A classic combination of tomatoes and cream, pretty common in Indian as well as Italian cuisines, and loved by people from all over the world… this Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta is my absolute favorite! Its rich, easy to whip up, and the velvety sauce is a perfect balance of tanginess and creaminess which tastes incredible right from the first bite. This recipe is very similar to an Indian style Butter chicken but with some variations to the spices used.

The key to any pasta dish is the perfection in the cooking of the pasta and not allowing it to dry. So, make sure to cook your pasta just al dente. The tomato paste gives the color and the flavor, and combining it with spices and cream gives you the creamy dreamy pasta which is so perfect for your date nights or get togethers.

A few pointers:

1. This is a toddler approved recipe and always a hit for our kids’ parties.
2. You can make the vegetarian version of this pasta by swapping chicken with vegetables. Veggies like mushroom, broccoli, spinach, bell peppers work well with this recipe.
3. Shrimp is also a great substitute for chicken in this dish.
4. Although I highly recommend tomato paste, you can use fresh tomatoes, marinara sauce or canned diced tomatoes. Make sure to cook them well until it is thickened and reduced to a thick saucy consistency.
5. How to store: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to 3-4 days.

Interested in other pasta recipes? Check these out:

1. White Sauce Chicken Pasta
2. Spaghetti and Meatballs
3. Spaghetti with Mushroom and Peas
4. Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta

Creamy Tomato Pasta with Chicken! A Delicious Pasta packed with Tomato flavors put together in just 30 minutes. Pair it up with your Favorite Wine for the Perfect Meal on your Dinner Nights!!!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chicken pasta, creamy tomato pasta, pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 cups rigatoni pasta (or any pasta of your choice)
• 3 chicken breasts (thinly sliced)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 medium yellow/white onion (finely chopped)
• 6 oz canned tomato paste
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup pasta water (reserved)
• 2 tbsp butter/olive oil
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese + topping
• Parsley (garnish)
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

• Preparation of pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooked pasta water.
• Preparation of chicken: In a pan, heat some oil on medium flame and cook the chicken with salt and pepper, until cooked through and slightly browned. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
• Make the sauce: Into the same pan, add butter. Once it is melted, add garlic and sauté until it turns fragrant.
• Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until it turns soft.
• Add tomato paste and mix well. Followed by adding the spices; oregano, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Add the reserved pasta water and allow it to cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream and cooked chicken, mix well, let it cook for 3 minutes until it is slightly thickened but still saucy. Check for the seasoning.
• Add the drained pasta, toss them together and top with parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve hot.

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This restaurant-style salsa is quick n easy. All you need are a few minutes of you time and a handful of ingredients which are readily available in your pantry!  The freshness of the tomatoes, the zestiness of the lime clubbed with the heat from the jalapenos and the aroma of the cilantro, together balance the flavors very well and tastes just like the restaurant version.

Why homemade Salsa?

The thought of making homemade salsa started after noticing my son going crazy over chips and salsa whenever we visit Mexican restaurants. I mean, how could I blame him, we all love it, right? And when he started asking for the same at home too, I used to give him store bought salsa initially. But watching how he used to drink & gulp it (lol, I donno what else to say), it made me concerned about the quality of store-bought ones and the preservatives present for longer shelf life, not to mention the high amount of salt and sugar added for taste. That was the moment I finally decided to try my hand on a homemade version. And trust me, that was the right decision and never have I turned back to store bought salsa again. Also, I can’t be happier watching my son savor mommy’s homemade salsa!

Is Salsa Healthy?

Yes, tomato being the main ingredient of Salsa, it is an excellent source of Vitamin C with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Salsa is also low in calories, helps with digestion, boosts your immune system and promotes heart health.

How to store?

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to a week. I do not recommend freezing salsa as it is best enjoyed when freshly made without any preservatives.

Interested in other Mexican food recipes? Check these out:

1. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
2. Crispy Fish Tacos
3. Salmon Tacos with Avocado crema
4. Easy Homemade Guacamole

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa

Quick and Easy Homemade Salsa, made with a few simple ingredients! Top your salads, tacos & fajitas,or enjoy as a dip with your favorite tortilla chips.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword homemade salsa, mexican, salsa

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 7

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 can diced / crushed tomatoes 14.5 oz
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 handful of cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ of a medium sized onion
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

• Blend all the ingredients together and check for the seasoning.
• Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. You can remove the seeds of the jalapenos to make it less spicy.
2. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.

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If your New Year resolution is to look out for healthy swaps to your usual favorites, then this Air Fried Cauliflower Steaks is a great option. This recipe is inspired by the classic Chicken Parmesan, having replaced the chicken with Cauliflower. It’s a vegetarian low carb meal which requires minimum effort and is so tasty that meat eaters would love it too.

Cauliflower is a house favorite vegetable, although we mostly end up making an Indo-Chinese style Manchurian or a simple Indian style stir fry with potatoes. But they all require rice or roti as a carb side to go with. Recently we started looking out for low carb meal options and have experimented various recipes, of which my husband loves a very few. Among them, these air fried cauliflower steaks were a huge hit.

The recipe needs fewer ingredients; some basic spices, olive oil, cheese and marinara sauce. Since its Italian inspired, marinara sauce and cheese play an important role to enhance the flavors unlike the regular “boring dried cauliflower”.

How to cut the cauliflower steak?

1. Use a small knife to first cut all the leaves, keeping the core intact.
2. Using a big knife (like a Chef’s knife), slice the cauliflower into half by cutting it in the center.
3. Hold each half vertically and carefully slice 1-inch steaks.

This recipe would still work if you don’t have a full head of cauliflower or if you couldn’t slice the cauliflower into steak cuts. You can use the florets and apply the sauce and top with cheese, which tastes equally good. Just make sure to cut the bigger florets in half so that they cook evenly.

Interested in other Air Fryer recipes? Check this out:

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Happy Cooking…!

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Air Fried Cauliflower Steaks

Italian inspired Cauliflower Steaks with Marinara Sauce and Cheese… A Delicious Low Carb Dinner for your busy Weeknights!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword air fried, cauliflower, parmesan cauliflower

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower head
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup Marinara sauce
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
• Parsley (chopped, to garnish)

Instructions

• Slice the cauliflower into 1 inch steak cuts.
• In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper and salt, to prepare the marinade.
• Brush the marinade on both sides of the cauliflower steaks, and Air Fry for 10-12 mins at 375 degree F, flipping them halfway through the cook. Check the steaks with a fork for tender softness to ensure they are cooked well.
• Once cooked, remove the steaks from the Air Fryer and spoon 1-2 tbsp of marinara sauce on each steak. Top them with equal parts of Mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
• Air fry again for 2-3 mins until the cheese is melted and brown. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve hot.

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Shout-out to all the Salmon Lovers out there, this one is for you…!!

So, here is a salmon recipe which is neither pan-fried nor baked, instead its Broiled! And also topped with a caramelized bourbon glaze, Yumm… Shall we talk about this fancy dinner recipe tonight then?

Bourbon salmon is one of my absolute favorite salmon recipe and I love to order it at restaurants whenever I get a chance to. It tastes so addictive that my taste buds forced me to replicate the dish in my kitchen and boy… after so many failures I was able to finally perfect this beauty of a recipe.

I love Salmon as it cooks pretty fast and is full of endless goodness, not to mention the Omega 3. Unlike your regular cooking, this dish is unique on its own for its broiled preparation. Its technique does not require you to flip the fish half way through the cook and still comes out evenly done, Well you might be wondering how is that possible? Simple, first heat the pan alone in the broiler and once hot, place the salmon in the pan and continue broiling so that both top and the bottom cook evenly, it results in a crispier outer(if using skin) with a tender flaky inner flesh.

There is no pre-preps or marination required for this recipe. As part of the cooking steps, the second half of glazing the fish with bourbon sauce and caramelizing is an interesting process too. The sauce consistency has to be sticky syrupy, so make sure you boil the sauce while whisking it for a few minutes to make it thicker. Once the glaze is ready, brush the salmon with the sauce and broil again to caramelize it.  Although the bourbon is an alcohol and you may not be keen to try that, this recipe doesn’t give you any hint of its taste. And, it pairs wonderfully with a bowl of steamed rice and some fresh veggies.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Bourbon Salmon

Smoky, Sweet, n Flaky... Bourbon Salmon, perfect for your busy Weeknight Dinners! This Broiled recipe with a Caramelized Glaze topping is Super Quick & soo Freaking Good…!!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword bourbon salmon, dinner, salmon

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 4 Salmon fillets
• 5 tbsp bourbon whiskey
• 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 4 tbsp low sodium soya sauce
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Black pepper (to season)
• Salt (to season)
• Green onions (for garnish)
• Sesame seeds (for garnish)
• Cooking spray / Oil

Instructions

• Combine bourbon, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, soya sauce, lime juice in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil on medium heat. When it starts to bubble, reduce the heat and simmer it for 5-6 mins or until reduced to a half, and keep aside. The sauce should have a syrupy consistency.
• Preheat your oven to a broil and position your racks not too close to the coil. Place your empty pan in the oven and let it heat for 6 minutes. Grease aluminum foil with cooking spray and place salmon fillets on it. Pat dry the fillets and season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the pan from the oven using an oven mitt, place the foil with salmon on to the pan. Broil for 8-10 minutes or until cooked, depending upon the thickness of the salmon.
• Remove from the oven and baste it with the prepared glaze. Broil again for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is caramelized. Make sure to keep an eye on the salmon to prevent it from burning.
• Turn off the oven and remove the pan. Brush the salmon with more sauce and top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds to garnish.
• Serve with white/brown rice/quinoa and steamed broccoli.

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This Chicken Lo Mein Recipe – Easy, Satisfying, Delicious, and Comforting…!

So, let’s talk about comfort food today…We all have our own Comfort Food Haven! It usually consists of dishes from our native cuisine and may extend to a few from other cuisines too. They become an integral part of our life; be it a day when you are not in a good mood / unwell, or while away and miss your home n family, or even just lazy on a weekend and longing to cook a quick meal. Apart from Indian dishes I do have my collection of comfort foods, especially the ones which I can cook in 30 minutes or less on my lazy days. And among those, Asian recipes take the top spot! In India, we are so familiar with Asian recipes like stir fry noodles, fried rice, momos, & manchurian recipes, although the preparations differ mainly from a spice stand point with lots of pepper, vinegar and some soya sauce added, to make the Indianized versions of them complete. And if you didn’t know, in India these dishes are a major attraction at road side eateries too.

I am a big fan of Stir fry noodle recipes; be it Indianized, Lo Mein or Pad Thai, I just love it! This Chicken Lo Mien recipe is one of my favorites which I keep on repeating often. I can confidently say that this is the easiest foolproof recipe of Chicken Lo Mein, and all it takes is just 30 minutes to cook.  The sauce in this recipe is a Star, and you should now seriously consider skipping the Chinese takeouts and make your own Chicken Lo Mein at home with this simple homemade sauce. It is flavorful, light, slightly sweet, and the best part of all – like any Asian recipe, you can modify it with your choice of veggies and protein. (Check Notes)

Pro tip: Start preparing your noodles in a pot parallelly while you cook chicken and veggies in a wok/pan. While everything is cooking, prepare the sauce too in a separate bowl. That’s a Superman’s work, I know, but this can save you time as everything comes together easily and all you need do in the end is it to toss all four (chicken, veggies, noodles, sauce) and Enjoy…!!

Cheers, Happy Cooking…!

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Chicken Lo Mein

Stir Fried Chicken Lo Mein Noodles with Veggies tossed in a simple Homemade Sauce… So Easy and Yummilicious, better than your Chinese takeout…!!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword chicken lo mein

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 tbsp low sodium soya sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• Pinch of red chili flakes

For the Chicken Lo Mein

• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into thin strips)
• 8 oz. Egg noodles / Chinese Lo Mein noodles / Udon / Spaghetti
• 2 garlic (minced)
• ½ inch sized ginger (minced)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 carrot (sliced into sticks)
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• Spring onions (finely chopped)
• Sesame seeds (garnish)
• Sesame oi/vegetable oil (as required)
• Salt and pepper (as required)

Instructions

• Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles and toss in some oil to prevent sticking. Keep aside.
• Prepare the sauce by whisking the ingredients listed for the sauce in a small bowl and set aside for later use.
• Heat some oil in a pan / wok on medium heat and add chicken strips. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes until it is cooked well on both sides and no longer pink inside. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
• In the same pan add oil (if necessary), sauté ginger and garlic until fragrant, followed by adding sliced veggies, and season with salt n pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until the veggies are soft.
• Transfer the cooked noodles and chicken, to the pan with veggies. Pour the prepared sauce, toss for 2 minutes to mix everything together.
• Garnish with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds.
• Serve hot immediately.

Notes

1. Choice of Ingredients:
   • Veggies: Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Carrots, Beans, Bean sprouts, Mushroom, Cabbage, Zucchini, Bok Choy, Snow Peas.
   • Protein: Chicken, Beef, Shrimp, Egg, Tofu, Paneer

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I love trying out Global Cuisines with something new, time after time. Otherwise, my husband will get bored with me repeating the same set of dishes every week and more than that, I get bored cooking the same food. Our regular diet consists of homely Indian dishes, Asian foods, salads, hummus and pasta. Although weekly meal planning is challenging especially when you need to maintain your regular diet and dishes, I love experimenting new recipes for my blog.

Asian inspired meals are frequent in my kitchen, but I hardly post them on my blog. They are pretty easy to prepare as you require minimal ingredients and result in a dish full of flavor. The recipes are best suited for a quick lazy dinner, and also to finish off your leftovers in your pantry in a single dish. And Teriyaki Chicken is one of my favorite dishes among them all.

Teriyaki is not the name of a dish, it’s a cooking method in Japanese cuisine where the food is either broiled or grilled and then summed up with a sweet glaze of soya sauce, mirin and sugar.  The sauce, in general is thick, sweet n salty, but has been adapted into a lot many variations by chefs around the world.

There is nothing better than a homemade teriyaki sauce. I know it’s much easier to walk into a store and buy one of the many options of teriyaki sauces available, but once you realize how easy it is to prepare at home, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to compromise on the taste and quality of a homemade recipe. Just using the simple ingredients in your pantry, you can make a teriyaki sauce in just a few minutes. It is a wonderful marinade for cooking any teriyaki inspired dishes like kebabs, sandwiches & fried rice.  In this recipe, you can also replace chicken with tofu, beef, pork, salmon, or your favorite veggies.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking!!!

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Teriyaki Chicken and Veggies

Teriyaki Chicken & Veggies in a Delicious Homemade Teriyaki Sauce…! A simple Dish in 30 minutes… Perfect with Noodles, Quinoa, or White Rice…!  

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Keyword teriyaki, teriyaki chicken, teriyaki sauce

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1½ pound skinless chicken breast (cubed)
• 1 white onion (chopped)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
• 2 carrots (cubed)
• 1 zucchini (cubed)
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• oil (as required)
• salt and pepper (as required)
• sesame seeds (garnish, optional)
• spring onions (chopped, garnish, optional)

For the Teriyaki Sauce

• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• ¼ cup low sodium soya sauce
• ½ cup water
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp corn starch

Instructions

• Prepare the teriyaki sauce by mixing ginger, garlic, soya sauce, honey, cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir until smooth, keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, cook the chicken with salt and pepper until it is golden brown on both sides. Transfer it to a separate bowl.
• In the same pan, on a medium heat saute the sliced veggies (except broccoli and zucchini) for 5-6 minutes until tender. Now add the zucchini and broccoli and saute for another 2 minutes. Transfer everything to a separate bowl.
• Wipe out the pan and pour the prepared sauce into the pan. Heat the sauce on a medium heat until it thickens up to your desired consistency. It should turn out thick and sticky.
• Turn off the flame, toss the cooked chicken and veggies into the pan, and mix well with the sauce. Garnish with spring onions & sesame seeds.
• Serve with quinoa, noodles or steamed white rice.

Notes

• You can substitute chicken with beef, pork, or salmon.
• Vegetables used in recipe can be varied with many other options like snow peas, baby corn, and mushrooms.
• Vegetables like zucchini and broccoli which requires less cooking time should be added to the pan later to prevent from over cooking.

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Pasta is one of my go-to comfort meals and is surprisingly easy to prepare. We love cooking pasta at home, most of the time I prepare it without any sauce; just in a simple olive oil and garlic mix, along with some veggies. But sometimes your stomach craves for that hot delicious creamy pasta, especially if it’s a rainy dinner night. And when you’ve got shrimp and Fettucine in your pantry, what more do you need… prepare a creamy Alfredo sauce and there you go, a Shrimp Fettucine Alfredo in no time…!! It is soo good…super rich and creamy, totally takes your dish to the next level.

I decided to make Alfredo sauce as the star of my dish this time. Béchamel sauce is also one of my favorites and you can check out my post (Chicken Pasta with White Sauce)  which is penne pasta in béchamel sauce, one of my early blogging days recipe and in fact the most popular one in my blog! Both the sauces look very similar at a glance, though there are differences. Béchamel sauce is made with flour, butter and milk, whereas Alfredo sauce consists of butter, garlic, cream and cheese, making it even richer.

The history of Alfredo sauce is quite interesting and goes all the way back to the late 19^th century, when Alfredo di Lelio was trying to cook a dish to please his pregnant wife while she was not well. He made the pasta with this sauce and his wife loved it. Later when he opened his restaurant in Rome, he added this dish to the menu and it became a hit. Alfredo opened another restaurant in America a few years later, and the dish became a favorite among the American people too, popularizing it throughout the world. Though down the years the dish has been improvised a lot, the authentic recipe is still intact and well sought after; and of course, has been fondly named after Alfredo di Lelio…!!

So enjoy this delicious Pasta treat, Happy Cooking!!!

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Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp… A Quick n Delicious Dinner in just 20 minutes…!! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword alfredo sauce, fettuccine, shrimp alfredo

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 8 oz fettuccine pasta
• 1 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 2 tsp paprika
• Olive oil (as needed)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Alfredo Sauce

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Bring a pot with water to a boil. Add salt generously. Cook pasta al dente as per its package instructions.
• Drain it and toss in olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. Keep aside.
• Mix paprika, salt and pepper, and marinate the shrimp. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook shrimp until pink on both sides (6-7 mins). Remove the shrimp from the pan and keep aside.
• For preparing the Alfredo sauce, in the same pan add butter and heat.
• When the butter melts, add garlic and stir until fragrant.
• Whisk in flour vigorously for a minute on low heat.
• Gradually whisk in milk and cream, stirring constantly for 2 mins.
• Add the grated parmesan cheese, stir until slightly thickened. Add more milk if the sauce turns thick.
• Season with salt and add chopped parsley leaves. Your sauce is ready.
• 10. Now add the cooked fettuccine and shrimp into the pan, toss to combine. Garnish with parsley leaves. Serve hot.

The post Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Fish is my favorite (ha ha, my coastal background pops up again!), yeah that’s the fact, and I cook it regularly at home. But this time for a change I thought to stay away from the usual Indian masala, curry type recipes which I prepare often and try out a non-spicy version, a bread crumbed fish.

This recipe is so simple as it hardly takes a few minutes to prep and another 15 minutes to cook.

I have used tilapia fillets covered in a panko crust (you can also use normal breadcrumbs instead). I was a bit confused with the choice of sides as mostly all of my fish recipes go with rice or flat bread, and so this time I did some research to pick the ideal sides for this tilapia dish. I finally chose a simple rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. And to finish it, a drizzle of lemon juice! Done, your dish is ready!!!

Prep time        : 20 – 25 minutes
Serves              : 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

For Parmesan crusted Tilapia:

Tilapia fillets                                   : 2
Parmesan cheese                           : ½ cup
Italian herbs (dried)                       : 1 teaspoon (optional)
Panko Breadcrumbs                     : 1 cup
Pepper                                               :  1tbsp
Olive oil                                            : as required
Salt                                                     : as required
Fresh parsley                                   : 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Lemon                                               : ½ of one lemon (drizzle)
Broccoli florets                               : 8- 12

For Rice Pilaf:

Long grain white rice                    : 1 cup
Butter                                                 : 3 tbsp
Garlic                                                 : 1 (finely chopped)
White/Yellow onion                      : 1 (sliced into cubes)
Parsley                                               : 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Low sodium chicken broth          : 1 ½ cup
Water                                                  : 1 cup

INSTRUCTIONS

For Parmesan crusted Tilapia:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In the meantime clean and pat tilapia fillets. In a small bowl mix the dried ingredients; panko breadcrumbs, italian herbs (dried), pepper, salt, and parmesan cheese.
3. Brush tilapia with olive oil on both sides and dip it in the prepared dry mixture.
4. Top with chopped fresh parsley leaves.
5. Bake for about 12 to 15 mins until the fish becomes flaky inside. Serve with a drizzle of lemon juice.

Steam cook broccoli and keep aside. You can also drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper if you don’t like plain steamed broccoli.

For Rice Pilaf:

1. Wash and soak rice in water for about 15 minutes.
2. Drain it and keep aside.
3. In the meantime, heat butter in a pan. Add chopped garlic and saute till the raw smell settles down.
4. Add sliced onion, salt and saute on a low flame for about 3 minutes. Ensure not to burn the onions.
5. Add drained rice, and stir and toast well. Toast until the rice become white and starts to crack.
6. Add chicken broth and water, cover and cook the rice till the water dries out.
7. Add chopped parsley leaves, and fluff the rice.

Serve baked tilapia with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.

Note:

• For this recipe I used panko breadcrumbs which is a Japanese style breadcrumbs commonly used to coat deep fried foods. As it is made from bread without crust, deep frying foods will stay crispy and crunchy. As an alternative you can also use a homemade version.
• Dried Italian herbs consist of Marjoram, Oregano, Thyme, Savory, Basil, Sage and Rosemary, and are readily available in stores.

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