We like cheap
and easy when it comes to cooking without sacrificing taste. Who doesn’t?
Anything that can give you all this becomes a culinary classic (a keeper!).
Some nights you just don’t want to spend two hours making dinner.
The beauty of
this recipe is that most of the work is prep, cooking takes less than ten
minutes and it allows for dozens of variations so you’ll never get bored with
it.
The original
recipe was for chicken, but we experimented and made it with pork and then
fish. To celebrate spring, we’ll go with the lighter version here.
The showcase
of this dish requires exactly three ingredients: hummus, panko and tilapia
filets. The method is so simple a child could do it: spread hummus over fish,
coat in panko, heat oil in a pan and brown for approximately two and half
minutes on each side. It is done!
For $20 you
can probably feed four people.
You only need
enough oil to cover the surface of the pan, we’re not deep frying. You may use
your oil of choice – olive or extra virgin olive oil will be the healthier
choice. The result will always be the same: a juicy interior and a crunchy
exterior.
You can
sprinkle some salt and pepper over fish before adding hummus, but most
prepackaged hummus already have salt added – and your toppings should be taken
into consideration regarding the salt content you are comfortable with.
You can
season the panko with cayenne, garlic powder or dried herbs, if you wish. Can
you substitute the panko with breadcrumbs? Absolutely, but the result will be
less crunchy. It will still be pretty darn good.
Make sure
your oil is hot, otherwise your fish will cook but the coating will fall off
it. It will look messy, but it will cook to the right texture (only separately)
and you can serve this disaster without anyone knowing you screwed up because
it will become a breaded topping that tastes really good.
To finish off
the dish you can do any number of things that will change it slightly and in
ever more interesting ways.
Once you take
the fish out of the pan, you can add a pat of butter and melt it, add herbs to
heat through and cover the fish with it.
A squirt of
lemon juice makes it tangy and refreshing.
The same can
be done with capers, diced fresh tomatoes and chopped garlic. This step can be
done in another minute or two.
If you
prefer, you may add a tablespoon of sour cream or yogurt over the fish with
chopped herbs (scallions, parsley or dill are good choices).
A modified
pico de gallo salad over the fish, with red onion, tomatoes and avocado gives
it a tropical feel. Tabouleh gives it a more Middle Eastern feel.
I have also
topped my fish with chimichurri sauce.
Don’t think
reserving some hummus and topping your fish with it as redundant but rather as daring
and delicious.
A simple bean,
pasta or tossed salad on the side completes this dish for the perfect dinner in
less than twenty minutes. Alternatively, a bed of steamed spinach gives it a
very elegant sophistication.
Once you’ve exhausted
the hummus combinations, you can substitute with your favorite dip or sauce –
pesto, roasted pepper, guacamole, baba ganoush.
It could not
be easier or more delicious. Plus it is so good for you that you can splurge on
dessert with no guilt.
Kali Amanda Browne writes the What’s Cooking?
column, fiction, two blogs and a Twitter feed of great recipes for Weekend
Cooks. Follow her projects at http://kaliamanda.weebly.com
(Image: Grant Cochrane / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
