Potato Crusted Tilapia with Rosmary Oil

I made this some time back for my son's birthday before he left for Canada to play hockey.  I had invited family, his friends and my friends.  This is so easy.  I got this recipe watching Giada DeLaurentis one day on the FoodNetwork.  It is great to fix for a large crowd or an easy weekday dinner.  Even friends who normally do not like fish, loved this!  You can use red potatoes or Yukon Gold.  I like seasoned salt, but sea salt or kosher salt will work as well.  I find that russet or baking potatoes do not work. 

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets

1-2 potatoes (very thinly sliced)
2 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup minced fresh chives
Seasoned salt or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using a mandoline or slicer (can be done by hand), slice the potatoes into paper thin rounds.  Place in a bowl of cold water to remove the starch.  Then remove and pat dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel.


Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Top each of the fillets with potato slices completely covering the surface of the fish, overlaying the potatoes like shingles. When all the fillets are covered with the potato slices, sprinkle the potato side with a little more salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the minced rosemary leaves.

Heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the butter. When the butter is melted and the oil is hot add the fish, potato side down.  Cook the for approximately 4-5 minutes or until it looks like the potatoes are brown.  Move the skillet to the oven and bake until the fish is cooked through, about 15 to 17 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk the extra-virgin olive oil, chives, the remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary, salt and pepper.

To serve, flip the fish with the potato side up on to a plate. Drizzle the fish and the plate with the rosemary-chive oil. Serve immediately with your favorite rice pilaf.

Ceasar Chicken

I made this for a family friend's birthday party to celebrate his 90th birthday.  It was a hit and so easy to make (especially for 52 people).  The recipe below is for four servings.  The number of ingredients is pretty low, which makes it super easy to fix.  Using your  favorite brand of ceasar dressing.  Make sure it is not the creamy version.

4 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Ceasar dressing
1 cup canned tomatoes (chopped or diced)
4 strips of crisp bacon (chopped)
2 tblsp fresh parley (chopped)
2 tblsp fresh basil (chopped)
2 tblsp canola or olive oil
Pepper to taste

Pat chicken breast with a paper towel to remove any moisture.  In a deep fry pan, heat the oil.  Fry chicken breasts until brown on each side, approximately 5-7 minutes per side.  Do not crowd the chicken.  Add  chicken stock and ceasar dressing. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 4 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and season with pepper.  Turn chicken breasts over and continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Add the the fresh parsley and basil and cook for another 2 minutes.  There should be enough sodium in the dressing and chicken broth not to need salt.  Remove from heat and season to taste.  Serve with  a salad and your favorite rice pilauf.