Dover Sole with Spicy Mayo and Pickles

As promised to my dear friend, Whitney, here's my experience with a recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow's book My Father's Daughter.  It was certainly yummy but as usual I have some slight alterations.  Gwyneth uses plain breadcrumbs {probably to save on calories} but I went all out and used seasoned bread crumbs.  Worth it! Not only because I already had those on hand, but for the flavah too! : ) Only other slight change I would make next time is to cook more of the Dover Sole or have the Fishmonger slice it a bit thicker.  Even though I'm on the portion control kick, this is very light and flakey fish so you do actually need more of it to fill the baguette.

Give it a shot!  Great recipe for a low key weeknight in.  Serve with her homemade "No-Fry Fries" {recipe found here and in her book} or a salad.  We went for the fries...ooops for the Svelte Quest 2012 last night! I'll walk/run it off with Abbey today.  No biggie since they aren't technically fried. 

I'll begin with the fries since that takes the most time. 

No-Fry Fries
*Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Peel potatoes then slice as directed and put into bowl of cold water

Take out the sliced potatoes and dry them well on a hand towel

*Place on baking dish with wire rack, drizzle fries with olive oil and sea salt and pop into oven.  Stir occasionally throught the 25 minute cook time.  Keep them on warm in the oven until fish is ready.

Dover Sole with Spicy Mayo and Pickles

Ingredients:

o 3 fillets Dover sole, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels

o 1 cup milk

o 1 cup plain bread crumbs mixed with 1 teaspoon each coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper  {I used seasoned}

o 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

o 1 lemon

o 1 baguette, cut in half lengthwise

o 1 cup loosely packed baby arugula  {I used romaine hearts}

o 1/2 cup bread-and-butter-pickle coins {on Dylan's side I used dill}

                    Spicy Mayo

o 1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup

o 1 cup Vegenaise {I used regular low fat mayo}

o 1 1/2 tablespoons Lee's Homemade Sriracha {a MUST for this recipe}



Prepare Spicy Mayo first. Note: I used regular mayo instead of vegenaise.
Mix all these together and refrigerate until ready to build the sandwich.





Put pan on stove with olive oil.  Assembly line for the fish. 
Dredge Dover sole into milk then into breadcrumbs then into pan. Cook 2 mins on each side.

While the fish cooks, assemble sandwich.  Cut baguette and scoop out some of the
bread to make a little well for the fish.  Spread spicy mayo, layer romaine hearts and pickles on one side.
Spread more spicy mayo and layer the cooked fish on the other side of the sliced baguette {below}

*Serve on a white platter with half a lemon. If you're serving this dish at a dinner party, I would also sprinkle some dried herbs around the plate or a use a big sprig of fresh parsley for a colorful garnish.





Serve fries alongside and extra spicy mayo for dipping.  Flip lettuce and pickle side
of baguette onto fish side and cut baguette in half {we were too hungry so no pic of the flip!} and ENJOY!



  

Chicken Paillards with Tomato, Basil, and Roasted-Corn Relish

Hi friends, happy Friday! Psyched about the weekend as usual!  Instead of Friday Favorites, I'm sharing my Bon Appétit's August 2005 recipe with you that I made Wednesday night for dinner.  I actually feel like the recipe is mine because I've had it for so long.  Too bad I can't truly claim it.  Shucks.  Anywho, it's lower in calories and healthy and delish.  Some substitutions can be made to make it even healthier as well if you're on the diet bandwagon.  So tweak away as you see fit.  My suggestions: Use panko or a mixture of panko and flour for the breading {even though it's lightly breaded anyway, every little bit counts, right?}, cut the serving size in half if you're into portion control, and nix serving an additional side dish...the tomato and corn relish is quite the substantial accompaniment in and of itself.  Well, let me rephrase that last suggestion.  Super hungry husbands, boyfriends, etc. are apt to need a small extra side dish...so mainly I'm speakin to the ladies here. : )

Hope you enjoy this one!  Next week, I'll be whipping up a few dishes from Gwynie's {Gwyneth Paltrow's} book My Father's Daughter to share with you.  And by the way, tisk, tisk on the New York Times for their recent article.  If you read her book and watch her in action cooking on tv shows and on goop.com, it's clear she has no ghostwriter. Sheesh.  Nobody puts Gwynie in the corner.  So step off Times!

Additionally, my plan {weather permitting of course} is to make a dish of her's and pack a picnic and take my husband on a date by the river this weekend.  Hopefully, there will be no proverbial rain on our parade. I'm either thinking I'll go with her Classic Chopped Salad and her Turkey BLT or the Crab Cake Burgers with Spicy Remoulade with a side of fruit. They both sound quite marvelous.

Let's begin on this chicken recipe shall we? Full recipe found {here}.  I took note of some of the reviews and squeezed some lemon on and also peppered up the chicken prior to the breading.  I even added a few dashes of poultry seasoning to the panko and flour mixture for extra flavor.

Chicken with Tomato, Basil, and Roasted-Corn Relish
{Yields 4 Servings}

Ingredients:

Relish

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels {truth time: I used two whole kernal corn cans}
• 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 3 tablespoons finely sliced fresh basil

Chicken

• 4 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves, tenderloins removed
• All purpose flour {I use panko and flour}
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter {oooops, I used salted}
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Prep and Directions:

*Preheat oven to 375 and brush baking sheet with olive oil.
*Get everything on the counter in one space in front of you for easy access.
*Put skillet on stove with melted butter and oil on low until your ready to cook the chicken.
*Complete all prep work: chop green onions, halve the tomatoes, slice the basil, get a plate ready for the flour/panko mixture, pound the chicken {see next *}. Or wait a bit for this part like I did.
*If you are terrified of yucky, germy, disgusto, raw chicken juices, brace yourself.  I despise this part{Dylan thinks I'm a huge germaphobe in general} but I participate in this part of the recipe anyway for this particular dish.  I so totally wanted to wear gloves but didn't have any so I washed my hands with anti-bacterial soap 15 times during the process courageously took on the challenge.

Relish ingredients chopped and ready. 
NOTE: The basil is fresh 
from our garden! Pat on back!  : )

Spread corn out after drizzling a tad more olive oil.  Pop into oven.

Rest of the relish goes into a bowl while corn roasts.

I added a dash of white wine vinegar and fresh ground pepper.

Panko and Flour mixture with added paprika and poultry seasoning.

 *No picture available for the pounding of the chicken.  No way I was letting gross raw chicken juices near my camera.  No thank you salmonella.  So instead, I'll explain in words.  After you wash the chicken and pat dry, salt and pepper it and stick into a gallon size zip lock bag.  Squeeze the juice of a lemon into the bag with the chicken.  Close the bag {not gonna lie, husband assisted with this entire daunting task} and then place bag on your counter and beat the living daylights out of the chicken firmly pound down with a mallet, rolling pin, or botton of a sauce pan.  After this, wash your hands!  In my case, rewash and rewash my hands again and again.  Hmmm, I do sound quite the germaphobe! ; ) Whatevs.

*Get each piece of chicken out and dredge in the panko/flour mixture.  Into skillet with melted butter and oil and cook away! Again no photo available for this.  Let's wait until the final product shall we?

At this juncture, take the corn out {after about 15 mins of roasting} and add the rest of the relish. 
The recipe does not call for this but I think the flavors blend so nicely
especially with the tomatoes roasting as well.  Back into the oven for another 10-12 mins.

*Cook the chicken about 5 mins per side in the skillet.  Plate the chicken after it has cooked and rested for about 5 mins.  Spoon relish over top and dig in! It's scrumptious! 

Sprucing Up A Mantel

One of my favorite blogs, The Lettered Cottage, has a blog post on decorating fireplace mantel's for Spring.  This intrigues me because I literally despise our mantel {its old, hard to clean brick with a tacky gold screen}.  Yuck.  I've gone over in my head what to do with it to add some life to it and possibly make it somewhat easy on the eyes.  Nothing really comes to mind that seems practical.  If we weren't renting the house then, of course, we'd work on a little renovation project but there is no point in putting money into something when you honestly get no return on investment.  So what to do??? A cheap way to spruce up the ugly mantel.  To make it somewhat aesthetically pleasing by putting nick-nacks on top but not doing a thing {other than cleaning the brick} to the fireplace itself.  I love these ideas from the Spring Fling Link Party from The Lettered Cottage and am narrowing down how to use decor we already have or find cheap flea market finds to mimic these ideas. Wish me luck!

Photo {via}.  I have an adorable window pane
just like this one and I have mason jars as well!  This could work.

Photo {Simple Details}. 
I love the sun mirror with the other mirror behind it. Like the layering affect.

Photo {Keeping Up With The Times}
Again, love the layering here.  Already have moss balls,
a mirror, pics this size.  Another contender!

Photo{via}
This is super cute! I love the ceiling tiles with the wreath
and the cotton in the white pitcher to the right. 

Any other ideas?  Send em my way if so!

TBC... 

Friday Favorites

Ooops! Blogless as of late!  I've had another mini blog hiatus because our sweet little Abbey has had some tummy troubles.  We took her to the vet early this week and all her tests came back fine so we think its just a little stomach bug of some sort.  Either way, she's been babied by us and all of our focus and attention has been towards her this week.  We think she is on the mend because she actually ate her normal food yesterday.  We've had her on a diet of bland canned food from the Vet and gave it a shot again with her regular food yesterday and she ate it!  Whew.

Here are my Friday Faves {which include wrap-ups and pics from last weekend to now}:

1.  Vickory Creek at Old Mill Park.  Last Saturday, we took Abbey for a walk here {she felt great then. This was pre-tummy trouble}.  We visit this spot nearly every weekend because it's so relaxing and pretty.  It's literally not even two miles from our house which we find very cool indeed.  ; )

See the people sitting by the waterfall?

Think I'll take a dip!

2. Two Urban Licks. Oh how I love this restaurant.  Last weekend, we ventured into the city to have dinner here with a fabulous couple.  For three years in a row, in my earlier 20's, I had my birthday at Two so clearly, I'm a huge fan. The mood is great, the food fantastic, and I'm always a sucker for live jazz/blues music. So is hubby! And woooh! Their salmon chips and salad are true delights! And healthy to boot.

Photo via Yelp

3.  Broiled Tilapia with Mustard-Chive Sauce courtesy of Giada de Laurentis.  This is a very very healthy, low cal and low carb dish.  The fish cooks quickly and the entire thing is a cinch to make.  I had Rosemary and Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes with mine and husband had Boiled Red Potatoes with Fat Free Gravy.  My only revision to Giada's recipe would be to back off on the lemon.  I love lemon but sometimes it can be a bit overpowering.  Next time, I'll use half of a small lemon instead. 
The recipe is found here.  So far so good for "Svelte Quest 2012."

Sauce Ingredients: Honey, Greek Yogurt, Dijon, lemon, chives

All into bowl...

Whisk in lemon juice.  Remember waaay less than on recipe!

Drizzle sauce over broiled tilapia...tada!

Dice a small sweet potato into cubes. 
Drizzle with olive oil,
Sprinkle sea salt, rosemary, and thyme.
Bake in the oven at 350 until
golden. 

My healthy meal!

4. Rooftop patio at Ceviche on Canton Street.  Fabulous! I urge everyone in and around Atlanta to go visit.  Dylan and I are so pleased with it and it's a great addition to the restaurant we already love so much.  Note: Their shrimp tacos, skinny margaritas, and Shrimp and Crab Poblano dip are super yum! 

Photo taken with my bberry.  Excuse the minivan!

Enjoy your weekend!  For us: we've got some fun, sham-rockin' stuff planned for St. Patty's Day!  Cleaning and errands in the morning, then getting together with friends at their apartment rooftop, then onto Virginia Highlands for the evening.  Sunday is church, some light yard work, and plenty o rest!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!  I'm elated that it's finally Friday.  I was starting to get desperate.  This time, because I'm on the home stretch of the Chemical Breakdown diet.  It's been one heck of a ride.  Today is my last full day of it thankfully!  Wednesday and Thursday were pretty rough but I'm pleased to say I pushed through it and have lost weight!  The jeans button easy again!  Whew.  Now, to keep the weight off and lose a teeny bit more.  I've come to realize that the old adage is sometimes true...Beauty is pain! Lol.  OUCH!

Here are my Friday Favorites:

1. Flowers. flowers. And more flowers!  I've been on a kick lately and Trader Joe's never disappoints.  They have a wonderful array to choose from and are soooo cheap!  Here are my arrangements.



Purple Hyacinth. Smells divine.



White Gerber Daisies, mini yellow Roses, Hypericum

2.  Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer.  This self-tan lotion lives up to it's name and truly gives you a natural glow.  You can achieve a sun kissed look without tanning beds or full on sun exposure.  The older I get, the more careful I become with my skin.  Tinted moisturizers, spray tans, etc. are the way to go to skip out on premature wrinkles.  Tanning bed, see ya bye!  Love this stuff!

3. Pink nail polish.  A must have for Spring!  Hot pink nail polish makes me smile.  I'm still obsessed with my Sinful Colors nail polish in Folly which I've mentioned before but wanted to mention again.  It stays on for a good while and doesn't chip easily like other brands.

See, makes me happy! And sassy with my hand on my hip!

4.  Fork Decor.  Know those cute little fork, spoon, and knife pictures and wall sconces that are oh so popular these days?  Well, I tried to keep our house free of this trend.  Then, the inevitable.  Pier One reeled me in.  In my defense, this one is super super cute and on clearance and, ever the hustler, I noticed a slight scratch and talked the manager down even more! Raahahaha! Playing around with where to hang it in our dining room.



5.  Pesto Dip from Alta Cucina.  Last week, we got some of this amazing dip at Roswell Provisions.  Alta Cucina features their items at local shops and farmer's markets, so I was pleasantly surprised they showcased this dip at my favorite store! This is very healthy and soooo delish.  In fact, writing about this favorite on the strict diet/detox I'm currently on is about to push me over the edge so I'll have to stop describing it now!  Ha! Check the website {link above} on how to order their products. You won't regret it!

On our agenda this weekend: Some painting and yard work, a dinner date with a fun couple tomorrow night at Two Urban Licks {salad and grilled fish for me and my waistline}, church, and hopefully a good movie!  Enjoy your wkend! : )