Baked Tilapia with Penne and Broccoli in White Sauce

This was a pretty easy meal to make. It was a fairly light meal, but an olive oil-based sauce would have made it even lighter. It paired well with a Chardonnay from The Naked Grape. I think an APA would have also been good. If you add some heat to the pasta, you could go with a wide range of wine/beer.

To make the tilapia:

- Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit

- Drizzle tilapia filets with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with cajun seasoning (both sides)

- Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, or until it flakes easily, or until it seems done enough for your tastes

To make the pasta:

- Boil whole wheat penne according to package directions (9-10 minutes)

- While the pasta is boiling..

Make the broccoli + white sauce in a nonstick pan:

- Add a handful of fresh broccoli and a little bit of water. Cook over med-high heat for several minutes. As the water evaporates, add a little more. If you happen to have a steamer basket, that might work better. We don't have one, so I can't say for sure

- After the broccoli begins to soften, just go ahead and make the white sauce in the same pan:

- I like a medium thick sauce, so I used: 1 cup of milk, 2 tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. flour, salt and pepper to taste

- If you've never made white sauce this way, it's pretty easy. Just add the butter and let it melt. Then add the flour and whisk to remove lumps. Gradually add the milk while whisking. As you whisk in the milk, the whole thing will thicken. Add a little more milk, whisk, repeat until it gets to your desired thickness.

Now that I think about it, I actually doubled the sauce recipe and cooked about half a package of penne, and it was a good ratio.

Anyway... serve the sauce/broccoli on the penne. I also like to put a little sauce on the tilapia.

Fish Tacos

Today was the first day I've ever cooked fish in my life.  I've hated all kinds of seafood for the past 10+ years of my life--mostly I hated the smell of fish.  However, a little over a year ago I decided to give it another chance.  It's a slow process because I'm scared of cooking it, which means I only eat it when we dine out (and then I generally see other items on the menu that sound better) or if a friend/relative makes it for me.  Today I decided to face my fears, and I made these fish tacos using tilapia for lunch.  We were going to use halibut, but couldn't find any fresh at the store.

Fish Tacos

1/2 lb fresh tilapia or halibut fillets, skin removed

1 T olive oil

Marinade:
1 lime, juiced, about 2 to 3 tablespoons
1/2 c wheat-free tamari
1 T Mexican seasoning

Other ingredients: 
Whole wheat or corn tortillas
Guacamole
Fire-roasted salsa or spicy fire-roasted salsa
Thinly sliced romaine lettuce
Shredded Mexican cheese

Cut fish into bite-sized pieces.  Place fish into a small bowl, and add lime juice, tamari, and Mexican seasoning.  Marinade for 30-40 minutes.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  When oil is hot, saute fish for 5-6 minutes or until fish is cooked through.  Immediately serve fish in a tortilla topped with guacamole, salsa, lettuce, and cheese.  Enjoy!