cups fresh basil (lightly packed)

4 ounces toasted pine nuts
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 pieces (6 ounces) fresh tilapia
1 TBSP olive oil

Preheat broiler. Grind the basil, pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese with a blender or food processor until a smooth paste forms. Slowly add ¼ cup of olive oil, grinding until a smooth sauce forms. Season the pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Season the tilapia with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and cook the fish for 1 to 2 minutes on the flesh side or until it turns light golden brown. Flip the fish over and spoon the pesto generously over the fish. Transfer pan to the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Remove fish from broiler and allow to rest on a plate. Serve fish hot.

Fast, Fast, Fast. Tasty too. Our children like fish, so this is always a good one when we're crunched for time. Especially since the Pesto lasts for a bit when refrigerated.

No comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)