Sunday, February 28, 2016

Pan Seared Sesame Chicken



This year, I am firmly committed to ordering less delivery and trying to create healthier versions of my favorite meals in the comfort of my kitchen. With a few additions to your pantry, making your favorite restaurant dishes can be much cheaper and better for you! 

That said, sesame chicken is my guilty pleasure. I say "guilty" pleasure because those fried breaded bites don't leave me with the sense that I ate something good for my body. This is a lighter version of sesame chicken that won't leave you bogged down in oil and breading. Juicy, pan seared chicken coated with a sauce that packs a spicy, tangy, and sweet sesame punch. Easier on the body and way easier on the wallet than delivery!


WHAT YOU NEED (Serves 4):
1 1/2 lbs uncooked chicken breasts, cubed into 1-inch chunks (about 4 medium sized chicken breasts)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp Peanut oil

Sauce:
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3/4 cups brown sugar
2 tbsp sesame seeds
4 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Optional
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
2 cups cooked broccoli crowns



Pat chicken dry and trim off the excess fat. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Pour 1 tablespoon of peanut oil into a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, turning occasionally until golden brown (about 7 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Repeat this step for any leftover chicken that didn't make it into the first batch.


In a sauce pan on high heat, add chicken broth, sriracha, garlic powder, onion powder, ground ginger, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sesame seeds, and salt. Bring mixture to boil. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and about a 1/2 cup of the boiling sauce together until smooth. If the mixture becomes too thick, gradually add more of the boiling sauce until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch-sauce mixture back into the sauce pan. 


The sauce will thicken quickly. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, stir occasionally. 


Add a few tablespoons of water to the sauce if it is too thick in order to get a smooth consistency (should be the consistency of honey).


Slowly pour the sesame sauce over the chicken. Toss chicken with sauce until the chicken is completely coated. Serve with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli crowns. For a spicier kick, add crushed red pepper flakes.



Monday, January 25, 2016

Indian-Spiced Chicken & Potato Stew


I spent the morning with my husband shoveling our car out of the heavy snowfall.. without shovels! We ended up using boxes and wooden boards that we found around the house to get the job done. Although the general ridiculousness of the situation gave us both a big laugh, hard labor in below freezing weather is not fun. Cold days such as these call for warm, hearty stews.

I came up with this recipe about a year ago when I wanted a creamy stew with rich Indian flavors. The addition of  coconut milk tones down the acidity of the tomatoes and allows the cilantro to shine without taking over the show. It's savory, spicy, and a special treat for your chilly days. 


WHAT YOU NEED
2 cups chicken broth
13.5 oz can coconut milk
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 medium-sized chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
3 tablespoons ginger root, minced
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 cups potatoes, diced
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons garam masala powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup flour (for quicker thickening)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 
Optional: Naan for dipping


Pour chicken stock, coconut milk, and crushed tomatoes into a large pot on medium-high heat and cook until boiling. While stock mixture  is warming, shred chicken, mince ginger, chop cilantro, and dice potatoes. 



Once the mixture is boiling, add in chicken, ginger, cilantro, and potatoes. Reduce to medium heat and allow to cook for 10 minutes covered. Stir in garlic powder, garam masala, black pepper, onion powder, and sugar.   


 In a separate small bowl, whisk 1 cup of the stew and 1/4 cup of flour together until smooth. If it clumps, add more liquid from the stew to the flour. This will prevent your flour from clumping in the pot of stew. Stir the stew-flour mixture back into the large pot of stew and allow to cook covered for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  During the last few minutes, add in salt to taste. Because I typically make my own very, lightly salted chicken stock, I use 2 teaspoons of salt. However, if you are using store-bought salted chicken stock, 1 teaspoon should be sufficient. Remember to taste as you add salt to prevent over-salting. Serve in a bowl and enjoy with naan!


















Sunday, January 10, 2016

Chopped Kale & Quinoa Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette


Kale, delicious cooked or raw. I've recently begun a love affair with raw kale as a substitute for romaine lettuce and mixed greens in my salads. With its mild flavor, it takes well to vinaigrette, grains, and cheese - all of which are in this salad recipe!

This is a salad that I pack regularly for lunch, but can also be a great side dish to accompany your main course, like chicken or salmon. It's light, bright, and bound to leave you feeling good about your low-calorie lunch decision.  

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
5 cups kale, chopped & stems removed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
dash of finishing salt

Serving size: 4 




Allow the quinoa to fully cool before adding it to the kale - this will prevent your kale from wilting.  



Mix the chopped kale with quinoa and grated Parmesan cheese. 



In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic powder, parsley, black pepper, and salt together until smooth. 



Spoon over the salad and toss until the greens are fully coated. 



Sprinkle a few grains of salt as a finishing touch on the salad before serving.

Saturday, January 2, 2016

New Year's Day Latte


Happy New Year! I am happy to be back to sharing my kitchen adventures, and even happier to be in a new year. At midnight on January 1st, I can usually be found in the presence of family screaming "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" and running to the street to watch the fireworks. We make big plans for change in the new year and talk about how we intend to achieve them. Mom and Dad put on coffee so that we can all stay up a little bit later together, watching the celebrations in New York on the TV. The next day, my mom bakes her family-famous pumpkin pies and cranberry apple tarts to accompany the big New Year's Day dinner. I'm left on January 2nd with warm memories of baking spices from the pies and tarts.


In honor of the new year and memories of holiday pies and tarts, I made a latte to match. It's warm, spicy, and creamy with a touch of bitter and sweet. I make this with whole milk because it's creamier. But feel free to substitute with any type of milk or soy product you prefer. Whipped cream on top is a must for me because the spices will gather on the surface of the drink without it. The smell and taste reminds me of  New Year's Day festivities. 


WHAT YOU NEED

1/3 cup of espresso (or strongly brewed coffee)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
Garnish with whipped cream and cinnamon
  • add additional milk if it's too strong for you

Brew the espresso. Add milk to espresso in a sauce pan on low heat. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, and sugar. Leave on low for 2 minutes. Pour into your favorite mug and top with whipped cream and cinnamon for added holiday fun!

Sweet & Spicy Beef Chili


Whether it's been handed down from generation to generation or of your own creation, everyone has a chili recipe. A content grin grows on your face when your family and friends take that first warm bite and go "mmm..." 

A few years ago, my chili was just ground beef, chili beans, and a packet of seasoning. Very easy and nothing special to eat. I decided to ditch the seasoning packets and start working on a chili recipe to call my own. It took three years, but I finally got that coveted "mmm..." from my family with this concoction. It includes warm spices like ginger and cinnamon - perfect for fall or winter. 

WHAT YOU NEED (Yields 6-8 bowls)

2 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons dried thyme (or two bay leaves)
2 tablespoons minced garlic (or 3/4 teaspoons garlic powder)
1 cup chicken stock
32 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 cans of chili beans
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cumin
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon of red chili flakes or to taste (or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste

Cook the ground beef on medium heat until fully cooked and brown. Ground beef tends to clump together, so break it into smaller chunks to make sure that it cooks evenly. If it leaves a lot of fat, drain as much of it as you can - this will prevent your chili from having that unattractive oily gloss on top. Don't worry, that small amount of remaining fat and pounds of ground beef will give you plenty of meaty flavor. Add in minced ginger, thyme, and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in your chicken stock and crushed tomatoes, and cover for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes, turn down your heat to simmer, and stir in your mixture of cinnamon, cumin, brown sugar, chili powder, ground ginger, and red chili flakes.


How long should I let it cook?
You can let your chili simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours, it's completely your choice. I prefer to turn it off at the 2 hour mark. This will allow your chili to thicken and provide the beef and beans an opportunity to absorb the flavor. If you're very hungry and don't want to wait two hours, go ahead and serve after 30 minutes- it will still taste amazing the next day after a long night in the fridge.

When you're ready to take it out, TASTE IT BEFORE YOU ADD SALT. Chicken stock has salt and the chili will get saltier as it reduces over the heat. If you feel like it needs additional salt after you taste it, go for it. Enjoy with sour cream and/or cheddar cheese!



Welcome to Beauty in Basil!

Hello and welcome! Thank you for checking out my food blog. Cooking did not become a part of my identity until I went to law school. Deciding between learning to cook, spending my nonexistent fortune on fast food, or dying was not a tough decision to make. I had a food blog named "Res Ipsa Delicious" from 2013-14 during law school until things got too busy.

One graduation and a bar exam later, I have decided to pick up where I left off under "Beauty in Basil". I have fond memories of the smell, taste, and feel of basil. It was my first real introduction to herbs in cooking. In a world full of interesting herbs and spices, I find the most excitement in experimenting with basil in the savory and sweet. No, this will not be a blog all about basil. I will share my recipes that explore the special qualities of various herbs and spices in different dishes.. but if there is room for basil, I intend to use it. :) 

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Savory Salmon Cakes with Dill-Sour Cream


Good morning! If you're like me, on days when your free time is limited, time consuming kitchen activity is the last thing that you want to do. Salmon cakes are an easy, savory, and protein packed dish for evenings when you don't want to pay for take out or eat a frozen meal. 


When mixed with bread crumbs, salmon takes well to lots of herbs and spices. You can make salmon cakes from fresh or canned salmon. It just depends on your budget and palate. But, be cautious when adding salt or seasonings with salt to canned salmon. Additional salt is often not necessary as the sodium in canned salmon can be high. 


There are a number of ways to season salmon cakes. Here is my combination of seasonings that produce a batch of delicious cakes!


WHAT YOU NEED (
Yields 6 salmon cakes)

1/4 cup olive oil
1 14.75 oz can of salmon (traditional style) OR 1lb of fresh salmon (cooked)
3 teaspoons old bay blackened seasoning
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper 
1 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup diced onion
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sriracha
2 eggs

Dill Sour Cream
1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
1/2 cup sour cream
pinch of salt

Place a pan on medium heat and coat evenly with olive oil. Flake your salmon in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix old bay, parsley, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and panko crumbs together. Beat onion, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha, and eggs into the seasoning bowl until mixed well. Pour the mixture into the large bowl with the salmon and mix well with a large spoon. Mold the salmon into medium sized cakes. 

Fry the cakes until golden brown on each side (about 2-3 minutes on each side). Allow salmon cakes to rest on layered paper towels until excess oil has been absorbed by the paper towels. Meanwhile,  mix your dill with the sour cream. Serve the dill sour cream on top of the salmon cake along with a little bit of sriracha for dipping. Enjoy!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Lavender Blueberry Muffins



Happy Sunday! I would like to share with you my love of combining fruit with herbs. Strawberries and basil! Oranges and mint! Apples and fennel! Whether you pair them for a fruit salad or fancy drink, there is something so refreshing about fruit and herbs.  


A few weeks ago, I decided to share my love of fruit and herbs with my office in the form of delicious, lavender blueberry mini-muffins. They were a hit! It may seem unexpected, but lavender and blueberries are the perfect pairing. When used with a delicate hand, lavender brings out the sweetness in blueberries. This combination also has a beautiful aromatic quality to it. You can really make someone's day by bringing them a freshly baked batch of these! 

WHAT YOU NEED
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup white sugar 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/3 cup vegetable oil 
1 egg 
1/3 cup milk 
1 cup fresh blueberries 
3 teaspoons dried lavender flowers 
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Place vegetable oil in a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with the flour mixture. If the mixture seems too stiff/thick, add about 1-2 more teaspoons of milk. Stir your lavender flowers and vanilla extract into the batter. Fold in the blueberries with the mixture. 


Grease muffin cups and fill about 3/4ths full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the oven, or until a knife comes out clean. Enjoy!

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Rosemary Lemon Pepper Fried Chicken

Now that the summer is upon us, I have reclaimed my weekends for cooking and excessive nap time! Hooray! I am full of new recipes and kitchen ideas, so let's get started! 

Having been raised and fed in Georgia, I enjoyed my share of crispy, fried deliciousness that makes the mouth sing praises unto the bubbling oil. Yes, frying (especially frying meat) is definitely an art that until recently, I had not mastered. 


Watching my mother drop a piece of breaded tilapia or chicken into a hot pan and jump four feet away from the scalding, airborne oil was not a treasured sight for me as a child. Humorous, but certainly not treasured. I am ashamed to say that my role in helping my mother fry food ended shortly after breading the meat. 


Fortunately, those dark days are over! Motivated by some good-natured teasing from friends and family, I have finally dared to fry my first piece of meat! Though I will never be able to add this particular skill to a resume (if I can, then my career plans have taken an awkward turn Oo), I am delighted to share my simple, but flavorful, panko fried chicken recipe with you all. 


WHAT YOU NEED

2 teaspoons lemon pepper
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 cups panko bread crumbs (I prefer honey infused panko)
Crushed red pepper to taste
Salt to taste
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts 
Olive oil

Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat. In a large bowl, combine, panko, lemon pepper, rosemary, and crushed red pepper. Taste your seasoned panko before adding salt as some prepared lemon pepper mixtures tend to be on the salty side. In a small bowl, crack and lightly beat your eggs with milk. 

Dredge your chicken breasts with the egg and coat them in the seasoned panko. For a crispier (and therefore, more delicious) crust, coat the chicken in the egg mixture and seasoned panko one more time before frying.

Now the fun part! Gently place your chicken breasts in the pan and step far away from the popping oil. Cook your chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side (or until golden brown and no longer pink on the inside). 

Remove crispy chicken to a plate coated in paper towels and allow the paper towels to soak up the excess oil. You'll be left with bright, aromatic, crispy, juicy chicken! Delicious over pasta or salad. Serve and thoroughly enjoy! 


What else is on the plate, you ask? A bed of lemon-mushroom pasta with basil and romano cheese served with a salad of chopped tricolor peppers dressed in a little olive oil and red wine vinegar. Garnished with a big, beautiful, basil leaf.


  

Monday, February 10, 2014

Spicy Chocolate Chip Cookies



Have you ever seen the movie Like Water for Chocolate (Como Agua Para Chocolate)? It's one of my favorite films. The basic concept is that when people eat food prepared by the woman in the movie, they experience whatever emotions she was feeling when she cooked the dish. Passion. Sadness. Joy. Anger. You get the picture.



That said, it's hard to be in any mood other than adventurous when I make these cookies. They are by far my favorite recipe as I've added ingredients and adjusted the measurements over time to create a truly spicy cookie. Ready to go on an adventure?


WHAT YOU NEED

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (reduce or increase depending on your taste)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar 
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat your oven to 375° F. Combine flour, baking soda, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls onto un-greased baking sheets. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Enjoy!


Sunday, January 5, 2014

Winter Chai Tea




Seasons greetings people! If you’re somewhere cold, I hope that you’re enjoying the warmth of a thick blanket and some hot cocoa. If you’re like me though, the hot cocoa can get pretty tiring after a while. My favorite cold weather drink is chai tea. Spicy. Warm. Creamy. Perfect. My best friend’s mother introduced me to homemade chai tea on New Year’s Day a few years ago. I still toss and turn at night over the perfection that my taste buds encountered on that fateful night. I put my own twist on her recipe to get a spicier tea. 

WHAT YOU NEED (Yields 2 1/2 cups):
12 cardamom pods, crushed
12 cloves
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 cinnamon stick
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons black tea
2/3 cup of milk
Sugar, to taste


Steep cardamom, cloves, ginger, cinnamon stick, and water for 12 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn down your stove to low heat and add black tea. Steep until boiling, stirring occasionally. At this point, your tea will be extremely bitter, but the milk will balance that out. Stir in milk and sugar to taste. Steep for 1-2 minutes, allowing the milk to warm up. Strain and pour into your fanciest tea cup. 

A warm, spice-rich cup of chai tea to keep you warm this coming winter. Add a spiral of whip cream and a dash of cinnamon on top for a cozier experience. Enjoy with someone special :).

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Parmesan Cream Cheese Dip: Thanksgiving Edition!

I hope that you are all in good health and high spirits! I fled Baltimore this week to spend time with my awesome family and fiance, Travis, in Atlanta. Travis and I are both devoted foodies.. well, foodies in the sense that I cook and he eats. Our favorite moments spent together are buying ingredients for recipes and eating the final product while we watch some ridiculous tv show. As this week was Thanksgiving, we decided to whip up one of our favorite appetizers for the family to eat while waiting for the other food to finish cooking. This is a recipe that I tried a few years ago (original recipe), but we have since added ingredients to create a richer flavor for the holidays.



WHAT YOU NEED: 
1 1/2 cups milk 
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese 
1/2 cup dried Romano Parmesan cheese 
16 ozs cream cheese (cubed) 
2 tsp minced garlic 
1/2 cup of chopped green onion
cracked black pepper to taste 
1 large loaf of sourdough bread (cubed) 
1 circular loaf of bread to act as a serving dish (optional) 

Cut out a large circle in the center of your circular sourdough loaf. Remove additional bread from it as necessary in order to create a bread bowl. Set aside.

Under medium heat, stir the milk and grated Parmesan and Romano until melted in the pot. Gradually add the cubed cream cheese, garlic, green onions, and bacon bits. Stir until smooth. Allow the ingredients to cook together for about 7-10 minutes on simmer, stirring occasionally. Chill the mixture in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours or until cool. Pour the mixture into the hollowed out bread bowl. Garnish the sides of the bowl with the green peppers and tomatoes. Dice your other loaf of sourdough bread and serve. Don't be afraid to eat veggies or other varieties of bread with this dip! 
We didn't use the bread bowl this time around. I'll update the picture at a later date with a fancy bread bowl :)

Enjoy the wonderful Thanksgiving weekend and I'll see you next week!



Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Cinnamon Cupcakes with Ginger Frosting


Happy November! This week I wanted to try my hand at baking cupcakes. I've actually never made them before. I think I've always believed that cupcakes are like playing with dolls - the older you get, the more childish they seem. Saturated in frosting, too much sugar in the batter, etc. In my mind, I equate cupcakes with hyper children like Honey Boo-Boo and that's a huge deal breaker for me. Cake and pie - now that's grown folk food! However, in light of the growing designer cupcake trend and cupcake competitions, I figured I'd give it a try. 


In honor of November, I wanted to put a few of my favorite fall spices together; cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne pepper. I used the ginger and cayenne to give the cupcakes a spicy kick. 


WHAT YOU NEED (yields approx. 12 cupcakes, 24 mini-cupcakes)

2 cups flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup butter, softened 
3/4 cup sugar (if you like your cupcakes very sweet, add a little more.) 
2 eggs 
1 cup milk 
2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Frosting:

1-2 containers of buttercream frosting (easy! or you can make your own using Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe)
2 teaspoon ginger

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners for the cupcakes (I bought some cute fall ones from Walmart for about $2). In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate stirring the flour mixture and milk into the butter-sugar mixture, making sure its evenly blended. Stir in your vanilla extract and cinnamon. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. 


BUTTERCREAM TIME

While the cupcakes are rising, blend your buttercream with the ginger. Scoop the mixture into a large zip-lock bag. Cut a small hole at one of the ends of the bag to use as a frosting applicator. :) BE CREATIVE! Swirls, roses, etc! You may want to refrigerate the frosting in the bag for about 30 minutes so the frosting will be a little stiffer. After your cupcakes have had time to cool, apply and ENJOY!




Thursday, October 24, 2013

Parmesan-Basil Encrusted Swai

It's been a while! I hope that you kids are doing well. Once again, things have been pretty hectic. Papers, homework, and studying for exams has consumed my life :/. I haven't had a lot of time to cook anything new lately. Actually, I've been eating out so frequently that one of the security guards at my apartment has dubbed me "The Jimmy Johns Girl." =_=. First of all, I feel like she could have been way more creative with the nickname. I think that she just nicknamed me the thing that I happened to have that day. My overwhelming desire to go back to my given name was what prompted me to cook tonight. 

This recipe is really simple. Swai has a very mild flavor - not fishy at all like tilapia, so it takes well to lots of herbs and spices. Personally, I like softer fish so I tend to bake my swai. However, it can be breaded, fried, grilled, you name it! Experiment! This recipe has a peppery, creamy, sweet herbaceous taste to it. Here we go!


WHAT YOU NEED

4-5 large pieces of swai
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (you know, the "shaky cheese")
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for drizzling)


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix your parmesan, paprika, basil, cracked black pepper, and salt together. Feel free to taste the mixture before applying to the swai - this will allow you to make sure the mixture has a good balance of salt and pepper for your own taste.




 Drizzle olive oil over the top of your fish (you may want to rub it on the fish for a more even coating). Take each piece of swai and encrust the top of the fish with the mixture. Cover a 13-by-9-inch pan (whatever size works of you) with a piece of tin foil. Spray the tin foil with canola oil spray or coat with butter. 




Place the swai on the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the swai coating is golden brown and fish is flaky. A
nd just like that, you're done! Enjoy!