Baked Hoisin Tilapia with Hot Mustard Sauce - And a couple of other things -

Last week I told you all that my boss was leaving...well, we are two weeks away from her last day and it's crunch time at work.  I have been asked to take on a large chunk of her job, along with what I am already doing.  Though I am nervous, as most of her job is a bit above my skill set, I really am excited about the opportunity to learn more.  Hopefully they will have someone in there to take her place soon and things will lighten up for me...but for now, I move forward...it's about all I can do.  This will be a challenging time for me and I hope it does not cut into my blogging, but, if it does, please just bear with me ... I promise, I won't leave you for long :)

Before I get to today's recipe, I want to share something with you that I feel really good about.  Most of you probably don't remember my post from last May where I told you a little something about me - I'm a fire spinner.  (You can click on this link to read the full story)  Back then I shared still pictures of me spinning and I swore that some day I would share actual video with you.  Well that day has FINALLY arrived.  Friday night, I brushed the dust off the old fire poi and "lit up".  What a fantastic time I had too!!  It felt GREAT!  I can't wait to do it again!!  But first, the video of my debut return to fire spinning.  And thankfully, not only did Chris bravely agree to video my return, but he also placed a kick ass song over the video to make it really cool.  When he shot the video, there was no music....all you could hear was the Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh of the fire circling around me...which really is cool.  But come on - he dropped Fire Woman by The Cult right over top of the video and it actually works really good.  So, anyway, enough of my rambling... I hope you enjoy:  (for best results, view at 720p)


Ok, ok... enough showing off ...let's get to the food :)

I've adored hot mustard sauce since I was a kid.  On special occasions, we used to go to this Chinese restaurant called Imperial Palace.  I remember the first time I tried the hot mustard sauce.  I remember the heat going straight to my nose!  What I also remember was that it did not last long and.... I LOVED IT!!  I couldn't get enough of it.  The hotter the sauce, the better.  Mom even bought some so that we could have it at home.  A few weeks back, when I was on Savory Spice website, I noticed that they had hot mustard powder.  I knew right away I needed to purchase some so that I could bring those great childhood memories back!  Not that I haven't had hot mustard sauce since I was a kid, it's just that since I found my beloved Sriracha, I really don't use any other spicy condiments.  And of course, what better dish to try it with first then ... yep.. you got it... Tilapia!!!

This dish is way simple and way spicy.  If you want to tame the mustard sauce, use warm/hot water when mixing the powder and allow to sit at room temperature.  If you are looking for a knock your socks off sort of spice, which is what I wanted, use cold water when mixing together and immediately put it in the fridge.  Seriously, at least with the hot mustard powder I have, the colder the water, the hotter the sauce.  And remember, a little goes a long way.  And if you really want to simplify this recipe even more.  To make the fish, just season it with salt and pepper and pan sear.  Honestly, the sauce is the star here...but that shouldn't surprise you at all coming from me!

Baked Hoisin Tilapia with Hot Mustard Sauce
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons hoisin
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Sriracha
1-2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
4 Tilapia fillets
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons hot mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
drop sesame oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Rinse the tilapia and pat dry.  Place in prepared dish.  In a small bowl, mix together the hoisin, 1 tsp rice vinegar, Sriracha and soy sauce.  Pour evenly over the fish.  Bake for 14 minutes, rotating dish halfway through.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix together the mayo, mustard powder, rice vinegar, water, and sesame oil.  Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.  Serve along side Tilapia.  Enjoy!

 

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