saturdaze

Ah, weekends. Apart from the errand-running and laundry-doing I have to do after the workweek, weekends are lazy times for me. I try not to make too many plans, so the day can take me wherever it feels. Today I slept in relatively late (9:30, don't judge) and made blueberry pancakes for me, myself, and I.


Then I had to go into work for a spell, nothing too troublesome, just end-of-the-month things to be dealt with. I spent a good chunk of my time there playing with my office manager's adorable 4-year-old son, who tickled my feet under the desk and insisted that crocodiles should always be drawn in black. I'm in love, and am already hatching a scheme to babysit soon.

After work I puttered around the house for a bit, taking care of a few things before heading up to Jon's place, hoping to pass a sunny afternoon reading by the pool. Alas, the weather turned against me and became sullen and cold, so I half-napped on his couch watching a House marathon on Bravo. Almost as exciting, I suppose. Since Jon had plans this evening, I decided to date myself: cook a nice meal, have a little wine (OK, perhaps a lot), clean my room...yes I understand cleaning isn't standard date fare, but having a tidy room makes me happier than watching a sappy romantic comedy.

So this is what I made: pan-fried tilapia with white wine and capers. Sounds fancy, cooks quickly, absolutely delicious when it's done. I loved the buttery taste of the flaky fish paired with the lemon-flavored sauce. I served the fish and sauce over a bit of brown rice and wilted spinach, and it was just fabulous (paired with a glass of sauvignon blanc, of course).



Pan-Fried Tilapia with White Wine and Capers
From WeightWatchers.com

1/4 cup white wine, dry
1/4 cup tomato(es), seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp capers, drained
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1/2 tsp dried basil (I used fresh basil here, since it's all I had, and it worked nicely.)
1 1/2 pound raw tilapia, four 6-oz pieces
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 sprays cooking spray
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp light butter
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 medium lemon(s), cut in wedges (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk; set aside. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge fillets lightly in flour, and coat both sides of fillets with cooking spray. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets; cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; turn fillets, and cook 3 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove from pan. Add wine mixture to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butter until melted. Spoon wine mixture over fillets; sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 2 tablespoons sauce).