Greek-Style Tilapia, take 2

I first posted this recipe back in March. Tonight we had it again and I changed up some things. Both versions are good, but the balsamic vinegar I added tonight gave the fish a great depth that it didn't have before. Give it a try!



Greek-Style Tilapia
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
Greek seasoning
1 lb. tilapia fillets
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Black pepper to taste

1. Sauté shallot and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet 1 minute. Sprinkle tilapia fillets with Greek seasoning. Place fish in skillet. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until fish becomes opaque. Sprinkle with oregano. Stir in tomatoes, olives, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste.

Oven-Baked Pancakes With Blueberries and Peaches

I'm always looking for special Saturday morning breakfast options. Today I came across a recipe for oven-baked pancakes in Barefoot Contessa: Back to the Basics. Of course, I put my own twist on it and what I made looks nothing like the picture in the cookbook, but it was still pretty and, most importantly, tasted yummy. I don't have 6-inch individual ramekins, so I improvised with my jumbo muffin pan. The result was a cross between a pancake and a muffin. You can use any combination of fruit; the original recipe called for 1 cup each of blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. I had some blueberries that I froze earlier in the summer and the last of my 2009 peaches, so that's what I chose. The original called for room-temperature fruit, but I thought it would be even better if the fruit was warm like the pancakes and maple syrup. (I heated the fruit in the microwave at 50% for about 4 minutes.) This would be great option for a brunch because you can make several at one time. Definitely give it a try!

Oven-Baked Pancakes With Blueberries and Peaches
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled peaches
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. butter, cut into pats
Maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine blueberries, peaches, and sugar in a bowl, and set aside.
3. Beat eggs with a mixer until blended. Gradually beat in melted butter and next 5 ingredients until mixture is smooth.
4. Place a pat of butter in the bottom of a jumbo muffin pan. Place pan in oven for 3 minutes or until butter completely melts and begins to turn golden. Remove from oven. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake at 425° for 12 to 14 minutes or until puffed and golden.
6. While the pancakes bake, heat the blueberry mixture in the microwave at 50% power, stirring in 2-minute intervals. Serve warm pancakes with fruit and maple syrup.

Caramelized Peaches With Rum

I had a few end-of-the-season peaches to use, so for dessert I made a take on bananas foster. I cut the peaches into chunky slices, cooked them in a caramel-rum sauce, and served them over vanilla ice cream. The rum intensifies the buttery caramel. This decadent dessert is quite elegant, but it's so simple! Definitely try it.

Caramelized Peaches With Rum
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 peaches, peeled and cut into thick slices
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup light rum
Vanilla ice cream

1. Melt butter in skillet; stir in brown sugar. Cook until mixture is combined. Stir in peaches, allspice, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Turn off heat, and stir in rum. Turn heat back on, and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Spoon peaches and caramel-rum sauce over vanilla ice cream.

Blue Cheese Grits

Andy told me a few months ago that beef tenderloin is his love language. Last week, Publix had beef tenderloin on sale, so I bought two filets. This has been a crazy week at work (we had to work today, in fact) and there has been minimal cooking going on at our house. I decided to grill the filets for dinner tonight to make up for the grab-and-growl week we've had. Blue cheese is a favorite of ours, so I made Blue Cheese Grits to complement the steak. We also had Stuffed Tomatoes. To get the most flavorful, creamy grits, I cook them with equal amounts of chicken stock and milk. Enjoy!

Blue Cheese Grits
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk (you can also use cream)
1 cup grits
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. butter

1. Bring chicken stock and milk to a boil in a saucepan; gradually whisk in grits. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Stir in blue cheese, salt, pepper, and butter.

Pasta With Bacon, Zucchini, and Tomatoes

I decided to make something with pasta and bacon for dinner tonight, but I wasn't exactly sure what. After finding a couple of recipes on the Food Network Web site, I decided to make a sauce with tomatoes and a little cream. (Cream makes everything better!) A quick trip to the grocery store helped me fine-tune my plan. The dish I came up with came together really quickly and tasted great. I told Andy that it had a nice flavor profile; he replied, "Does that mean it tastes good? Yeah, it does." Success!

Pasta With Bacon, Zucchini, and Tomatoes
8 slices bacon, chopped
2 shallots, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 zucchini, cut into cubes
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 to 3/4 cup cream
1 tsp. herbes de provence
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked ziti pasta

1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven until done. Drain and set aside. Discard drippings in Dutch oven. Add shallots and zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in tomatoes and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in cream, herbes de provence, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in pasta and bacon. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Cinnamon Roll Muffins

A couple of Saturdays ago, I made Sticky Buns with puff pastry dough. Andy told me he liked them, but that he really loved the cinnamon rolls I used to make with frozen biscuits. I had completely forgotten about those! (This blog is good for me—it gives me a reference point for the things I make. Because I love to try new recipes, I always forget about the old ones.) This weekend we were at the beach and I decided to bring back the Cinnamon Roll Muffins. (This is probably not the best name for this recipe, but it's all I can come up with right now.) This recipe is a variation of one from the September 2006 issue of SL. My variation came about, in part, because I didn't read the original recipe carefully enough and then when I decided to make it on Sunday, I didn't have a copy to reference and it has been at least a couple of years since I've made it. This recipe is super easy; however the steps may seem intimidating, so I took step-by-step photos to help. You'll definitely want this to become part of your breakfast repertoire!

Cinnamon Roll Muffins
1 bag frozen Southern-style biscuits
1/2 cup butter, softened
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Dried cranberries
Vegetable cooking spray
Orange Juice Glaze

1. Place frozen biscuits in three rows on a lightly floured surface. Let stand 20 minutes or until thawed.
2. Once thawed, press biscuits together to create a rectangle.
3. Spread butter over top of biscuits; sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over the top. Sprinkle with dried cranberries.
4. Roll up, starting with 1 long side, to create a log. Slice log into 12 slices (cut off ends and discard).
5. Place slices in lightly greased muffin cups.
6. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove from muffin pans, and drizzle with glaze, if desired. Serve warm.

Orange Juice Glaze:
Powdered sugar
Orange zest
Orange juice

1. Pour desired amount of powdered sugar in a bowl. Stir in zest and juice, starting with 1 tsp. juice, until you create a glaze.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

As part of Mel's birthday present, I made her cookies. I based the recipe off my basic oatmeal cookie recipe, but omitted the oats and increased the flour a bit. Mel and I prefer tender cookies and these were just right. I made two kinds by splitting the batter in half and adding the two flavor combos. (This recipe makes about six dozen cookies.) The birthday flavors: Chocolate-Peanut Butter (halved Reese's Cup Miniatures) and White Chocolate-Macadamia Nut (from our trip to Hawaii). Enjoy!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 bag Reese's Cup Miniatures, halved
1 bag white chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts may be substituted.

1. Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until creamy. Add in eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add in vanilla.
2. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Divide batter in half. Stir in Reese's Cup halves into half of batter. Stir white chocolate morsels and macadamia nuts into other half of batter.
3. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until done.