Seems like I’ve been pressed for time at dinnertime for several evenings lately. The other night was no exception. We’d just returned from a 3-day trip to No. California and arrived home at 5:30 pm. After unpacking the car I quickly looked in the freezer and spotted some frozen filet of sole. Submerged in cold water, the plastic-sealed pouches defrosted in about 30 minutes. I grabbed a recipe I’d clipped out of Cooking Light ages ago and re-designed it to what I had on hand.
The Asian dressing ingredients were no problem (lemon juice, soy sauce, agave nectar, fresh ginger and a tiny, tiny jot of sesame oil). I cooked up a bit of bacon and shallots. They were set aside to drain while I sautéed the fish. Then I tossed together the salad (Romaine, arugula, radishes, green onions, cherry tomatoes) – but no dressing on it, you see. The salad was placed on a plate, the fillet placed on top of that, the dressing drizzled over the top of the fish, and the bacon-shallot mixture sprinkled on top. Done. Took less than 30 minutes beginning to end. It was a complete meal. A low-calorie meal at that. Even with the bacon, it has just 9 grams of fat. If you’d like a more “dressed” salad, make double the amount of dressing and toss half of it on the salad, the other half on the fish.
The dish was really good. The dressing was very light, but it did drip down onto the salad eventually once we started eating the fish, so it was sufficient, really. All-in-all, it was good, and yes, I’d make it again. Maybe even with salmon filets next time.
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Filet of Sole with Bacon, Shallot and Agave Asian Dressing
Recipe By: Inspired by a Cooking Light recipe
Serving Size: 4
NOTES: The original recipe used very little dressing, so you may want to double the quantity. Although I changed a little of what was in it, it still doesn’t make very much. If you’d like to actually toss the salad with a dressing, make double the dressing and toss half of it on the salad, and pour the remaining per the recipe directions.
DRESSING:
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger — peeled and grated
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil — dark type
FISH:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
24 ounces sole fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
SALAD:
4 cups salad greens — [I used Romaine and arugula]
4 whole radishes — thinly sliced
3 whole green onions — minced
16 whole cherry tomatoes — halved
TOPPING:
2 slices thick-sliced bacon — cut in 1/2″ pieces
2 whole shallots — peeled, minced
1. In a skillet (large enough so it will eventually hold the fish fillets) saute the bacon. When it has cooked half way through add the shallots. Reduce heat and cook until the bacon is crispy and the shallots cooked through. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
2. Drain the fish filets on paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in the same pan and add the fish. Saute on both sides until just barely done and fish flakes easily with a fork, about 3-4 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, combine the salad ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Mound the salad onto plates, place the hot fish on top of the salad. Stir the dressing and drizzle over the fish, then sprinkle the bacon-shallot mixture on top. Serve immediately.
Per Serving: 277 Calories; 9g Fat (29.9% calories from fat); 36g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 87mg Cholesterol; 404mg Sodium.
One year ago: Chocolate Cake (a mayonnaise cake)
Two years ago: About Citrus Rosemary Gray Salt
Three years ago: Garlic VIP Dressing
. It’s a set of 12 cookbooks (you can buy them used – wow, they’re worth $86!). The set was a gift from my then father-in-law in 1966. They offer a treasure-trove of information. I turn to it every now and again and always learn something. Although they aren’t in-depth about any one thing, there are stories and cultural tales throughout, in addition to thousands of recipes and factual and historical information. Not only can you look up specific ingredients or cooking methods (like horseradish, turnips, frog’s legs, fricassee, [how] to fold or flapjacks) but you can research cuisines (like Chinese, Turkish, German). So, I turned to the G volume for Greek, and spotted this recipe. I did change it just a bit – I didn’t sauté the rice (like for a pilaf) because I just didn’t take the time. I also added chicken broth instead of plain water. But otherwise, the recipe is the same.
by Mario Batali and Gweneth Paltrow. My friend Cherrie gave me the book a year or so ago for Christmas, and I had yet to try a recipe out of it. This recipe was also printed in 
If you’ve never made a clafoutis (I think it’s pronounced cla-foo-tee), it’s really very, VERY easy. It doesn’t exactly make a pastry bottom, but sort of. You whisk up a thin batter of eggs, sugar (I used Splenda so my husband could have some), melted butter, a bit of flour, flavorings (cinnamon, vanilla and maple) and some milk. The fruit is sliced up into the bottom of a buttered tart, pie or cake pan, preferably in a decorative pattern, then the batter is poured on top. The egg custardy batter settles down in between the fruit and bakes nicely in the oven for nearly an hour. If you glance at the top picture you can see the custardy mixture that creates a sort-of eggy pastry on the bottom.
The yam and carrot mixture was very simple to make, although it’s not exactly like just whipping up the yams. You have to shred/grate/food process the ginger, add a few other things (a splash of soy sauce, salt and pepper, butter, and I added a bit of milk). The ginger is elusive. People couldn’t figure out what it was – thought it was citrus. It does add a hot zestiness to the dish that might not be to everyone’s liking, particularly if people are sensitive to heat. Reduce the amount of ginger if you’re at all concerned. My opinion is that the ginger is what makes it, so certainly don’t eliminate the ginger altogether. This came from an ancient photocopy from my local paper, the Orange County Register. Definitely a good side. Can be made ahead. Is easy. Bake or heat in the microwave, either one. Simple, huh?
One such blog that is very prolific is 
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