Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with Couscous Cheese Stuffed Peppers

The great thing about Tilapia is that it is a blank canvas for food...blackening, seasoning, crusting. This tilapia was super easy - fresh fish, pre-packed filets. Simply pan fry in three tablespoons of oil (of course I used EVOO), three minutes on each side. Remember to have the oil hot, otherwise the crusting will stick to the pan and pull off the filet when you flip it.

The peppers were also super easy. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the tops, remove the ribbing and seeds...you might want to trim a bit off the bottom to help them stand upright. For the couscous, bring 1-1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon of butter, some basil (3 dorot cubes), and some garlic (another 3 dorot cubes) to a boil. Stir in one cup of couscous, remove from heat, cover and let sit for five minutes. Now pull out a baking pan add water to cover the bottom 1/2 inch. Spoon the couscous into the peppers, sprinkle shredded cheese on the top, and place upright in the pan. The pan now goes on the center rack of the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

In total, just 15 minutes from cutting board to plate. Enioy...

Breakfast Made Easy

Cooking Time:  6 minutes
Clean-Up:  cutting board, knife, skillets and tongs

Were you to break into my home and check the pantry, you would discover that I don't have any cold breakfast cereal. It isn't that I am opposed to those - I love a heaping bowl of Frosted Flakes as much as the next guy - I just prefer something warm in me to start the day (especially this time of year).

On weekends, breakfast typically is eggs, a pork protein, and a side of fruit. It is light, quick, and a great way to get the day jump started. On days that I am feeling particularly lazy, I use Egg Beaters instead of regular eggs.  While they contain Xantham and gaur gum - they contain no egg yolks so they are a bit healthier for you. Also, because of their smoother consistency, I like them a lot better than real eggs for scrambled eggs and omelettes. Spritz a bit of olive oil in a medium hot skillet, and you are off to the races.

Now for the meat. Sure, you could do your standard thick cut slab bacon but, that would be boring. For this morning, I opted for an uncured back bacon (think a slightly goofier shaped Canadian bacon). This comes from the loin in the middle of the back of the pig and is a lean, meaty cut of bacon with a ham-like texture. I'm sure that I found this because fresh and easy is owned by Tesco - which happens to be headquartered in the United Kingdom. It is a much healthier choice and will not shrink down nearly as much as the bacon you are likely used to using (I have never once had to do the whole drain bacon fat into the old coffee can trick). I'm not saying that I don't love side or slab bacon (oh how I do) but, this is an offering that doesn't seem nearly as processed as the little circular Canadian style bacon we usually find in the United States.

The fruit garnish is even simpler - take a piece of fruit from the fridge (in this case an orange) and cut into pieces.  Now you have started your day right and let Tony the Tiger sleep in.