Sole meunière (aka: heaven)

Sole meunière

(from Ina Garten)

This might be my new favorite dish. It's so easy and delicious and sort of does that melt-in-your-mouth thing that people are so fond of. I've often said that you could put lemon on anything and I would probably love it. This is one of those lemony things I love. The ingredients are pretty simple and you probably already have them in your pantry, so stop by the grocery store on your way home from work and pick up some sole! Or hey! Maybe you're having a special someone over this weekend and you'd love to impress them without inflicting any sort of garlic breath. Well, this is your dish. Or maybe you're your own special someone... nothing is standing in your way of the most amazing fish you've ever had.

Sole meunière
Recipe...
serves 2

• 1/2 c all purpose flour
• S&P
• 4 fresh sole fillets (3 to 4 oz each)
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 6 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1) Preheat oven to 200℉. Have 2 heat-proof dinner plates ready.

2) Combine flour, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole dry with paper towel and sprinkle one side with salt.

3) Heat 3 Tbsp of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat until it starts to brown (be careful not to burn it!). Dredge 2 fillets in seasoned flour on both sides and place in the hot butter. Lower heat to medium-low and cook 2 min. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook another 2 min. While the second side cooks add 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 3 Tbsp of lemon juice to the pan.

4) Carefully place the fillets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the other 2 fillets.

5) When all the fish is cooked and on the plates, sprinkle with parsley, S&P and serve immediately.

Lemony salmon with cherry tomato couscous

Lemony salmon with cherry tomato couscous

(from Nigella Lawson)

And now a recipe from Nigella Lawson, the most sensual eater ever...

We had this beautiful piece of salmon in the fridge just waiting to be turned into a delicious dinner. It was getting to be 7:30 and we still didn't have a plan for it, so I scoured my cookbooks and found this recipe from Nigella! Nigella Lawson is one of my idols. When you watch her on TV you can feel her passion for food and for life and it's really very inspiring. Plus, she's beautiful. 

This ended up being the perfect recipe because we had everything on hand, it came together pretty quickly, and it's really pretty healthy. I sort of think you could put lemon juice on anything and I would like it, but this dish really did have some excellent yet simple flavors going on.

We served this with some simply prepared asparagus that was roasted in the oven with EVOO, S&P. (So many abbreviations!)

Lemony salmon with cherry tomato couscous
Recipe...
serves 2

• 1 heaping c couscous
• 3 tsp kosher salt or 1 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 c boiled water
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 c)
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp garlic flavored oil
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 4 salmon fillets
• 1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (whichever you prefer)

1) Put couscous in a heatproof bowl with 2 tsp kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt), 1/4 tsp paprika, and all the grated ginger. Give it a mix and pour the boiled water over top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and leave to one side.

2) In a wide, shallow dish (big enough to hold the salmon), put the zest of one lemon into it. Add remaining salt and paprika and 1 Tbsp garlic flavored oil.

3) In another bowl, combine onion, juice of 1 lemon, tomatoes and 1 tsp garlic flavored oil and mix. Leave to one side.

4) Heat a large frying pan for the salmon. While the pan gets hot, turn the salmon, both sides, in the "zest" dish.

5) Place fillets in the hot pan and cook 2-3 min per side, depending on thickness. You want them still juicy and a vivid coral color in the middle, so check as you cook.

6) Uncover and fluff up the couscous, which should have absorbed all the water. Add the tomato/onion mix. Mix with a fork.

7) Add almost all the cilantro or parsley and stir. S&P to taste.

8) Serve warm and enjoy!