Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

One thing I can not stand about cooking things like fish is that all-too-well known 'buy it on Sunday, ya don't eat it by Wednesday, and...TRASH.'  Working around that I started to buy frozen fish.  The only one that I personally like to buy frozen, rather than fresh, is tilapia.  It is a white, flaky fish that can pretty much be cooked any way you like.  Whether blackened, fried, crusted, or plain with a little seasoning.  One way I found to 'wow' a generally known to be bland fish, is to crust it! So throw those puppies into the microwave, defrost, and let's get started.

This recipe is super simple and requires close to no clean-up.  That is my kinda weekday night recipe!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia:

4-6 pieces of frozen Tilapia (defrosted)

1 bag of Kraft Fresh Take Italian Parmesan Recipe Blend (cheese section)

1/2 cup of Mayonnaise 

A couple squirts of lemon juice (I chose to buy lemon juice as opposed to plan out buying a lemon each and every time I want to use a little!)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  After thawing the tilapia in the microwave, or however you'd like to do so, prepare your baking pan.  By prepare I mean, line it with tin-foil to provide for easy clean-up! Lay each of your pieces of tilapia on your baking sheet an inch or two apart.

Next, top the tilapia pieces with a thin layer of mayonnaise.  The mayonnaise is not for flavor, so by thin I mean THIN.  It is simply a sticking mechanism for the crust. Top the now covered in mayonnaise tilapia pieces with the mixture of bread crumbs and parmesan to create a nice crust layer.

Then, squeeze a tiny bit of lemon juice on top of each piece for some minimal citrus flavoring.  Lastly, you may have noticed that I didn't call for a little melted butter in the bread topping as a thickening crust agent.  Well, that is because I try to steer clear from butter whenever possible! My tip that provides for the same outcome is to spray the top of the crusted pieces with butter-flavored cooking spray.  How perfect is that?

Place your baking sheet in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until a little browned on the tops and you are set! Whether you are wow-ing a whole dinner party or just cooking for a special someone, this recipe is a super simple way to incorporate a lot of flavor and a beautifully presented fish dish all in one!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken

I do love chicken, but I am constantly trying to find ways to keep it interesting. Well, HERE. WE. GO.  If you have kids, a picky eater, someone who loves chicken, or really just anyone... they will probably love this recipe! I had it for the first time at a dinner party and fell in love. After making it a couple of times, I found what version of it worked best for me. It pairs really well with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. Basically heaven on a plate. Give it a try and please do tell me what you think!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken

1 cup chopped/smashed Pistachios (or any pistachio blend) *no shells

½ cup of Bread Crumbs

½ cup of Olive Oil

¼ cup of Honey

*Some recipes call for 2 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard in the sauce - you are welcome to try that as well!

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 ½ pounds of Boneless Chicken Breast Tenderloins (Chicken Strips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. For easy clean up, line your baking sheet with tin foil or lightly coat it with cooking spray.

Chop your pistachios, or I prefer to add them to a quart size plastic bag and smash them with a handy wine bottle. Mix together the pistachios and bread crumbs in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, honey, salt and pepper together until smooth. Dip the chicken tenderloins into the olive oil mixture, and then coat it with the pistachio mixture. Place the tenderloins onto the baking sheet.

Place the baking sheet into the oven. Bake the chicken tenderloins until the chicken is no longer pink and the coating starts to turn golden brown. The cooking time takes anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the tenderloins. Just keep a keen eye on ‘em! You’ll know. It will look a little something like this...

You really can't beat the mixture of salty (pistachio) and sweet (honey) flavor that comes packed into these chicken tenderloins. I recommend trying this recipe even if you are not a pistachio lover - you will be pleasantly surprised!