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.

Southwest Tuna Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

I've made tuna cakes before, and many times have thought about making them into a sandwich. This recipe differs from tuna cakes, as it makes the patties a bit sturdier (my tuna cakes are always on the brink of falling apart). Next time I might try adding some shredded cheese to the tuna mix and seeing how that enhances the flavor (and the calories...). These patties need a lot of seasoning to prevent them from tasting just like any old tuna fish sandwich, and I was very liberal with applying the chipotle mayo to do the same. Otherwise, you'll find yourself with a very quick and easy dinner that requires no thawing or handling of raw meat - and moreover, tuna is so low in fat that any other ground meat can't even compare (2 g in a cup of canned tuna vs. 19 g in a cup of extra lean ground beef). You'll also get more protein, less calories.

I enjoyed my Southwest Tuna Burger with a glass of semi-dry riesling and found the sweet & tart flavors of this popular wine balance out the spicy flavors of the chipotle. The specific bottle I opened was from Belhurst Winery in the Finger Lakes region of NY state, where riesling is a specialty.