Do you ever buy ingredients for a recipe … and then not make it, for weeks? Or is that just me? I kept putting off making Sauteed Tilapaia with Honey-Scallion Dressing because we did something else that night, or I didn’t feel like fish, or I didn’t feel like fighting with Libbie about it, etc, etc.

By the time I went to make it on this past Friday night, my scallions and lemon were far past usable (and either used for something else or thrown out). So I improvised and tweaked a little, creating a warm sauce instead of a cool salad dressing. I think it turned out wonderfully!

You could, of course, replace the tangerine juice with any other citrus for a different flavor. Tangerines are in season right now, so I grabbed one for twenty cents–cheaper than a lemon!

Tilapia with Honey-Tangerine Sauce

3-4 fillets tilapia or other firm, mild-flavored white fish
salt and pepper
3 T olive oil, divided
1 shallot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 tangerine, juiced
1 T honey
1.5 T soy sauce {Stephanie O’Dea says LaChoy is gluten-free and I trust her!}
.5 tsp sesame oil
.5 tsp powdered ginger

In a small saucepan, heat 1 T olive oil over medium-low heat. Add shallots and sweat them until they are soft. (Try not to brown them, although I was not too successful at that endeavor. The first time I burnt them. The second time they got brown because my heat was too high. I was not going to try a third time!)

When shallots are soft, add tangerine juice, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger. Whisk until well-combined and let cook over low heat.

In a large saute pan, heat remaining 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish fillets with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish is flaky. Remove from heat.

Bring sauce to a bubble over medium heat. Let cook until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes. Sauce should be thicker but not goopy. Spoon sauce over fillets and serve.

Added to:
Mouthwatering Monday
Tasty Tuesday
Ultimate Recipe Swap (Fish on May 19, assuming I remember to link up!)
Parade of Gluten-Free Recipes at Heavenly Homemakers 
Share Your Sunday Best at Feels Like Home
Gluten-Free Recipe Link-up at Musings of a Housewife
Ingredient Spotlight at Eat at Home

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I posted one of our favorite dinners, Ziti with Italian Sausage, about a year and a half ago. But there were no pictures and it was basically a copied-from-AllRecipes recipe. No fun! And not me at all.

So the other night I was making the ziti and decided I needed to share its yummyness with you in pictures. Sadly, my pictures didn’t turn out that great. But here they are, anyway, to give you an idea of the process and the results.

Ziti with Italian Sausage

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage (or breakfast sausage)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes (Italian-flavored with garlic are great here)
15 ounces tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (omit if using tomatoes with garlic)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
12-16 ounces dry pasta (preferably ziti or penne rigate)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, if you can!)

1. Brown sausage with celery and onions, breaking up the sausage into small pieces. Drain off fat. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan, combine tomatoes (drained), tomato sauce, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Bring to a simmer; reduce to low.

3. Boil pasta until very al dente – it will continue cooking when baked. Preheat oven to 350F. Drain pasta when done.

My main issue with this recipe is it takes too many darn pots and pans!

4. In a deep dish, layer pasta, sausage mix, mozzarella, and sauce. Repeat layers once. (I just used the pot I boiled the pasta in, because that makes one fewer dish I have to wash!) Top with grated Parmesan.

5. Cook at 350F for 35-45 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Mmmm! Cheesy, sausagey, tomatoey, carb-loaded goodness!

For a variation, you could stir 4 ounces of cream cheese into your tomato sauce. It would make it a lovely tomato-cream sauce instead. If you’re in a pinch, you could also use jarred pasta sauce in place of the “semi-homemade” one here.

Added to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, $5 Dinner Challenge, Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom, and Delicious Dishes at It’s a Blog Party.

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