Chile Lime Tilapia & Mussels in Beer

I've tried out a few new recipes lately that were pretty good. The first one my boyfriend found on Epicurious: tilapia with a chile lime butter. It is a complete winner. So quick and easy to make, but unexpectedly delicious. You soften up some butter, and then throw in chopped chile pepper, shallots, lime zest and lime juice. Then you put the butter on the tilapia as soon as it comes off the pan. It melts flavor into the fish immediately.


I served a spinach salad on the side with walnuts and apples. I made up the dressing for it on my own! (I was proud of my tiny moment of ingenuity.) I mixed some honey, .5 teaspoon of vanilla, white wine vinegar, and olive oil together. For a summer salad with fruit, its perfect.

This second one is from my dad. Almost every time I go home and eat at his restaurant, I order the mussels in beer. He serves it with loads of garlic bread, which is good because the broth (full of tomatoes, sausage, spices) is like a meal in itself. You don't want to miss a drop.


If you want to make a version at home, the general ingredients are: bell peppers, chorizo, garlic, tomatoes, scallions, oil, beer (Sierra Nevada recommended), and mussels. Although if you are not a big fan of chorizo, there are many other good looking recipes are online. You could try it with garlic, thyme, and bay leaves or shallots, cilantro and Parmesan or a creamy version with fennel and lemon. I am looking forward to trying out some of these others this summer!