Roedspaette og Spinat

...Or, more intelligibly/less authentically, Danish flounder and spinach casserole!  Courtesy of gramma's Scandinavian cookbook.  (Although, Google Translate confirms that they mistakenly swapped the labels with "roedspaette med loegsovs," flounder with onion sauce.)

Recipe

1 lb flounder fillets
1 9 oz package frozen creamed spinach
3 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c bread crumbs
butter
salt & pepper

Dust the fillets with flour and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Dip in the beaten egg and dredge through the flour; brown on both sides in a couple tbsps of butter.  Meanwhile cook the spinach as per directions.  Make it the first layer in a casserole dish, followed by the fish, then the shrooms on top.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Notes

Authentic Danish cuisine meets the modern 1950's kitchen!  Really, this could be a super easy dish, using nothing but fish sticks, frozen creamed spinach, and canned mushrooms...  Thought about going that route, but King Soopers is apparently too classy for frozen creamed spinach.  Found a simple enough preparation here, bought some fresh sole in place (plaice, heh) of flounder.  Took a bit more effort and cooking utensils, but turned out very tasty!

Two pics: I like the fresh out of the oven one, but you can't see the delicious creamy (and oniony/garlicky) spinach!

Paleo Broiled Sole

Living within walking distance of Whole Foods has led me to step up my game as I get back into the cooking groove.  Dover sole on sale?  Into the cart, figure out the plan later.  Here's what the internet turned up:

Recipe

3 to 6 sole fillets
1/4 c olive oil
zest of one Meyer's lemon
3 whole cardamom pods (or a sprinkle of cardamom powder)
fresh cilantro leaves
salt & pepper

Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest, cardamom, and cilantro.  Spread half in the bottom of an oven-safe dish.  Put the sole on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with the rest of the sauce.  Put under the broiler for 7-8 minutes.  Feel free to squeeze some lemon juice on top, what else are you going to do with a skinned lemon?

Notes

Simple enough...  Although of course I didn't do things exactly as prescribed.  Rather than acquire cardamom in some form, I used a few cloves of minced garlic.  Also, the original recipe calls for Celtic sea salt?!  That's a thing?  Heritage aside, I used the kosher salt on hand.

This was also a fortuitous recipe since I had plenty of cilantro left over from (coincidentally) another paleo seafood dish.  The distinctive cilantro flavor didn't hold up under the broiler, but there was maybe a hint of burn - the cilantro? Garlic?  I barely let it sit the minimum 7 minutes they recommend, it got so noisy (and aromatic, as promised).  Anyway, here's the final product, a good simple way to get some paleo-approved fish in you.

Pan-Fried Sole

After a few disappointing recent spins with Rachel Ray, it was time to turn back to my Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook.  Classy lady that she is, she calls this recipe "sole a la grenobloise."  I'm not a fan of snooty French names, especially for a recipe that doesn't call for anything out of the ordinary.  "Pan-fried sole with lemon-butter-caper sauce" is a bit wordy, though...

The Recipe

4 fillets sole (skinless)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp capers
1 lemon, skin & rind removed and cut into thin circles
salt & pepper

Heat the oil and 2 tbsp butter over medium high in a skillet.  Put the milk in a small, shallow bowl, and the flour in another with some salt and pepper added.  Dip the fish in the milk and dredge lightly through the flour, then place in the skillet.  Cook for a couple minutes each side, until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove to a serving plate.

While the fish is cooking, heat 2 tbsp butter in another skillet, then swirl in the capers.  Remove from heat and add lemon.  Once the fish is done, pour the sauce over and eat.

Outcome

My first attempt was near-disastrous.  Neither nearby grocer had sole, so I ended up with perch.  It had skin that I left on, which curled up the fillets in the pan.  On top of that, I took a slice out of two fingers instead of the old lemon I was working on.  It still turned out to be a pretty solid, tasty meal, even eaten with one hand...  Definitely worth another try, and I'll get a good pic of the real fish, done properly, without worrying about bleeding over my phone.

Update: And here it is, blood-free!