Easy Tilapia & Fried Rice

I looove easy recipes, especially when it comes to fish. I found this one for “Easy Baked Parmesan Tilapia” at Tasty Kitchen, paired it with fried rice and threw some steamed veggies on the side. The whole affair took 40 minutes tops. Also, I am happy to report that both of my boys ate the fish and rice! Score one for me.

Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of those dishes I sort of make up on the fly according to how much leftover rice I have and what else I’ve got in the fridge to throw in. You can use as little or as much as you like! Here’s a rough and ready recipe:

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add diced onion and celery (or green pepper) and minced garlic. Saute a few minutes. Crack an egg or two into the skillet and scramble. Stir in cooked, crumbled bacon or diced ham. Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil, then stir in cooked, cold rice. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in soy sauce, season with black pepper.

Mom’s Chop Suey

Chop suey and white rice was a standard in the Soriano household and one of my all-time favorites. The best thing about chop suey is that it is even better the day after you make it, and as such, I generally eat it for lunch and dinner every day until it’s gone!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 4-6 pork chops
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 small onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 large green pepper
• 1 large tomato
• 1 can mushrooms – size of your choosing (optional, because I hate mushrooms)
• 1 can bean sprouts – size of your choosing (in the oriental food section of the grocery store)
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce, or to taste
• 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)

1. Wash and dice onion, celery, green pepper and tomato. Set aside. Drain mushrooms.

2. Cut pork chops into bite-sized pieces and trim fat. Meticulously sterilize everything the raw pork touched.

3. In a large pot, cook pork in olive oil. When pork is cooked thoroughly, add onion, garlic, celery, green pepper, tomato, and mushrooms. Cook until veggies are tender.

4. Fill pot with enough water to cover vegetables, bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. (Mom says to simmer 1 hour, but who has time for that? Even at 30 minutes my husband comes wandering into the kitchen to ask, “How many years until it’s done?” Clearly I should’ve started cooking at 4 PM.)

5. Drain bean sprouts, reserving ½ the juice in a cup. Stir desired amount of bean sprouts into the chop suey. I put in a whole large can, but half is probably more palatable to most. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce to the bean sprout juice and 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch. Add soy sauce and arrowroot powder as needed until the color/consistency of caramel. Stir this into the chop suey and turn stove up to medium. Cook until thickened. Serve over cooked jasmine rice. And now I’m hungry.

Crap, what’s for dinner?

Chicken Chili Bake

olive oil, preferably of the sprayable variety
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15 oz. can sliced carrots, drained
1/4 c. frozen spinach
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained

1. Lightly coat a 9×13 in. baking dish with olive oil. Place chicken breasts in dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. In a large bowl, stir together tomato sauce, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, and chili/onion/garlic powders. If you are feeding this to a small child who refuses to eat chunky vegetables, pour into blender and puree until smooth. If not, continue to step 3.

3. Stir in black beans and pour mixture over chicken breasts. Make sure the mixture gets underneath the chicken as well. Cover with foil and bake for about 50 minutes in 375-degree oven. Serve with toasted wheat pitas or instant brown rice.

Wow, that was easy and delicious.