Tilapia and Rice

When my sweetheart and I have time together, one of our favorite activities is cooking as a team. We divide and conquer, each working on a part of the meal, so it's all ready at about the same time. We each have specialties, and this meal is one of the best we make together.

Now, for the record, I don't like most seafood. Besides shrimp, and a dish my friend Cristin makes with salmon her dad has caught fresh, I generally don't like anything fishy. But my honey decided that I should learn to eat tilapia - and surprisingly enough, I did learn to eat it the way he makes it, and I like it too!

We like Zatarain's Crispy Southern fish breading, jazzed up with a little garlic powder, a little Mrs. Dash onion and herb, and sometimes a dash of cajun seasoning for extra zing. My love dips the fish filets in egg white and presses them into the breading mix, thoroughly coating both sides. He then places them on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. The oven should be preheated to 450. The tilapia bakes nicely on the top rack for about 15 minutes, coming out flaky and moist, with the breading cooked to a nicely crispy texture.

The basmati rice is my specialty. A few years ago, when I moved into my first apartment, a dear friend gave me a rice cooker and a 25 pound bag of basmati rice. Since then I have learned to tweak the way I make it to just the way we like it. First I measure out the desired quantity of rice, and rinse it twice to clean off any dirt, hulls, etc. Then I add water in the ratio prescribed in the directions on the bag, but I add an extra half cup of water because we like the rice moist. From there, I add seasonings based on what meals the rice will be complementing. Most of the time, it involves a spoonful of chicken bouillon, a healthy sprinkling of onion powder and garlic powder, and a dash of cajun seasoning or cumin, depending on the theme of the meal. I stir it up with a pat of butter or a teaspoon of olive oil, and let it steam in the rice cooker, stirring it occasionally to ensure everything gets mixed up.

The rice is usually done in about 20 minutes, perfect timing to be ready at the same time as baked fish, baked chicken, sauteed Italian sausage, chicken casserole, or whatever I'm pairing it with. Add french bread or sandwich bread, toasted or broiled, and some kind of vegetable, fruit, or dessert. With the two of us working together, it's a meal completely prepared and on the table in about 35 minutes!