Scalloped Potatoes

My mom always served scalloped potatoes with meatloaf when I was growing up so my taste buds have come to expect that combination.  Unfortunately, her recipe is full of dairy.  So here is my adaptation.  And for those of you who have cheese-loving spouses I've included specs for making their servings into Loaded Scalloped Potatoes.

Scalloped Potatoes

Meatloaf and Scalloped Potatoes, as nature intended

Ingredients:

4 yellow potatoes (they are naturally more tender and have a richer flavor, and I just plain like them best!)
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet or yellow onion
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsweetened original almond milk
1/2 Tbsp flour
10 saltines or 2 salted matzohs, crushed
1 Tbsp non-dairy margarine

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Peel and slice your potatoes.  Thin slices are best (I use my awesome Pampered Chef Mandolin Slicer) because they cook faster.  Dump into a medium-sized baking dish and mix with onions.  Sprinkle with salt.  Combine almond milk and flour (the flour helps thicken the sauce) and pour into baking dish; it should come about halfway up the potatoes.  Scatter dots of the margarine on the top surface of the potatoes.  Top with crushed crackers and distribute evenly.  Cook 45 minutes to an hour, or until potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.

Loaded Scalloped Potatoes

Your cheese-loving spouse or significant other can fancy up his or her spuds with a piece of cooked and crumbled bacon, a Tbsp of sour cream, and a sprinkle of cheese.

Pan-seared Tilapia with Lemon-"Butter" Caper Sauce

I have to credit my father-in-law with the idea for this recipe.  He used to make a similar dish a few years ago and I wanted to see if I could do it without dairy.  This dish is pretty quick and easy but looks, tastes, and sounds fancy.  I served it with fresh, homemade bruschetta and steamed broccoli.

Pan-Seared Tilapia with Lemon-"Butter" Caper Sauce

Ingredients:

4 Tilapia (or other mild fish) fillets
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
1/2 cup flour
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

For the sauce:
1/4 cup Earth Balance spread
1/4 cup white wine
the juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp capers (or more if you're a big fan)

Directions:

Rinse the tilapia fillets and pat them dry.  Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.  Dredge in flour and then cook over medium-high heat in olive oil until fish flakes easily (about 2-3 minutes on each side). You have 2 choices here: either set in a serving dish for serving immediately or lay in a baking dish to hold in the oven while you prepare the rest of your meal.

While you're cooking the fish fillets, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.  Allow the "butter" to melt over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Turn the heat up a bit to bring the sauce to a boil and boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce will reduce and thicken slightly.  Pour over the fish and either serve or set in a 350 degree oven until your side items are ready.  Sitting in the oven lets the flavors meld and the sauce thicken a bit more, too.