Earlier this year, Kimberly Baker was hard at work compiling a cookbook (expected to be published at the end of 2010) when she realized that people, particularly working professionals, had a more immediate need for healthy, budget-friendly recipes. A few months later, she completed Executive Chef: The Recessionary Guide to Eating Well, a free, 30-page cookbook anyone can access by going to her Web site, BakersLady.com, and downloading the PDF. "I wanted to provide something that hit on the current times," she explains. "This cookbook balances health and budget, and the recipes will satisfy lots of appetites." Culinary categories include "Back to the Grind" (sandwiches and such), "Stretched Thin" (inexpensive and especially healthy), "Vegging Out" (vegetarian dishes) and "Cheap Eats" (like the pan-seared tilapia recipe shared here)
Pan-Seared Tilapia With Orange Salad
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons of olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard
- 1/16 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
- 2 tablespoons of green onion, chopped (plus 1 teaspoon more)
- 4 tilapia filets
- 2 ripe navel oranges
- The juice of one lemon, plus 1/2 teaspoon
Directions In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons of olive oil, the juice of one lemon, mustard, ginger, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of green onion. Add the tilapia, coat it well and let the fish marinate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, supreme your oranges. Remove the now-supremed segments and dice. Place the diced orange into a small bowl and add the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and green onion, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet prepared with cooking spray over medium heat. Add two pieces of tilapia and cook for approximately two to three minutes, gently flip, then cook for an additional two to three minutes until cooked through. During the last 30 seconds of cooking, add half of the remaining marinade over the top of your tilapia. Remove from heat, cover with foil to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining filets. Top each with the prepared orange salad. Serves four. Cost: approximately $3.25 per person.
