I thought I'd get a little creative tonight. I wanted to use only ingredients I had on hand so I dreamed up this dish, almost literally as it came to me when I was just waking up. I'd planned on actually stuffing the fillets but what I had were too small for that so I topped them with the filling instead. I dreamed up what I thought would be an interesting cream sauce too, but upon execution it was, let's say, not interesting at all.
Ingredients (items in parenthesis are what I would have used if I'd shopped for them):
Fish:
Thawed tilapia fillets (I think flounder would work best but remember I went with what I had)
Marinade:
2 tbsp. Kraft Tuscan Italian dressing (Kraft is subtly changing the formula for this dressing. Tastes a little more like Zesty Italian now. Maybe it's doing poorly in sales? Maybe it'll be discontinued? Boo Hoo! I want the original Tuscan Italian blend!)
1 tbsp. Goya minced garlic in olive oil (fresh garlic, finely chopped with added extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsp. bottled lemon juice (The same. Foodies who think fresh squeezed lemon juice is better in a marinade like this are just being pretentious)
Generous sprinkling of Zatarain's seasoning
Broccoli:
1/4 stick margarine (butter)
frozen broccoli florettes (fresh broccoli spears)
1 tsp. bottled lemon juice (Here's where fresh lemon juice matters, fresh is best)
Generous sprinkling of Zatarain's seasoning (Again, no, I don't get anything for promoting them, they're just good, IMHO.)
Puree of Carrots:
Package of baby carrots
4oz. Philadelphia brand Garden Vegetable cream cheese 1/3 fat
1/4 stick margarine (butter)
Shrimp stuffing:
8 oz. medium cooked shrimp
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
Failed Cream Sauce:
1/2 pureed cucumber (I was thinking color, not flavor)
Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
Sauteed onions
Philadelphia brand cream cheese with chives
This looked and tasted awful so I abandoned it.
I was thinking a creamy and mild savory sauce but it looked awful upon execution.
Without the cucumber it might have been okay. But seeing the completed dish, it does well without a sauce
Execution:
Marinated fillets for 1 hour, then placed on cookie sheet, baked at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Chopped shrimp, added egg and bread crumbs, topped on fillet just before baking.
Boiled carrots till tender, mixed with cream cheese and margarine in food processor. Blended till smooth.
Microwaved broccoli.
Ingredients (items in parenthesis are what I would have used if I'd shopped for them):
Fish:
Thawed tilapia fillets (I think flounder would work best but remember I went with what I had)
Marinade:
2 tbsp. Kraft Tuscan Italian dressing (Kraft is subtly changing the formula for this dressing. Tastes a little more like Zesty Italian now. Maybe it's doing poorly in sales? Maybe it'll be discontinued? Boo Hoo! I want the original Tuscan Italian blend!)
1 tbsp. Goya minced garlic in olive oil (fresh garlic, finely chopped with added extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsp. bottled lemon juice (The same. Foodies who think fresh squeezed lemon juice is better in a marinade like this are just being pretentious)
Generous sprinkling of Zatarain's seasoning
Broccoli:
1/4 stick margarine (butter)
frozen broccoli florettes (fresh broccoli spears)
1 tsp. bottled lemon juice (Here's where fresh lemon juice matters, fresh is best)
Generous sprinkling of Zatarain's seasoning (Again, no, I don't get anything for promoting them, they're just good, IMHO.)
Puree of Carrots:
Package of baby carrots
4oz. Philadelphia brand Garden Vegetable cream cheese 1/3 fat
1/4 stick margarine (butter)
Shrimp stuffing:
8 oz. medium cooked shrimp
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
Failed Cream Sauce:
1/2 pureed cucumber (I was thinking color, not flavor)
Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
Sauteed onions
Philadelphia brand cream cheese with chives
This looked and tasted awful so I abandoned it.
I was thinking a creamy and mild savory sauce but it looked awful upon execution.
Without the cucumber it might have been okay. But seeing the completed dish, it does well without a sauce
Execution:
Marinated fillets for 1 hour, then placed on cookie sheet, baked at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Chopped shrimp, added egg and bread crumbs, topped on fillet just before baking.
Boiled carrots till tender, mixed with cream cheese and margarine in food processor. Blended till smooth.
Microwaved broccoli.