Sarah's Other Birthday Dinner

We had an earlier celebration for Sarah's birthday. We had a small group and some of our fussier eaters were out of town, so we tried something unusual.....fish and pasta! The pasta was one Sarah had been wanting to try from an old cookbook we have "The Essential Pasta Cookbook." Since it had unusual flavor, we wanted a very mild fish.

I really liked the pasta, but it wasn't a big hit with some of the others. Note: Since my grandson has a tree nut allergy, we punted and used peanuts in the pesto sauce. Finally, I only had 4 oz. of basil, and that would have changed the flavor considerably. I made the pesto ahead so there wasn't quite the same rush in the kitchen closer to dinner time. The fish was a big hit and heated up really well the next day. Best of all it was easy, easy.

Linguine in Honey Basil Cream

Ingredients:

1 lb. (500 g.) linguine

7 1/2 oz (240 g.) fresh basil

1 sm. red chili, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

juice of on lemon

1/2 c. (125 ml/4 fl oz) olive oil

3 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 c. (37g ml/12 fl oz) cream

1/2 c. (125 ml/4 fl oz) chicken stock

shavings of fresh Parmesan, for serving

Directions:

Cook the linguine in a large pan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and keep warm.

While the pasta is cooking, discard the stems of basil and mix the basil leaves, chili, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, oil and honey.

Combine the basil mixture, cream and chicken stock in a large pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Season, to taste, with cracked pepper.

Add the pasta to the pan and toss well. Sprinkle with shavings of Parmesan.

Baked Tilapia

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets (6 oz. each)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons capers, drained

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Place tilapia in an ungreased 13" x 9" baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, garlic powder an salt. Pour over the fillets. Sprinkle with capers, oregano and paprika.

Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield 4 servings.

Source: Taste of Home recipe submitted by Hope Stewart of Raleigh, NC.