Fish are food, not friends

I don't like fish. Ever since having to cook for myself I have become much more experimental. I have grown to be able to eat mild fish. Philip loves fish. I decide that since we have been married for 2.5 years I could make him fish once. So I found this recipe that I thought I could handle and I really enjoyed it. I don't think he will have to wait another 2.5 years for it. I served this with a parmesan orzo that I have been making for a while. It is a quick, easy and pretty tasty side dish.

Panko-Breaded Tilapia

(Source: Penzey Spices Early Summer 2009 catalog)

Ingredients:

4-4 ounce tilapia filets

4 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise (1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon Lemon Pepper

1/4 teaspoon thyme (I omitted this because I don't really care for it.)

1/4 teaspoon Cracked Rosemary

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon pepper, thyme and cracked rosemary. Pour the panko breadcrumbs in a wide, shallow bowl. Heat the olive oil in a roomy pan over medium-high heat. Brush the tilapia fillets with the mayonnaise mixture, using a quarter of the mix per fillet, then dip in the breadcrumbs. Gently place in the hot pan and cook the fillets for 3-5 minutes per side, until nicely browned. It is important the oil is hot so the breading doesn't stick. Shake the pan gently every minute or so to keep the breading from sticking to the pan and getting left behind.

Parmesan Orzo

(Source: Amber's Delectable Delights)

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo, uncooked

1 tablespoon of butter

1-14.5 ounce can of chicken broth

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Directions:

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add orzo and stir for 2-3 minutes until lightly toasted. Add broth, bring to a boil for 1 minute, turn heat to low, cover and cook 15 minutes until broth is almost absorbed and orzo is soft. Add cheese and parsley and stir.