Baked Talapia with Apricot Sauce and Broccoli

This recipe is my creation. It uses the mild flavored white fish, talapia, and also is a good way to prepare Broccoli. The ingredients are: fish, lemon, 2 roasted red peppers (I had some in the freezer), apricot jam, and broccoli spears.

If you never roasted a red pepper, this is how it is done. Put the pepper on a small, oiled tray in the upper shelf of the oven, set on Broil. Turn the pepper a few times to get the skin blackened. When it has been blackened and is hot, put it in a paper bag or wrap with foil. Leave until cool about 20 minutes. Open the package and remove the skin on the pepper.
1. Thinly slice the lemon and place in a baking dish.
2. Place thawed talapia fillets on lemons.
3. I cooked the broccoli in the microwave before placing it in the baking dish. I did this to avoid over baking the fish.
4. Cut two roasted peppers into small squares and combine with 1/2 cup of apricot jam. Spread over the fillets.
5. Cover the baking dish with lid or aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. the Broccoli will have a yellow green color.

Black and White Bean Sauce

This recipe is from the same book as the last recipe. It calls for both black and white cannellini beans, which is a lot for just two of us. You could use 1 - 14 oz can of one or the other.

4 slices of bacon, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups of prego spaghetti sauce, or make your own with one can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup drained canned cannellini and 1 cup drained canned black beans
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups (8 oz) dry corkscrew macaroni, cooked and drained
3 Tbsp margarine or butter
1/2 C grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
2 Tbsp parsley

1. In 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until lightly browned. Spoon off fat.
Add 2-3 Tbsp olive oil, carrots, onion and garlic. Cook until bacon is crisp and vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in spaghetti sauce, beans and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 15 minutes, stirring often.

3. In large bowl, combine hot macaroni and margarine. If desired, add cheese; toss to coat. Place hot macaroni on serving platter. Top with bean mixture. Sprinkle with parsley. Garnish with tarragon leaves if desired.