Sole With Lemon Butter Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 c. dry white wine
8 sole fillets
coarse salt and pepper
16 very thin lemon slices, seeds removed
Juice of one lemon
3 T. cold butter, cut into pieces

Directions:
Place the wine in a large, lidded skillet. Fold each sole fillet into thirds. arrange in the skillet; season with salt and pepper. Lay two overlapping lemon slices on each piece of fish.
Bring the wine to a boil; reduce the heat to medium low. Cover; simmer gently until the fish is opaque throughout, 3-5 minutes. With a spatula, transfer the fish to serving plates.
Return the liquid in the skillet to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/3 c, 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon juice; remove from heat. Whisk in the butter until smooth. Season with salt; strain, if desired. Serve with the fish.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
I used to make this a lot when it was just Blake and I. I haven't made it for a long time so I figured it was time for a little recipe resurrection. I didn't have any sole on hand so I used tilapia instead and just kept it flat instead of folding it into thirds. I still like it although it was more lemony than I remember it being. Since lemon flavor is not Blake's favorite he ate it but didn't want seconds.

Tilapia and Quinoa With Feta and Cucumbers

Ingredients:
1 c. Quinoa
2 1/2 t. olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless tilapia fillets
3/4 t. paprika
1 c. cucumber, diced small
1/3 c. fresh dill, roughly chopped
2 t. lemon juice

Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring quinoa, 2 c. water and 1 t. salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium simmer and cook until water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a bowl and let cool 5 minutes.
In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 1/2 t. olive oil. Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper; sprinkle with paprika. Cook fillets until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes, flipping half way through.
Stir cucumber, dill, feta, 1 t. oil, and lemon juice into quinoa. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
I love finding new things to try. I also love when they are good for you. Win/win. The fish had a good flavor for not having a lot of things on it. I also liked the quinoa. I will eat just about anything that contains dill and feta, to be honest. Blake liked both. The kids wouldn't touch the quinoa, they just picked out the feta.

Tempura With Gingered Soy Sauce

For the tempura:

vegetable oil for frying

tempura coating (found dry in a box)

With tempura you can pick whatever you like so here are some ideas

cod, cut into pieces

shrimp

red onion, thinly sliced

peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

broccoli, cut into small florets

green beans

asparagus, cut into pieces

mushrooms, stemmed and quartered

For the sauce:

1/4 c. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced

2 tsp. brown sugar

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 green onion, thinly sliced (green and white parts)

For the tempura:

Prepare batter according to package directions.

Heat oil.

Working in small batches coat vegetables and fish lightly in batter. Fry in oil until lightly browned on outside about 1-2 minutes for vegetables and 3-5 minutes for fish. Remove from oil with slotted spoon and place on napkins or drying rack. Serve immediately with sauce.

For the sauce:

Combine all ingredients and let stand at least 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Makes as much as you want. Total time varies.

Verdict:

I like tempura but don't make it very often because it involves frying and lets face it no one likes the way that makes the house smell. But I love when we do have it. It is yummy when it is hot and tolerable when it is warm. I definitely wouldn't eat it when it is cold. The sauce is a must.

Fish Tacos

For the fish:

1 lb. tilapia fillets (or other firm white fish)

blackened seasoning (I like Zatarain's- you can find it at Walmart)

For the filling and sauce:

1/4 c. sour cream

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1/4 red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 c.)

4 green onions

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

8 flour tortillas

For the fish:

Coat fish in blackened seasoning. In a large skillet heat vegetable oil (about a half inch deep) and cook fish in oil until cooked through and slightly brown.

For the filling and sauce:

Combine in a small bowl sour cream and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Combine in a large bowl cabbage, green onions and jalapeno.

Add half of the sauce to cabbage mixture.

Warm tortillas over gas burner until blistered in spots.

Serve in tortillas with fish, cabbage and extra sauce if desired.

Serves 4. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:

I love fish tacos. Love them. They are tasty. Yum.