Pan Seared Tilapia with Chili Lime Butter and Corn Relish

Tilapia filets, lightly seasoned then pan seared. Served on top of a bed of sauteed spinach, topped with a chili lime butter sauce and corn relish, this dish will have your taste buds doin' the happy dance. All fresh ingredients and it tastes like summer on a plate. It may sound like a lot but it is in fact quite simple to make. The brightly flavored corn relish can also be used on chicken, pork or other kinds of fish. Serve it at your next dinner party and your guests will be amazed.

For this recipe, you’ll need the following:
 

Corn Relish:

• 2 strips of bacon, chopped small
• 2 ears of yellow corn, shaved
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/3 of a bunch of cilantro, chopped
• Zest from a lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

Chili Lime Butter Sauce:

• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 medium shallot, chopped fine
• 1 serrano chili, finely chopped (if you don’t like spicy, substitute a jalapeño)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 lime

Tilapia:

• 2 tilapia filets
• Seafood seasoning (I prefer equal parts of coriander and fennel, lightly toasted in a dry pan and ground to a powder)
• Flour for dredging
• Oil for frying
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 4 cups fresh spinach

Begin by making the corn relish. In a hot pan, add the chopped bacon and brown it until its crisp, about 5-8 minutes. When the bacon is done, remove it from the pan and place it on paper towels to drain, reserving a tablespoon of fat. To the bacon fat, add the corn  and sauté until its done. Once the corn is cooked through, remove it from the heat and add the bacon back to the pan along with the tomato, cilantro and zest. Season it to taste with salt and pepper then set it aside.

 Now we will make the chili lime butter sauce. To a small sauce pan over medium heat, add the unsalted butter, shallot, chili and salt. Add the zest and juice from a lime and stir until the butter is melted. Remove from heat and set the chili lime butter sauce aside.

Now its time to pan sear the tilapia. Heat about 1/3 cup of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Season the tilapia filets with your favorite seasoning (or mine). Dredge them in flour knocking off any excess. When the oil is hot, carefully add the tilapia filets. Cook them for about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of the filet) until they are a light golden brown on both sides.

Sautéing the spinach. Place a little olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) in a hot pan. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute. Do not let the garlic brown. This will result in a bitter taste. Add the spinach, tossing it in the hot oil and garlic until it is lightly sautéed.

 

 Now lets assemble our dish. Place some of the sautéed spinach on a plate. top the spinach with one of the tilapia filets. Next, drizzle a little of the chili lime butter over the filet. Finally, top the filet with some of the corn relish.

Enjoy!

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Creative Corn Bread

Moist cornbread with various toppings. Goes great with chili, football or just by itself with a little honey butter. Adding cream corn is the secret here. The cream sauce makes it extra moist and the corn gives it extra texture. I top some of them with bacon (you can't go wrong there), some with jalapenos and some I keep traditional.

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 15 oz. can of creamed corn 
• 3/4 cup of whole milk (approximately)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 TBS melted butter
• 6 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
• 4 jalapeno slices (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place a colander or seive over a bowl and pour the creamed corn into it. Using a spatula, work the to extract as much liquid as you can. Set both the corn and liquid aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder and salt. Whisk to blend. Pour the reserved creamed corn liquid into a 2 cup measuring cup. Add enough whole milk to make it 1 1/4 cups of liquid. 

To the liquid, add the eggs, oil and butter. Whisk to blend. Add this liquid to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.Finally, fold in the reserved corn.

Pour into prepared muffin cups (coated with cooking spray) filling each cup 2/3 to 3/4 full. As a variation, you can top some of the muffins with crumbled bacon or jalapenos. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the muffin pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Remove the muffins from the pan and allow them to cool on the rack. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

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Potato and Leek Tart with Bacon

This tasty tart is a very versatile dish. You can serve it as an appetizer, pair it with a salad for a light lunch or even use it as a side dish at your next brunch. However you serve it, its absolutely delicious.  It pairs the fresh taste of fresh Spring vegetables with the mouth watering taste of bacon. I mean c'mon... who doesn't love bacon?!

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 4 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 Leeks
• 1/2 large white onion
• 6 strips of bacon
• 1 TB olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 1 TB butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Pie crust for an 11 inch tart pan (either your own or a purchased crust)
• 1/2 cup diced green onions (scallions)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the tart pan with cooking spray. Place the pie crust in the tart pan, pressing it halfway up the sides of the tart pan. 

Cut the root end off the leeks and and slice just the white and light green parts into 1/4 inch slices. A good rule of thumb is to slice just before the leek fans out into the dark green parts. Thoroughly rinse the leeks under running water and place them in a medium sized bowl and set them aside.

Next, slice the onion into 1/4 in slices. Cut each slice into quarters and place it in the bowl with the leeks.

Chop the bacon strips into 1/2 inch pieces and cook them in a hot skillet. Once the bacon is done, place it on a paper towel lined plate to drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.

In a clean pan over medium high heat, add the reserved bacon fat, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Saute the leek and onion  mixture until tender. You do not want to caramelize the leeks and onion. You just want them tender so that they just begin to release their sugars. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and half of the Parmesan cheese. Fold in the bacon followed by the leek and onion mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into your prepared tart pan and spread it evenly.

Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Arrange the sliced potatoes in a spiral pattern on the tart until the entire surface is covered. Drizzle a little olive oil over the tart and spread it over the potatoes with a pastry brush. Top the potatoes with the remaining Parmesan cheese and the green onions.

Bake for 45 minutes until the potatoes are a golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve! Optionally, you can top the tart wedge with a poached egg for a wonderful brunch item or a late night snack.

Enjoy!

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