Oven Baked Tilapia with Lemon

***Wow...it's been over a week since my last post...I apologize! It seems like I've been making several of my tried and true recipes for dinner this past week. I made the Lemon Butter Grouper, Oven Roasted Chicken & Pasta, among a few others. I even made a second batch of the fresh French Baguettes....YUM. I'm also extremely excited about this month's Daring Bakers Challenge. I cannot post anything about it until March 30th, so I guess I'll have to keep quiet until then. I will only say that it was a huge hit on Easter...I can't wait to share it!***

***But, now on to the recipe at-hand....

There's a recipe on the side of the Bisquick box that I've used before called "Oven Baked Chicken." I remembered it being really good, and the other night I was looking for something quick and easy to do with tilapia. I saw this recipe and thought, "Why not?!" I jazzed it up a little bit by adding lemon juice, since I was working with fish. The end result was quite scrumptious! Brad enjoyed it too. You can't beat it for a super simple dinner.***

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

2/3 cup Original Bisquick mix

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 lemons

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in an ovenproof baking dish in the oven.

Stir together Bisquick mix, paprika, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and pepper; coat tilapia. Place in heated dish.

Bake approximately 10 minutes, and then carefully flip tilapia. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until fish easily flakes. Drizzle freshly squeezed lemon juice on the top of eash fillet. Serve immediately!

"You Make My Day" Award =)

I was so surprised when I opened up Blogger today and saw that I had been given a "You Make My Day" award! I was so excited. Sarah, thank you so much for seriously making my day today! =)

Please be sure to check out her blog, Sensible Suppers and Decadent Desserts . She's got some amazing recipes, including her Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars ....they look simply divine!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and thanks for reading my blog! =)

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Bake

***It's amazing how relaxing cooking can be. After a long day at work, I really look forward to getting into the kitchen and creating something new, and this recipe fit the bill tonight....it definitely qualifies as comfort food, in my opinion. It's simply cheesy goodness, if you ask me....LOL. I served it with the Parmesan Mashed Potatoes listed below and some butter & parsley drop biscuits.***

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Bake

Cook's Country magazine

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs.) (I only used 2 since it's just Brad and me)

Salt & pepper

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup dry sherry

1 1/2 lbs. broccoli, florets chopped, stems peeled and sliced thin (I used a 16 oz. bag of frozen broccoli)

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (I used finely shredded cheddar/mozzerella cheese)

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tbsp. butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

2. Add remaining butter and onion to empty skillet and cook until onion is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in broth, cream, and sherry and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to broiler-safe baking dish.

3. Meanwhile, microwave broccoli on high power, covered, in large bowl until bright green and slightly softened, 2 to 4 minutes (a little longer if using frozen broccoli). Add broccoli and 1 cup cheese to skillet, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper and pour broccoli mixture over chicken. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and broil until browned and bubbly, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve.

Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

***I got this great recipe from a fellow nestie. I had never thought to add parmesan to mashed potatoes, and let me just say that this recipe was fantastic! Thanks for sharing, Annie!***

Ingredients:

3 large baking potatoes

1/4 c. (or so) mayo

1/2 c. (or so) milk

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

Garlic Salt to taste

Parsley to taste

Grated parmesan to taste

Course Ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Scrub and peel potatoes. In a large pot, fill halfway with water and heat on med/high.

Roughly chop potatoes into 2" or so cubes, put into water with a handful of salt. Boil until they are tender when pierced with a fork. Strain and return to pot. Mash to desired consistency.

Add butter, milk, mayo, parmesan, garlic salt, parsley, and ground pepper a little at a time until flavored to taste and has reached the desired consistency. The texture should be light, fluffy, and creamy, and the potatoes should hold their shape. Be careful when adding the milk, because it can dilute the potatoes and make them runny.

Source: Annie's Blog - "Full Hearts, Full Tummies" @ http://dg-in-training.blogspot.com/

French Chicken in a Pot

***I came across this recipe in a recent issue of Cooks Illustrated. It sounded wonderful, and it was an excuse to use my new Dutch oven! ;) Let me just say that this chicken was tender enough to cut with a butter knife! It was also very moist. However, if you're looking for a beautifully crisp and brown bird when you pull it out of the oven, this one isn't for you. It makes a much prettier presentation carved and on a platter. Don't judge a book by its cover though! It was delicious!***


French Chicken in a Pot
Cooks Illustrated magazine

Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken (4 1/2 - 5lbs), giblets removed and discarded, wings tucked under back
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped medium (about 1/2 c.)
1 small stalk celery, chopped medium (about 1/4 c.)
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed
1 bay leaf
1 medium sprig fresh rosemary (I used dried rosemary)
1/2–1 tsp juice from 1 lemon

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add chicken breast-side down; scatter onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary (if using) around chicken. Cook until breast is lightly browned, about 5 mins.

Using a wooden spoon inserted into cavity of bird, flip chicken breast-side up and cook until chicken and vegetables are well browned, 6 to 8 mins. Remove Dutch oven from heat; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, 80 to 110 mins.

Transfer chicken to carving board, tent with foil, and rest 20 mins.

Meanwhile, strain chicken juices from pot through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard solids (you should have about 3/4 c. juices). Allow liquid to settle 5 mins, then pour into saucepan and set over low heat. Carve chicken, adding any accumulated juices to saucepan. Stir lemon juice into jus to taste.

Serve chicken, passing jus at table. (I sprinkled the chicken with thyme before serving.)