The 15 Minute Dinner...Seriously!

 

Happy New Year, friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!  We spent our second Christmas here in Hawaii, which was much smaller and quieter than usual, but a special time for just the three of us.

I have to admit, I get a little bummed out during the inevitable lull after New Year's.  Everyone goes back to work and schedules return to normal, and there isn't a whole lot going on for a while.  And of course we all start hitting those New Year's resolutions hard for about 30 minutes, so if you're still going after yours, (and if they involve"spend less, save more," "eat healthier," and "have more quality family time") then I'm going to help you out here.  You can thank me later... I accept payment in the form of good wine and chocolate anything.

Here's a meal I made this week that I wanted to share because it was super quick, fresh and very tasty.  The original recipe was for mahi (or ono), which is really easy to buy fresh here on the island.  However, I always have frozen tilapia fillets in the freezer so I just used those and they worked well.  Basically, a flaky white fish will work fine, with the advantage being toward a thicker, firmer fillet.

To sum it up, you put the fish in to broil in the oven, make the sauce while the fish is cooking (this will cut time off the original recipe), throw some french bread in bottom rack of the oven to toast up, and put a steamer bag of veggies in the microwave all at the same time.  Trust me, it's simple and dinner will be ready in 15.  You know I'm a stickler for family dinners, so this is a perfect way to make a nutritious meal to enjoy together, and it won't take up a lot of your time in the kitchen.  Enjoy!


Broiled Mahi-Mahi with Parsleyed Tomatoes (adapted SL, 2005)

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 6 (6- to 8-ounce) mahi-mahi fillets (Or other white fish) 
• 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Place fish in a single layer on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
2. Broil 5 inches from heat 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.
3. Sauté sliced onions in hot olive oil over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until tender. Add chopped tomatoes, next 4 ingredients, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes until heated through.
4. Spoon onion-and-tomato mixture evenly onto a platter; top with fish fillets. Sprinkle evenly with crumbled feta cheese, and garnish, if desired.

Lemon-Dill Tilapia

I like this recipe for a couple reasons.  First, it was easy and delicious.  And second, it is a meal that you can make for $10 or less and feed a family of four.  I would consider this a "gourmade at home" kind of meal, because it definitely feels like restaurant quality with little effort.  So consider it for a special night in with your hubby, or if you want to have a really great meal in the middle of the week "just because," or even if you will be entertaining for a crowd.

Lemon-Dill Tilapia (Southern Living)

Ingredients

• 4 (5-oz.) fresh tilapia fillets
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons butter

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper.
2. 2. Cut parchment paper into 4 (13- x 9-inch) rectangles. Place 3 lemon slices crosswise in center of 1 parchment rectangle. Top with 1 fillet. Repeat with remaining lemon slices, fillets, and parchment paper rectangles. Sprinkle fillets evenly with carrot, dill, and parsley. Top each fillet with 1/2 Tbsp. butter. Fold 1 side of parchment paper over fillets; tuck excess parchment under fillets, pressing folds to form a crease.
3. 3. Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Serve immediately.

...................................

A few notes about this meal.  Tilpia is a mild, flaky white fish, so even if you're not a fish person you will probably like this.  Our son ate this with no complaints, so my guess is that is kid-friendly too.  Older kids would love the parchment paper "packages" to unwrap with their meal inside.

As for the cost of the meal, no matter where you are, tilapia is generally an inexpensive fish and is easy to find.  I purchased 3 fillets for $4.36.  This recipe has few ingredients, most of which are pantry and fridge staples.  I bought the fresh dill for $2, but decided against the fresh parsley and just used dried parsley that I already had in my spice cabinet and I think it worked out just fine that way.  If you have an herb garden at home, you are all set!  Most of us with kids already have carrots or carrot sticks on hand, but if you need to buy them, you only need one carrot for this recipe.  I already had the parchment paper on hand, but if you don't, aluminum foil can be substituted.

I served the fish with a hot, crusty french bread to soak up all the buttery-lemony goodness and it was delish!  For a small family like ours, we can't eat an entire loaf of french bread at one meal.  I purchase the big bakery loaves at our grocery store for a few bucks, cut them in half, and freeze the half I don't use, so that I get two meals out of one loaf.

This a light meal, so save it for a night when you're not famished.  It's also a great warm weather meal (sorry friends on the mainland, I know this is a little out of season for you!)  And if you are serving it to a group, because the preparation is quick and easy, it allows you plenty of time to do other things. 

Wine recommendation... serve it up with a Louis Jadot Macon-Villages white burgundy.  (Thanks to my husband for bringing that one home to enjoy!)  Very dry, light, amazing!



Preparation




Parchment packages going into the oven



Yum!