Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

I've been preparing Tilapia this way for a while and a friend recently reached out asking for a good fish recipe and this was the first to come to mind, so I decided to post it here and share it with all of you...Enjoy!

Ingredients 

• 1/2 lb Tilapia
• 1 1/2 cups Bread Crumbs
• 2 cups Grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tbsp. Parsley
• 2 Tbsp. Granulated/Powder Garlic
• 1 tsp. Oregano
• 2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil

Preparation

1. In an elongated shallow bowl, add eggs, 1 Tbsp garlic, & 1 tsp. sea salt and beat thoroughly, set aside.
2. In an elongated shallow bowl, add remaining ingredients except for olive oil and mix together, set aside.
3. Add olive oil to a medium size frying pan and heat over medium temperature.
4. One piece at a time, add fish to egg wash and coat both sides.  Then add to Parmesan mixture and coat both sides.
5. Place in frying pan and cook on both sides for 6 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove and set aside.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until all the fish has been cooked. Serve. 

Quick Tips: 

• You may have to add more olive oil as you start a new piece of fish, just enough to coat bottom of the pan.
• If you cook fish often, investing in a fish spatula would be a great idea.  It helps to keep the fish in one piece while flipping and transporting.

*Makes 3-4 servings

*Total time: 37 minutes

Pictured here with Smothered
Potatoes & Steamed Broccoli

Review: Ari's Greek Restaurant

This weekend turned out to be "date weekend", never mind date night, for my girlfriend and I.  To kick off the weekend's festivities we decided to go with Ari's Greek Restaurant, picked from our  2012 Entertainment book.  Driving down Hampton Avenue, I've always seen Ari's and had settled in my mind that one day I would give them a try.  The ambiance of the restaurant is very unassuming; it's a quaint place that has a nice-homey feel to it.  While it doesn't have much in the way of Mediterranean style decor, the flower-scape that welcomes you upon entry definitely makes up for that.  The wait staff at Ari's was great, very inviting and personable which is a always a plus.

Now let's get to the food.  I have to tell you, I've only had Greek food from a real Greek restaurant once in Chicago at Pegasus, so my exposure to the cuisine has been minimal.  I did expect the menu to be more extensive than it was.  Rachel even commented that it felt a little Americanized to her, but we put all reservations aside and found some great dishes.  We started dinner with an appetizer of Saganaki a.k.a "Flaming Cheese."  Saganaki is Greek cheese that is lightly breaded and flash-fried served with a side of bread or Pita.  It is brought tableside where the waiter pours a shot of Brandy over it and ignites it with a lighter yelling Opa!  If you ever get a chance to visit any Greek restaurant, you must try it just for the theatrics alone.  Ari's Saganaki did not disappoint.  it was nice and crusty outside while remaining rich and creamy inside.  For our main dishes, I ordered the Chicken Slouvaki with sautéed Greek Potatoes and Rachel ordered Ari's Famous Gyro Sandwich with a traditional Greek salad.  The Slouvaki consisted of marinated & grilled chicken breasts with feta, tomato, onion, and tzatzike sauce all rolled inside an amazingly fresh pita.  This sandwich was nothing short of fantastic for me.  All of the ingredients were fresh and complimented one another perfectly.  The potatoes, omg!  From now on, whenever I prepare sautéed potatoes I will have to add black olives to them.  The potatoes tasted as if they weren't seasoned which is a good thing in this case because the black olives added just the right amount of saltiness; accompanied with red bell pepper and onions, those were some of the best potatoes I've eaten.  The Ari's Famous Gyro was pleasant as well; prepared traditionally with lamb carved from the spit.  Believe it or not, we had plenty food leftover so we did not have room for dessert.

I highly reccomend Ari's Greek Restaurant, especially to those that are newbies to Greek cuisine.

Ari's Greek Restaurant

3101 Hampton Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63139

Fried Corn

This past weekend I attended a pot-luck reception where guests were asked to bring a dish and I opted to bring my famous Fried Corn.  The guests at the reception loved this dish.  Try it out!

Fried Corn

Ingredients

• 5 Bacon strips (browned & crumbled)
• 1 cup Leeks (chopped)
• 1 1/2 cups Bell Pepper (diced)
• 3 Tbsps. Butter
• 5 ears of Corn (shucked & cut from ear), or 2 bags fresh-frozen corn
• 1 Tbsp. Granulated Garlic
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Black Pepper
• 1 tsp. Salt, or to taste 

Preparation

1. In a large frying pan brown bacon over medium heat 3-4 minutes each side.  Remove bacon, crumble, and set aside.
2. Using rendered bacon fat, add leeks & bell pepper to pan and saute for 5 minutes.  You don't want the pepper to cook thoroughly, just soften. 
3. Add butter & corn to pan with leeks and bell pepper.  Add seasonings and incorporate.
4. Turn temperature to medium-high and brown corn slightly, stir frequently.
5. Once corn has browned, mix in crumbled bacon and corn is ready to serve.

Quick Tips:

• If using fresh-frozen corn, let thaw before cooking.  This lessens the water content so that the corn doesn't become soupy.
• Leeks are a type of onion so if your local grocer is out, a sweet yellow onion will do.
• Tri color bell peppers add great color to this dish.

*Makes 6 servings

 

To do: Food Truck Friday

It's that time of the month again, today is the monthly FTF event hosted by Sauce Magazine.  Click here for details.  Have a great weekend!

To do: Taste of St. Louis

This month marks the annual Taste of St. Louis event.  This is an event where the industries of music, art, and food come together, offering a cultural experience for people of all ages.  Being a native Chicagoan, I have been attending the Taste of Chicago for many years; now, having the opportunity to experience what St. Louis has to offer in the way of eateries is one that I am anxiously anticipating.  There will be 45 participating restaurants with food items ranging from appetizers to steaks, there will also be several places offering up sugary treats for those who have a sweet tooth.  All booths will accept cash so no need to purchase tickets, and the food items will range in price from $3-$7.  Also, take the opportunity to take in one of the food competions being held, or musical acts.  Admission to the Taste of St. Louis is free, so come on out and see what Gateway city has to offer!

What: Taste of St. Louis
When: September 23-25, 2011
Where: Soldier's Memorial (12th & Market)
Cost: FREE