Gazpacho, Homemade Bread and Tilapia

Gazpacho

• 5 medium tomatoes,diced
• ½ cucumber, diced
• 1 jalapeno, fine dice
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 slices of white bread, cubed. I just used the bread I was going to serve with the Gazpacho

Directions

1. Combine diced vegetables and seasonings in a bowl and let sit for 20 minutes
2. Stir in olive oil and balsamic vinegar
3. Mix cubed bread into tomato mixture. Let sit for about 20 minutes for the bread to soak up the juices
4. In two batches transfer the mixture to a blender and blend the mixture until smooth. I like to leave a few chunks.
5. Serve with bread and tilapia

Homemade Italian Bread (Made in Bread Machine)

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• ⅓ cup warm milk or almond milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast

Directions

1. Put all of the ingredients into your machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. For my machine I add all of the wet ingredients in first and then all of the dry ingredients except for the yeast. After I have added all of the dry ingredients I make a little hole in the flour and pour the yeast into the hole. 
2. Set the machine for basic white bread at 2 lbs and press start
3. When the loaf is done remove from the machine and take loaf from the pan.

Pan Seared Tilapia

Ingredients

• 2 tilapia fillets
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon Oregano
• ½ lemon
• Olive oil

Directions

1. Rinse tilapia fillets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides of each fillet with salt, pepper and oregano.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook the tilapia in the hot oil until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes per side. Squeeze half of a lemon over the tilapia before removing from the skillet. Serve immediately.