Golden Tilapia with Julienned Vegetables

Golden Tilapia with Julienned Vegetables:

~1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
pinch of ground clove (~1/8 tsp?)
a couple squeezes of agave nectar (orig. recipe calls for 2 tsp. sugar)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white rum
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound whole tilapia, filleted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive or peanut oil (I didn't use this much)
~3 cups julienned mixed vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers
orange juice and extra soy sauce

In a small dry saucepan, toast the peppercorn and clove over medium heat until puffs of smoke begin to appear, about 1 minute. Then add sugar, soy sauce, rum, lemon zest, lemon juice, ginger, and garlic powder and simmer over medium heat to reduce by half.
Remove from heat, strain and let cool. I usually toss it into the fridge for ~5 min.
Place the fish fillets in the cooled marinade and let sit for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade. Season the fillet with salt and pepper. Place the marinade in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and remove from the heat.
Saute the vegetable in a skillet until you get a little color on them, then add a splash of orange juice and a splash of soy sauce. Cover with a lid and steam for a minute or two. Remove veggies to a plate, cover with foil, and set aside.

Add some oil to a non-stick skillet, and saute the fillets for 2 minutes on each side. Place fillets on a foil-lined baking sheet and finish in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until done.
Brush marinade on finished fish. Serve with vegetables as soon as possible.


Acorn Squash:

1 or 2 acorn squash
butter
brown sugar (I tried out agave nectar tonight, but brown sugar carmelizes much better)
salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400.
Cut squash in half and remove seeds and strings. Cut a small portion off the bottoms so that the halves sit level. Place in a baking dish, cut side down and fill dish with 1/4" water.
Bake squash for ~35 min or until soft.
Pre-heat broiler.
Place squash halves cut side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Salt and pepper the flesh, then add a pat of butter to the center. Crumble brown sugar on the inside and on the edges of the squash. Place under broiler on high for ~5 min.