Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

1/4 c butter, softened

3 T    Cream cheese

2T  fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp celery salt

2 lbs tilapia fillets

(I also season the fish with Old Bay seasoning, both sides and salt.)

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

2. In a small box, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, cream cheese and lemon juice.  Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on prepared pan.  Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes.  Flip the fillets from the oven and cover them with  the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side.  Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork.  Be careful not to over cook the fish.  

Strawberry Yogurt Cake

1 pkg. Betty Crocker Super moist white cake mix

3 egg whites

3/4 c. vegetable oil (I use 3/4 c. applesauce to make it fat-free!)

2 (6oz) containers yoplait strawberry yogurt (you can use any kind and again I choose the fat-free)

1 (4oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (again, I use the fat free)

Red food coloring, if desired.

Heat oven to 35o degrees   Grease and flour rectangular 9x13x2 pan.  Beat dry cake mix, water, oil, egg whites and 1 container yogurt on low speed 30 seconds.  Beat on medium speed 2 minutes.  Pour into greased pan.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center; cool completely.

Fold 1 container yogurt and 1 or 2 drops red food color into whipped topping.  Spread over top of cake.  Garnish with strawberries, if desired.  Refrigerate any remaining cake. 

Chicken Piccata (Barefoot Contessa)

Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: about 20 minutes
Servings: 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I get the thin sliced so I don't have to pound them flat later like the recipe calls for)
kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 c. flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. seasoned dried bread crumbs
extra virgin olive oil
3 Tb unsalted butter, at room temp
1/3 freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
1/2 dry white wine
sliced lemon, for serving cause we're fancy like that
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish. Again, fanciful.

Preheat the oven to 400 degree. Line a sheet with parchment paper.

If you went ahead and got normal chicken breasts, opposed to the already flat breasts (AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THOSE), you can skip this part: Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound it out to 1/4 inch thick.

Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper on a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the eggs and 1 Tb water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread-crumb mixtures.

Heat 2 Tb olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan while you cook the rest of the chicken. Heat more olive oil in the sauté pan and cook the second 2 chicken breasts. (I never do this, I just do them all together and it works fine.) Place them on the same sheet and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the sauté pan with a dry paper towel. On medium heat, melt 1 Tb of butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 Tb of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves. Serve one chicken breast on each place, spoon the sauce, and serve with sliced lemon and the sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Ham and Feta Rigatoni Bake

Difficulty: Super easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6-8

12 oz. Rigatoni pasta
1 1/2 c. diced ham
4 large Roma tomatoes
1 c. crumbled Feta cheese
1 c. Mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 tsp. thyme (double if fresh, of course)
1 c. heavy whipping cream

Cook pasta according to package. Mix all other ingredients into an oven safe dish. Cover and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Take out and stir. Cover back up and bake another 45 minutes.