Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Creamy Lemon Sauce

This meal is perfect for a weeknight when you don't feel like spending a lot of time on dinner after a long day. I'm no Rachael Ray, but I do believe this would take even an amateur chef less than 30 minutes to prepare. Tear open a bag of salad, put out some dressing, and you're golden. I made this with panzanella salad and really enjoyed the lightness and simplicity of this meal. You could also easily make the same meal with cod or halibut; tilapia just happened to be on sale this week and I'm a low-budget chef whenever possible. Sauvignon Blanc is the way to go for wine, as it won't overpower the delicateness of the fish.

What you need
6 Tilapia fillets
1/3 c. light mayonnaise
2 T. lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 T. dried parsley
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

What you do
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange tilapia on a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine mayo, lemon juice, and dijon mustard. In another small bowl, combine parsley, garlic salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and panko.

Spread mayo thinly on the top of each tilapia. Top with panko topping. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until fish flakes. Then broil for no more than 1-2 minutes to lightly brown the topping. Enjoy!

Wine pairing: Opt for a Sauvignon Blanc, which won't overpower the delicate taste of this meal.

Home-Brewed Iced Tea

I am a northerner. My husband, on the other hand, is also a northerner but with a serious sweet tooth. He loves Southern sweet tea. I order unsweetened tea when we're out and add nothing to it. I tried to find a happy medium between our tastes (but he still complains it's not sweet enough). Nothing is quite refreshing as a cold glass of iced tea on a warm day in the spring or summer.
(Recipe makes 1 gallon)

What you need
10 tea bags
3 quarts water
+ 1 quart ice cold water
1-1/2 cups cane sugar
1 lemon sliced

What you do
1. Boil 3 quarts of water. Once boiling, remove from heat, place on hot pad, and allow tea bags to steep for 10 minutes
2. Once done steeping, remove tea bags and add sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and then allow to sit and cool for another 10 minutes.
2. Fill 1 gallon pitcher with 1 quart total of ice cubes & water. Place lemon slices on top. Pour hot tea into pitcher and stir to combine.
3. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Chicken Piccata & Roasted Balsamic Asparagus

Chicken Piccata, a lemon-garlic Italian chicken specialty, is one of my favorite dishes. However, I don't get an opportunity to cook it often, as my husband particularly dislikes lemon-y chicken and even more so capers, so I waited until I was home alone and indulged. When I was in college, chicken piccata was one of the first things I learned how to cook for myself that wasn't from a box. I partnered this dish with asparagus, because it is in season and complements nicely with lemon flavors. So in this posting, you'll be getting 2 delicious recipes: Chicken Piccata and roasted balsamic asparagus. Enjoy!

Chicken Piccata is very agreeable and will pair well with most dry or semi-dry white wines. I love a buttery Chardonnay with the lemon and garlic flavors of this dish.