I couldn't just let that buttermilk go to waste.

Last week I had to buy buttermilk to use in our chilaquiles recipe. The smallest container I could find was a quart-sized carton, and my recipe only called for a little bit. I hate wasting food, but even more than that, I hate the idea of drinking plain buttermilk. If only I still lived with Courtney...
Anyways, I decided to look for another recipe that required buttermilk so that I could use up a little more.

Buttermilk biscuits sounded like an excellent idea, so I went looking for good ones. Fortunately for me, I found a cheddar buttermilk biscuit recipe. Mmm cheese. Also, this one is property of the Barefoot Contessa herself, Mrs. Ina Garten (I hope I spelled that right so my sisters don't get mad at me), so it's gotta be good. The only problem was that biscuits don't really qualify as a whole dinner. At least, not a well-rounded one.

Isaac suggested we have some fish, like we're at Red Lobster. Funny, because we don't actually like Red Lobster. This dinner is probably better anyway. Hopefully better for you too (maybe). He found recipes for tilapia and veggies, and we were set.


Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

Prep time: 40 minutes              Cook time: 20-25 minutes                     Serves: 8ish biscuits

Ingredients.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 cold large egg
• 1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk

Directions.

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
• Place 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas (random, i know).
• Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with a small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.
• Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. ** Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash (egg and milk) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot!

**A few disclaimers-1, I don't have a rolling pin, so I floured my (empty) Nalgene water bottle. 2, rectangles are boring, so I used an awesome cookie cutter shaped like a recycling truck to cut out biscuits. Isaac's mom gave it to me a while ago and I haven't had the chance to use it yet. It's hilarious. If you do want to use a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, just make sure you flour it between uses. Since I was left with excess dough after cutting out little trucks, I just balled it up again and rolled it out once more to make additional shapes. 3, I didn't have parchment paper, so I just greased the pan well. It worked fine.


Tangy Pan Fried Tilapia

Prep time: 14 minutes                 Cook time: about 10 minutes                Serves: 4

Ingredients.

• 1/2 lb tilapia (fillet)
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions.

• Coat tilapia fillets in Dijon mustard
• Dip in panko to coat
• Heat oil in skillet on medium/high heat
• Pan fry fillets until golden brown on both sides (flip in between, but try to turn fillets only once since this fish is delicate and can fall apart)
• Season with salt and pepper while still hot

Sauteed Green Beans & Cherry Tomatoes

Prep time: 5 minutes                  Total time: 20 minutes                     Serves: 4

Ingredients.

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions.

• Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat
• Add the green beans and cook, stirring often, until seared in spots, 2-3 minutes
• Add water, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes for tender-crisp or 6 minutes for tender
• Push beans to the side and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds
• Add tomatoes, stir everything together and cook until the tomatoes begin to break down, 2-3 minutes
• Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, salt and pepper

Per serving (vegetables only): 71 Calories, 3 g fat, 11 g Carbohydrates, 3 g Protein, 5 g Fiber, 157 mg Sodium, 379 mg Potassium

Thanks to www.foodnetwork.com, www.yummly.com, and www.eatingwell.com for these delicious recipes.

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