Spinach Wrapped Flounder And Warm Lentil Salad With Cucumber Yogurt Sauce Recipes

FLOUNDER SAUTE WITH MUSHROOMS AND WILTED SPINACH

Steps:

• Place the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Lightly dust the flounder on both sides with the seasoned flour. Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the flounder in the pan and saute on one side for about 90 seconds. Turn the fish over. Squeeze the lemon juice on the fish and sprinkle the scallions evenly over the fillets. Cook for 30 seconds and divide among 4 warm plates.
• Place the remaining teaspoon of olive oil in the skillet. Add the mushrooms and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Saute until soft, shaking the pan constantly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to high and continue to cook for about 1 minute, until the smell of alcohol disappears. Remove the pan from the heat, add the spinach and toss quickly until it barely wilts. Taste and season again with salt and pepper. Divide the spinach over each flounder fillet and serve immediately.

LENTILS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Saute onion for 10 minutes or so, until it begins to turn golden. Add minced garlic and saute for another minute or so.
• Add lentils and water to the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer about 35 minutes, until lentils are soft ( this may take less time, depending on your water and the lentils).
• Meanwhile cook the spinach in microwave according to package directions. Add spinach, salt and cumin to the saucepan. Cover and simmer until all is heated, about ten minutes. Grind in plenty of pepper and press in extra garlic to taste.

SPINACH-WRAPPED FLOUNDER AND WARM LENTIL SALAD WITH CUCUMBER YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with paper towels. In a kettle of boiling salted water blanch spinach in small batches 2 seconds and transfer with tongs to paper towels, laying it flat, to drain.
• In a saucepan bring 4 cups of water to a boil with lentils. Simmer lentils, covered 15 minutes and add salt to taste. Simmer lentils, covered, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes more, and drain well. Transfer lentils to a bowl.
• While lentils are cooking, in a heavy skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook lentil mixture, stirring, until just heated through and keep warm.
• In a bowl whisk together yogurt and garlic paste. Peel cucumber and remove any seeds. Cut cucumber into 1-inch pieces and in a blender blend until smooth. Whisk cucumber into yogurt mixture with salt and pepper to taste and let sauce come to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. and lightly oil a shallow baking pan.
• Pat flounder fillets dry and season with salt and pepper. Divide spinach among fillets, overlapping leaves to cover each fillet completely on one side, and transfer fillets, spinach sides down, to oiled pan. Sprinkle top of fillets with half of mint and wrap with remaining spinach, overlapping leaves until fillets are completely covered. Brush tops of fillets with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and bake fillets in middle of oven until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Stir remaining mint into sauce and stir feta into lentil mixture.
• Divide lentil mixture among 6 plates and top with fillets. Spoon some of sauce onto each plate and garnish fillets with mint sprigs.