Tilapia: What Is It and How Do I Cook It?

Tilapia sounds like something that belongs in a tool box, but it’s actually a fish.  It was virtually unknown until about 15 years ago, when it started being farmed.  Now it's very popular. 

Tilapia is not a fashionable fish, but I like it for a number of reasons:

1) It’s reasonably priced

2) The fillets have no bones

3) It’s easy to bake - see Crunchy Baked Fish

4) It has a mild flavor

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Mom Cooking Tip 108

When cooking pasta, be sure to stir the noodles a few times during the cooking process, especially at the beginning.  This helps prevent the noodles from sticking together.

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Is Cauliflower the Hot New Kid on the Block?

Roasted Cauliflower

Every so often an old-time vegetable shoots to the top of the fashionable pile.  Recently it was kale.  Now it seems to be cauliflower’s turn.  If you’re tired of boring old white, this vegetable is even available in different colors—green, purple and orange.

I first became aware of cauliflower’s transformation to hotness when my friend Lynne, who has worked in the food industry for many years, told me that she finally found a non-meat item her husband would eat for dinner—Roasted Cauliflower.  She sent me her recipe, and sure enough, it not only looked good but it also tasted good.

Mom Money-Saving Tip 82

Do you need a quick and cheap vegetable side dish?  Try making Broiled Onions.  

Broiled Onions - serves 4 

1 large purple onion 

1 large white or yellow onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

Slice the onions into very thin rings.  Put the slices in a large bowl and separate the rings with your fingers.  Add the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin and salt and stir well. 

Preheat the broiler to High.  Transfer the onion mixture to a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or foil for easy clean-up.  Spread the onions into a thin layer and broil for 5 minutes.  Stir the mixture and broil for another 5 minutes.  Transfer the broiled onions to a bowl and serve.  

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Mom Cooking Tip 107

With corn coming into season, here’s a quick way to remove corn silks.  Rub them off with a damp paper towel.

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Chocolate Frenzy

The only sure-fire way I’ve been able to drag teenagers away from computers and video games is to say, “Let’s make something chocolate!”  This time the lure was Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

Andy, 16, had already researched the topic online.  He discovered a video about how to make a peanut butter cup that was apparently the size of a dinner plate.  Unfortunately he couldn’t find it again, so we had to fall back on adapting my Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunks recipe.  It was a lot easier than I expected, mostly because of Andy’s enthusiasm.

Question for Mom

What’s the difference between parchment paper and wax paper?  Celeste N.

Both are used in baking, but parchment paper is more expensive.  If money is no object, always use parchment paper.  Here are the differences.