Here comes the tilapia

I love grilled fish, and tilapia is one of my favorite varieties. You should not grille tilapia very long because the fillets are very thin. Also, you must handle them with a wide spatula or they will fall apart on the grille when you try to move them.

I also love grilled portabella mushrooms. We were trying to decide what to have for dinner on Monday evening, and I said, "Let's grille some tilapia." Mary asked, "What will we have with it?" "Well," I replied, "We have some nice portabellas. Why don't we grille fish and mushrooms? Then we can have a nice salad with them." She liked the idea, because she didn't have to do any cooking.

I sprinkled some dill weed on everything, after which I drizzled a little olive oil on the fish and the mushrooms and fired up the grille. I grilled the under side of the mushrooms first and laid the fish on the grille. Of course, the fish got done very rapidly because they are so thin. I thought to myself, "How will I keep them hot while the mushrooms finish?" So, I flipped the mushrooms and carefully laid the fish on the black side of the mushrooms.

The whole concoction needed something else. "Aha," I thought, "I'll lay a slice of cheese on each one. When I got the cheese out of the refrigerator, I also found some ham that had been sliced for sandwiches. So, I laid the ham on the grilled fish and mushroom and then a slice of cheese. When the cheese was melted, I took everything off the grille and served it.

The salad that I served is also my favorite. I start with some good greens and a few thinly sliced onions. Then I dump some chopped walnuts and some dried cranberries (craisins) on the greens. After adding salt and pepper to taste, I finish by drizzling a little olive oil and some balsamic vinegar on the salad and tossing it lightly.

Mushrooms topped with fish, cheese and ham, accompanied by a craisin salad; now, there is a meal fit for a king and his queen; well, at least an old professor and his frau. I’m not good at measuring ingredients, so I prefer recipes like these in which you can substitute ingredients readily and vary the amounts to taste.

To summarize: The preparation of Tilapia, ala Chay; begins by drizzling a little olive oil on both sides of the mushrooms and the fish. Sprinkle the fish with dried dill weed and place the mushrooms (face up) and the fish on the grille. When the fish are golden, turn the mushrooms over and lay the fish on top. Continue to grille and cover with a slice of ham and a slice of cheese. When the cheese is melted, serve immediately. Each mushroom serves one person. Happy eating, or as we say in Lancaster County, "Gut Essen!"