Friday Recipe - Dover Sole with Quinoa and Sprouts

Dover sole is a delicate flatfish with a light buttery flavor. It is not only versatile, it is often a less-expensive fish and because it is so thin, it cooks in minutes! Wild-caught Pacific dover sole is the best option although it still is not necessarily sustainably fished. I picked up mine at Whole Foods, a company that is committed to using only sustainable vendors. Another huge plus... this sole is low in mercury content.

Quinoa is a high-protein, nutrient-packed seed (although usually referred to as a grain). If you can't find it in the bulk section of your grocery store, look in the rice aisle or in the gluten-free section of your market. If you buy it pre-packaged, it is often pre-rinsed for convenience. Check the package to make sure. 

This recipe will make 2 servings. (Easy to double, triple, etc. recipe)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Half pound dover sole
5 sprigs fresh dill weed
2 cups halved Brussels sprouts (should yield about 7 oz cooked) 
1/8 cup dried quinoa, rinsed with a strainer
1/4 cup broth or water (I used veggie)
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup onion
Handful of parsley
Pepper, spices, oil, lemon all optional

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the dover sole and pat dry. Now, I put them directly into my baking dish without any non-stick like oil or foil, but you can do whatever you like. I also use a deep ceramic baking dish with a glass lid (see picture). I find this helps retain moisture better than an open cake pan dish, and makes the fish stick less. Chop up the dill and sprinkle over the sole. You can add lemon, olive oil or any other spices you like. Set aside until the oven is heated.

Wash the Brussels sprouts and remove the base. I like to halve the sprouts for easy steaming, or quarter if they are larger sprouts. Put some water into a stove-top cooker pan with a steamer basket, and throw in your sprouts. These cook in no time so set aside for now.

Finally, in a large saucepan, add your broth or water and quinoa, the chopped tomatoes, onion and parsley. Bring the ingredients to a boil and then reduce heat and allow the quinoa to simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Check on the quinoa every few minutes and stir. The quinoa will be done when all the liquid is absorbed.

While the quinoa is on the stove top, you can start the Brussels sprouts. Turn the heat to medium-high and cover. This amount of sprouts usually takes 10 minutes and you simply steam until they are the desired tenderness of your household. You can also put the fish in the oven at this time. The fish should only take 10-12 minutes and will be flaky and tender when done.

When everything is done, put the quinoa in the bottom of a bowl, with some reserved to sprinkle in top of the dish, and top with the Brussels sprouts. Add any pepper or seasoning you like to the sprouts, and even drizzle in some olive oil if you like. I break the fish into smaller pieces before placing on top of the sprouts and then top it all with the reserved quinoa. The result is a mild, nutrient-dense, low-calorie, low-fat, high-protein dish. Enjoy!

Nutrition per serving (no oil):
230 Calories
21g Carbs
5g Fiber
3.5g Fat
0.5g Saturated fat
26g Protein

33% Vitamin A    *sprouts, parsley
127% Vitamin C   *sprouts
319% Vitamin K   *sprouts, parsley
23% B6
26% Folate
36% B12          *sole
27% Magnesium
40% Phosphorus
22% Potassium
30% Manganese    *quinoa, sprouts
75% Selenium     *sole
21% Cholesterol  *sole

Sharing with Food Renegade - Fight back Friday.
http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-august-17th/