Sole Meuniere

Sole Meuniere is a classic French dish that is very easy to prepare and extremely tasty. Sole is a delicate, mild fish and this simple brown butter with lemon sauce highlights it's natural flavor.  I cut back on the butter a little in my recipe but I think it tastes just as good. I recommend serving it with a fresh salad and lightly steamed green beans.  This recipe will make 4 servings.  Enjoy!

Mix 1/2 cup flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Place flour mixture on a plate.

Using paper towels pat dry 1 pound of fresh sole fillets.
(Depending on the size of the fish a pound will have 4-8 fillets)
Sprinkle with salt.

Wash and dry some fresh parsley.

Chop parsley and set aside.

Juice 2-3 lemons and set aside.

Dredge the fillets through the flour mixture.

Flip and dredge the other side.

Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.

Add 2-3 fillets and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Carefully flip fillets.

Add 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

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Place cooked fillets on an ovenproof plate and pour the sauce from the pan over them.
Keep warm in a 200 degree oven while you cook the remaining fish.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Enjoy!

Roasted Pears with Oatmeal Topping

As the weather gets colder it is nice to have a warm healthy treat.  With all the beautiful pears in season I thought I would make a roasted pear dish.  This recipe can be served for breakfast or as a dessert.  It will make 4-6 servings and can be prepared in one large baking dish or several smaller dishes for individual servings.  I used Bosc pears but Anjou, Bartlett or Concord work well for roasting too.  Enjoy! 

Cut 3 pears in half and remove seeds using a melon baller or spoon

Cut pears into 1" cubes and place in a buttered baking dish

In a small bowl place 1 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup slivered almonds
 and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix well

In a small dish place 1/3 cup honey, 1 Tablespoon butter,
and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and heat in microwave for 30 seconds

Remove from microwave and add to oatmeal mixture

Mix well

Spread oatmeal mixture over pears

Bake covered in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes
Remove cover and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes
or until brown and bubbly

Drizzle the roasted pears with 8 oz of vanilla yogurt

Heat 2 Tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of butter together
 Drizzle over yogurt

Enjoy!

purely elizabeth ancient grain cookies

Purely Elizabeth is a company that makes wonderful cookie mixes, muffin mixes and granola using ancient whole grains without refined sugar.  Their products are wheat-free, gluten-free and vegan.  I ordered the chocolate chip cookie mix and made it for my family. They were easy to make and a big hit!  The granola is amazing too!  To learn more about purely elizabeth and order their products click here.     

purely elizabeth chocolate chip cookie mix

The directions

Place 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup applesauce and 1 tablespoon vanilla in a medium bowl

Mix well

Take the bag of mix out of the box

Add the mix to the oil and applesauce

Mix well

Roll into 1"balls

Place 2" apart on a lined baking sheet

Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes

Enjoy!

The granola

http://www.purelyelizabeth.com/

Beef Stew

Beef stew is great cold weather comfort food.  Just the act of preparing it is comforting.  I love the way red wine, braised beef, onions, and thyme smell as they bubble for hours melding their flavors together.  I made this beef stew using grass-fed beef from Butternut Woods farm.  Knowing I am using the best quality local beef I could find is comforting too.  I served it in bowls with warm whole grain bread but you can pour it over egg noodles, rice or potatoes too.

Dry 3 pounds of stew meat with paper towels.
You can either purchase beef labeled stew meat, or cut  1"cubes of beef
from a rump, chuck, sirloin, top or bottom round roast.

Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven.
Place pieces of beef in the oil, careful not to crowd them.

Cook until the beef browns.
Continue with all the meat in batches and set aside. 

Dice 3 onions.

Peel and dice 2 carrots.

Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in the pot you cooked the meat in.

Add the onions and carrots.

Saute for 10 minutes over medium heat.

Mince 3 cloves of garlic and add to the pot.
Saute for 1 minute.

Add 1 Tablespoon of butter and 3 Tablespoons of flour.

Whisk together and cook for 4 minutes.

Add 3 cups of beef broth and 2 cups of red wine.
Whisk well and bring to a simmer.

Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper,
2 bay leaves and 5 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Mix well.

Add the browned beef.

Bring to a boil.

Cover and place in a 300 degree oven for 4 hours.

Remove from oven and discard bay leaves and thyme stalks.

Enjoy!