When Life Hands You Lemons Make A Dish

Everyday may not be what we hope it should be and a lemon or two gets thrown our way...  I'm not a huge lemonade fan, so making that is out of the question... Plus I would much rather make a tasty meal to ease the tensions of the day!  Nothing like a satisfied tummy to put a smile on your face! (Food makes me smile!)

So what did I do with my lemon from last week?  I came home opened the freezer and looked through all the delicious chicken and seafood and picked out Tilapia....  We all know a little lemon a fish goes a long way!!  The Tilapia thawed out and I searched my books and the internet for a recipe from a dinner I had a year ago... (Yes, I have a great memory when it comes to food!)  The lemon and the Tilapia are in hand and I'm ready to go!!  Here's a modified recipe:

Garlic-Parmesan Tilapia
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

- Garlic Butter (4 Tbsp Butter mixed with 2 crushed garlic gloves, I pulse in the Magic Bullet to blend)
- 3/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 2 Tbsp Shredded Italian Blend Cheese
- 1 tsp. Basting Oil
- 4 Tilapia Filets 
- 1 8oz package of Bouillabaisse Seafood Sauce warmed
- Fresh lemon

While I preparing the Tilapia coating.. I drizzle lemon over the Tilapia and put it aside.
1.  Melt garlic butter in saucepan on Low and remove from heat immediately upon it melting
2.  Combine melted butter and panko bread crumbs in a bowl, mix well, add cheese, mixing well.
3.  Coat a baking sheet thinly with basting oil.  Place Tilapia on the baking sheet, season with salt and pepper.
4.  Top each filet with about 3 Tbsp of bread crumb mixture; press to cover entire filet.
5.  Bake 12-15 mins or until internal temp reaches 130 degrees.  Remove from oven and rest 2 mins.
6.  Serve with Bouillabaisse Sauce.  ( you can substitute with a sauce of your choice)

Serve with your favorite steamed vegetable or a simple Arugula Salad...

Wash and dry Arugula... Squeeze juice of 1.2 lemon into a bowl with 1 Tbsp vinegar (I'm partial to balsamic)... Whisk lemon juice and vinegar while drizzling in 1/4 cup of olive oil until the dressing begins to blend.. Season with salt and pepper, add Arugla and toss!

There was a great way to take that lemon handed to me and create a masterpiece....

We enjoyed one of our favorite wines I've blogged about with this dish, Beach House 34 by Faustini.

This wine has explosive aromas and crisp citrus flavors. Immediately you notice a strong scent of grapefruit but over time you begin to notice the aroma of white peaches. Finally, you notice a hint of nature which is common in a traditional Sauvignon Blanc. The long finish of this wine is a surprising treat that continues to remind you of your favorite summer.