Monday, October 24, 2011

Pecan-crusted Tilapia, Royal Star Papaya, Okra - A Winner!

 
Supper was a hit!

We spent part of the day shopping in
Wimberly, Texas yesterday.
I came home with a little cookbook...
Cordon Bubba
by Barry Shlachter

Pecan-crusted Catfish sounded so good,
but, alas, no catfish in the freezer.
So... I thawed out a package of tilapia fillets.
There was..
No dry wine in the house.
Barely enough Dijon mustard

and so I followed the recipe... somewhat.

The following is my recipe inspired by this cute cookbook
that shares part of their earnings with
Habitat for Humanity.

Pecan-crusted Tilapia

1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1 cup coarsley ground, lightly toasted pecans
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 pound of tilapia fillets

Lightly toast pecans. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Thoroughly mix mustard, sherry and garlic in a
small bowl. Set aside

Mix bread crumbs and pecans together in a deep
dish pie plate.

Pat fillets dry on paper towels. Sprinkle the tiniest bit of
sea salt on the fish... not much!

Dip each fillet in the mustard mixture and press into the pecan/bread crumb
mixture, creating a heavy crust.

Spray Pam on jelly roll pan and lay fish fillets in the pan. Sprinkle any leftover
crumb mixture of the fish.

Bake 30 minutes... maybe a little longer depending on thickness of fillets.



As with most of our meals, I served fresh
Royal Star Papaya..
this time with fresh blueberries.
(A moment to brag a bit: My husband and our oldest son grow these magnificant
papayas in Mexico. We ship all over the U.S. and soon in Canada.)

The okra is salted and broiled on a "Pam'd" cookie
sheet... no oil! We love it!!

I'm joining the fun at All the Small Stuff for
Tuesdays at the Table
http://allthesmallstuff-cole.blogspot.com/
Come join the party!


Cestohowa, Texas


Nativity of the Blessed Blessed Mary Virgin Church

My husband and I were returning to our home from a wedding in Wimberly, Texas when we decided to make a visit to this church in Cestohowa (the "w" is pronounced as a "v"). Close friends of ours have their famil roots well-established in this church and had spoken of it many times.
It is truly a beautiful church and so rich in history!


Cestohowa, Texas

The second Polish colony in Karnes County, the village in this area grew out of a small settlement known as St. Joe and was formally established in 1873. At times the priest at Panna Maria would conduct services at St. Joseph School in what would become Czestochowa. The Mother Colony church at Panna Maria was destroyed by lightning in 1877; Czestochowa settlers decided to build their own church. This was the subject of much controversy among the Polish pioneers of Karnes County. Anton Jarzombek (1836-1922) and Frank Mutz (1814-1891) each donated land for the church. Area residents contributed their labor to build the eighty-five by forty foot church with Gervase Gabrysch (1830-1904) as contractor. Bishop Anthony D. Pellicer blessed the church on February 10, 1878. Father W. Pelczar was assigned as the first pastor that September. As a sign of their reconciliation, the parishioners from the newly rebuilt Panna Maria church presented the new parish a large painting of the Virgin Mary of Czestochowa, the Patroness of Poland. The two congregations often shared leadership in the ensuing years. The Cestohowa church (adopting the Americanized spelling of the community) thrived into the 20th century. In the 1930s the church underwent intensive additions and remodeling. Though the original walls remained, the roof was completely removed and the ceiling raised. The north and south wings were added and the steeple was increased in height. In 1998, the church celebrated its 125th anniversary. At that time, the parish consisted of 380 members. The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church continues in the traditions of its founders. (2000)


Today I am linking to Little Red House
for Mosaic Monday