Tilapia with Citrus Sauce

Spring break, I am soooo ready for it!  Our spring break is really late this year or at least it feels like it.  I am tired, worn out, etc... it doesn't effect what I do in the classroom but two more days and I am out!  Plus, with our new year long schedule we have two weeks off.  It is a blessing right now but I would prefer to have my long summer back (and not have work on my birthday-this year was the first time in 29 years that I had to be in school on my birthday).

I am again on my quest to try to like fish.  I don't know if it is really working.  This is a tasty dish and my husband really enjoyed it, I just cant get used to the texture and fish taste.  I did a bit better cooking it this time though, and it didn't break into a million little pieces.  Maybe before I make the next fish dish I will actually do some research on how to cook it correctly.   I used steamed broccoli and a wild rice/amaranth/quinoa mix for the sides.  

Tilapia with Citrus Sauce

From Epicurious

Ingredients
2 Tbs flour (I used GF flour)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb of tilapia
2 Tbs of olive oil
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

On a plate, mix the flour and salt and pepper.  Dredge the fish in the flour.  In a large skillet on medium, add the oil.  When hot, add the fish and cook for 2 - 3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.  Remove and put on a plate, do not clean the skillet yet!

For the sauce, mix the orange juice, 2 Tbs of lemon juice and the ginger in the skillet.  Turn the heat up to high and simmer for 1 to 3 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Add lemon zest and more lemon juice if you want (I added it all).  Then put the fish back into the skillet with the sauce and cook for 1 - 2 minutes more until heated.

Lemon Risotto and Artichoke Risotto

I'm still killing myself here.  I spent 4 hours at the library last night grading papers and inputting grades and I still have to do my IEP report cards.  The same night most of the teachers I work with went to one of our administrator's house for a jewelry party.  Although I did not want to go I get frustrated because I do not understand when they get all of their work done.  I realize that many people just make up things or do not put in a lot of effort, I just can't do that.  So I guess that is why I spend so much time working on work...

Risotto is definitely one of my favorite dishes, especially after I became gluten free.  It is so versatile.  I have made two different versions in the past two months and they are both great dishes.  However, I wish someone would teach me to cook risotto quickly.  In all of the recipes it says that it should only take 35 minutes.  However, I cook it exactly as they say and it always takes an hour or more!

Lemon Risotto 

Adapted to Lemon Risotto

  

Ingredients
2 cups of arborio rice
6 cups of chicken broth or water if you are vegetarian
1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 Tbs of lemon juice
4 tsp of finely grated lemon peel
2 Tbs of freshly chopped basil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese (if you want vegan, it still tastes good without)

Place the broth or water in a pan and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat and let simmer.  In a large saucepan heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until translucent.  Then add arborio rice and stir for 1 minute.  Add the white wine and stir until it evaporates.   Add 1 1/2 cups of the hot broth and simmer till it is absorbed.  Stir frequently.  Then add the broth 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until it is absorbed before adding another, stirring frequently.  The rice is done when it is creamy and tender around 35 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice, lemon peel, basil, and Parmesan cheese.  1 cup of cheese is recommended, I like doing it to taste. Add more lemon juice or lemon peel if you like it really lemony.  Then add salt and pepper to taste.      

Artichoke Risotto

Ingredients

6 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of arborio rice 

1 Tbs of olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup of dry white wine

1 15 oz can of artichoke hearts

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbs fresh thyme, chopped

Grated Parmesan cheese (if you are vegan, you can go without the Parmesan cheese) 

salt and pepper to taste

For the artichokes:  Drain the can of artichoke hearts and chop coarsely. Add a Tbs of olive oil in a pan on medium heat.  Add artichokes and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Take off heat.  

For the risotto:  Place the broth or water in a pan and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat and let simmer.  In a large saucepan heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until translucent.  Then add arborio rice and stir for 1 minute.  Add the white wine and stir until it evaporates.   Add 1 1/2 cups of the hot broth and simmer till it is absorbed.  Stir frequently.  Then add the broth 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until it is absorbed before adding another, stirring frequently.  The rice is done when it is creamy and tender around 35 minutes.  Add the artichokes, thyme, and Parmesan cheese.  Its recommended to add 1 cup.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.    

Avgolemono Soup

Day #6 on protein shake, mashed potatoes and broth diet. Its so discouraging. I feel just fine when I don't eat any solid foods and to be honest, it almost feels even better than usual. However, I miss cooking. I miss trying new foods and recipes and being adventurous. I don't know when I should try something more solid, but I keep remembering last week when a bowl of rice had me in such pain for 3 hours. I don't want to feel like that, but at some point I am going to have to try.

Today was a good day because I saw that my sweet potato risotto recipe was on my favorite food site SeriousEat yesterday. I didn't even see it till today, and was so excited. I had to post another recipe, although the pictures aren't as nice. The funny thing is that picture was rejected by tastespotting.com and foodgawker.com but made it on a much bigger site!

The last thing that I made before I got really sick was avgolemono soup. I have seen different recipes for this soup online and in my soup books but never got around to making it. Then my husband got sick and I wanted to do something different than the traditional chicken noodle (which, unless I found gluten free soup noodles, I couldn't eat). I only got to eat a bowl full because of the lemon and my stomach, but it tasted really good.

Avgolemono Soup

7 cups of chicken broth

1 lb of chicken (I always use boneless, skinless breasts but legs or thighs would do also)

5 eggs

Juice for 4 lemons

1/2 cup of rice

Black pepper to taste

Put the chicken and broth into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Then turn to low and let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or more until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken and skim off the surface scum. Ladle a 1 cup of the broth into a bowl on the side.

While cooking the chicken, cook the rice and put to the side.

Use a fork to pull the chicken and put back in the broth. Bring the broth back to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Then take the pot off of the burner.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, lemon juice, and pepper. While whisking drizzle in the broth that you had put to the side while beating constantly. Then whisk the egg mixture into the pot of soup, beating constantly. Turn the heat back on to low and stir constantly for around 2 minutes until the soup thickens but do not let the mixture bubble. Add the rice, take off of heat, and it is done.