I turned 30 this year. You may have noticed by the fact that I couldn’t stop talking about my 30th birthday party. I’m not the kind of person that bemoans one year on this earth, so 30 wasn’t a huge deal mentally. However, since January I feel like my body is starting to fall apart!
The most recent blow was in the form of dental work. A huge filling I received back in the day was showing signs of decay beneath it (according to my dentist’s fancy decay finder tool thing) and because the filling was so big it couldn’t be replaced. A crown was in order. Really, a crown? That sounds so adult… so old. Young people don’t get crowns (or face the threat of a root canal, which was on the table for a bit).
So following a happy gas laden procedure, 4 weeks of wearing a temporary crown that never felt quite right and a quick visit to the dentist, I have a permanent crown. And more importantly, I can can eat on the right side of my mouth again. Oh, how I’ve missed that!
I guess getting old isn’t so bad… as long as you have the right dentist and happy gas.
This dish should definitely be enjoyed on both sides of your mouth. It’s packed with flavor and you’re not going to want to deny any of your taste buds. Besides that tomatillos, red pepper and tilapia, most of the ingredients are probably already hanging out in your pantry just waiting for a quick and simple dinner like this.
Spiced tilapia with tomatillo sauce
From Cooking Light
Sauce
1 red bell pepper
3 medium tomatillos
2 tsp canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
Fish
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp ground cumin
4 6oz tilapia fillets
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp canola oil
Preheat broiler. Cover a baking sheet in foil. Cut sides off bell pepper and discard stem and seeds. Broil pepper, skin side up, until skins blacken. Rotate the pieces as necessary to get a good char on all of them. Place the pieces in a dish and cover. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and cut into chunks.
Meanwhile remove the husks from the tomatillos and finely chop. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tomatillo to pan; cook 6 minutes or until tender. Mince garlic and add to pan with ¼ teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a blender. Chop cilantro, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish. Add cilantro, bell pepper, vinegar, and honey to blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth; set aside. Wipe pan with a paper towel.
To prepare fish, combine flour, chili powder, oregano, and cumin in a shallow dish; stir with a whisk. Sprinkle fish evenly with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge in flour mixture. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add fish to pan, and cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully turn fish over, and cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Top fish with sauce and garnish with remaining cilantro.
Serve with: risotto and a salad
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