Tilapia with Green Beans, Spinach and Tomatoes and Quinoa

So I follow the Food Network tweets and they had this Tilapia with Green Beans recipe one day.

I luckily had a few items and whipped it up...with some variation.

Tilapia with Green Beans, Spinach and Tomatoes and Quinoa

2 Tbl flour
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano (I used my ground and flakes in the pantry)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Bay Seasoning
Paprika
4, 6oz tilapia fillets
4 Tbl unsalted butter
1/2 lb thin green beans or haricots verts (I had a handful of green beans in the fridge)
2-3 handfuls of spinach (because I didn't have enough green beans)
2-3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 cup tomatoes - grape or cherry, halved (I just had hot house...so I sliced them to bite-size)
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine flour, oregano in a shallow dish, season with salt and pepper, bay seasoning, paprika.

Place a large skillet over med-high heat. Dredge the fish in the flour mix, shaking off excess. Melt 3 Tbl butter in the skillet, add 2 fillets (mine is big enough I did all three) and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 4 min. Flip and cook through, 1-2 more min. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, Repeat with remaining fillets.

Add the green beans and garlic to the skillet and cook about 1-2 min. Add in the spinach, season with salt and pepper, then add the tomatoes and cook until just softened/wilted, about 1 min. Stir in the lemon juic and d1/4 cup water, then cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 3 min. REmove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 Tbl butter until just melted.

Meanwhile I boiled some organic chicken broth (I love Pacific Natural Foods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth) and added in the Quinoa and simmered for about 10-15 min. Perfect accompaniment to this meal.


Dish up the fish and veggies and enjoy.

Spaghetti Sauce

This is a recipe I got from my friend Tracy.

I love it...and I have made some adjustments to it. You'll see my adjustments in (parentheses).

Savory Sweet Spaghetti Sauce

10 cloves of garlic
1 large onion diced
1-2 shallots (I love shallots so I like to add them in)
1 large bottle of Prego (I like Barilla - with mushrooms)
1-2 lbs ground beef, turkey or chicken (your preference)
6 SPICY Italian sausages, remove casing (I use the spicy sausage already crumbled and ready to cook from Nugget)
1 can diced Italian seasoned tomatoes
4 Tblsp Worcestershire (I always add more - base it on your taste buds - I can never get enough of Worcestershire)
3 Tbsp Beef Base (Minor's beef base - you can find it at Costco or your grocer)
1 cup Ketchup (I tend to add a bit more... I don't measure...)
4-6 Bay Leaves
3-5 sprigs of Rosemary (I added this...love rosemary)
1-2 Tblsp Italian Seasoning
1-2 Tblsp freshly ground black pepper (I also add white pepper)
1/2 cup sugar (more or less depending on you)

Saute the garlic, onions and shallots - add in the meat (ground meat and sausages) and cook until the meat is brown.

Add in the italian seasoning, worstershire, beef base, bottle of Barilla sauce, can of diced tomatoes, ketchup, bay leaves, rosemary pepper, sugar. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Taste and add more Worcestershire/beef base if you need more savory flavors. Add more cans of tomatoes if it is too sweet... and more sugar/ketchup if it's not sweet enough.

I like to serve this with mini farfalle, rotini, or spaghetti noodles.

Have fun!!!!

Penne with Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce

Penne with Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce

This is a variation on a recipe that included vodka.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic (I always add a couple cloves more)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 lb penne pasta (I liked the mini-penne) cooked/drained al dente
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 (3.5 oz) links sweet Italian sausage (or I like to get the Italian sausage at my local Nugget that is already crumbled and ready to go) [you could also substitute shrimp instead of sausage - note you will not need to cook the shrimp as long - do the garlic/red pepper and oil first - then add the shrimp]

In a large skillet, heat oil over med-high heat. Remove the casing from the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat until brown. Add garlic, red pepper and stir until garlic is golden brown.

Add the tomatoes, salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 min.

Add the cream and bring to a boil, reduce to low and add the pasta, toss and serve.

Enjoy!