A Fish Called...Tilapia

It must be that time before classes start seeing as I have time to blog not once, but twice today! I spent most of the day finishing my unpacking and finding homes for little things here and there, then went to lunch with my friend Katie at good old Mama Nina's. It had been far too long since I had been reunited with my Old Faithful; the Greek Salad.

Despite the chaos of Move-In day, I headed down to the kitchen once again tonight. I was much more prepared (I even brought a towel) this time around, but found it more difficult to maneuver down to the kitchen with MORE supplies amidst the mini fridges, totes, and exhausted parents.

Tonight's meal was a Pan-Seared Tilapia with Roasted Artichoke Hearts and Green Beans. I started off by pre-heating the oven to 450 degrees to roast the veggies. As I waited, I chopped some garlic (I swear I will NEVER get that smell out of my hands if I keep this up) and set it aside. Then I halved the three remaining artichoke hearts and chopped the green beans. I drizzled a bit of EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil for the rookies) on the pan and tossed the veggies in it. My next thought was seasoning. I started with salt, then moved onto my super cool pepper mill. However, the pepper mill was extremely stubborn. Not only did it not cooperate, it didn't have any instructions on the side as to how to make it work. I repeatedly twisted the top and heard it grinding pepper, but didn't see any results. Finally, I yanked the top off of it, and peppercorns flew everywhere, including on top of my veggies that were drizzled with EVOO.

I picked the stray peppercorns up, and did my best with the ones that were not stuck on the veggies. I gave up after awhile, prayed that they wouldn't burst into flame in the super hot oven, and put the tray in to cook.

Once my tilapia was defrosted, I seasoned it with salt, pepper (much more successfully this time), and a mix of Italian seasonings. I once again heated the chopped garlic with some olive oil then added the fish once it was hot enough. While the fish cooked on one side, I checked on the veggies which were creating a little bit of smoke. I kept my cool and prayed that I wouldn't set the fire alarm off on Move-In day, flipped them on the tray, then set them back in the oven. I then flipped the fish, seasoned the other side, and deglazed with some balsamic vinegar.

Overall, there were no major catastrophes and the meal was MUCH tastier than last night's. Most people that walked by the kitchen told me that it smelled good and some even parted the way as I walked back up the stairs with food in hand. My roommate was also jealous.

And the cute RA complimented my Bills shirt. I have nothing to complain about :)