Recipe: Sole with orange, avocado and red onion salsa

SOLE WITH ORANGE, AVOCADO AND RED ONION SALSA

Serves 4.

Note: Any mild whitefish will work for this dish, but sole allows the fruit salsa to stand out. Cara Cara oranges are seedless, juicy and sweet, which offsets the lime juice, but you can use any orange variety.

• 3 seedless orange, such as Cara Cara or navel (see Note)

• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• 1 avocado, pitted, cut into medium dice

• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Segment the fruit into supremes: Cut off the top and bottom of the oranges so they sit flat on the cutting board. With a small, sharp knife, cut away one section of peel and bitter white pith, following the natural curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Continue around the citrus, cutting away sections of the peel and pith as you go.

Hold the oranges, one at a time, over a bowl. Cut the fruit into segments between the membranes, collecting the juice and segments in the bowl beneath as you go. Break the segments in half with your fingers, or cut them in half with a small paring knife. If you don't want to cut the fruit into supremes, simply peel the segments apart and cut them in half.

Meanwhile, season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over high heat and add the oil.

When hot, add as many fillets as you can fit in a single layer without crowding. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, then flip and finish cooking for another minute, until the fish is opaque. Repeat with remaining fillets. Serve topped with the salsa.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories320Fat16 gSodium122 mgSaturated fat3 g

Carbohydrates17 gProtein29 gCholesterol68 mgDietary fiber5 g

Serves 4.

Note: Refrigerated biscuit dough stands in for dumplings in this one-pot dish. Use the time it takes for the broth to come up to boil to chop the vegetables. Once they're in, you'll have about 20 to 25 minutes before you will finish with the biscuit dough at the end. It's still a much quicker version of the traditional chicken and dumplings.

• 6 c. low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 onion

• 2 medium parsnips

• 1 medium sweet potato

• 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar

• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 c. shredded cooked chicken (from about 1/2 purchased rotisserie chicken)

• Fresh squeezed lemon juice, to taste

• Minced fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a stockpot, bring the chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat. While it's heating, mince the onion, and peel and dice or coarsely chop the parsnips, carrots and sweet potato. You should have about 3 cups of cut vegetables, not including the onion. Toss the vegetables into the broth as you go.

Add the sherry vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep at a boil and cook until the vegetables have softened and the broth has reduced slightly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium; stir in the chicken and check again for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, plus a squeeze of lemon juice, if needed.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories475Fat14 gSodium745 mgSaturated fat3 g

Carbohydrates55 gProtein34 gCholesterol65 mgDietary fiber6 g

PANKO-CRUSTED PORK SCALOPPINE WITH MUSTARD SMASHED POTATOES

Serves 4, with leftover pork.

• 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes

• 3 eggs

• 1 tbsp. sour cream

• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard, divided

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 11/3 lb. pork scaloppine (about 7 to 9 pieces, depending on size)

• Olive oil, for sautéing

• 3/4 c. whole milk

• 4 tbsp. butter

• 2 tbsp. minced chives

Directions

Bring a pot of well-salted water to boil. While it's coming up to boil, peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes. Place them in the pot of water when you're finished, even if it isn't boiling yet. Let cook for about 10 minutes once the water is at a full boil, until potatoes are softened.

While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and 1 tablespoon mustard in a shallow mixing bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread panko crumbs on another plate.

Season pork with salt and pepper generously on both sides. Dip each piece in the egg mixture, shaking off excess, then press into the crumbs, making sure they adhere to both sides.

When potatoes are cooked, drain in a large colander and shake to remove excess moisture. Place back in the pot.

Heat milk and butter in the microwave for about 1 minute, until warm. Pour into the pot with remaining mustard and chives, and smash with the back of a large fork or potato masher until all the ingredients are incorporated, but the potatoes are still a little lumpy. It's OK if it looks a little soupy at first -- the potatoes will soak up the excess moisture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the pork with lemon wedges for squeezing on top, and the smashed potatoes. Refrigerate the leftover pork once cool (you should have 2 to 4 pieces, depending on the size) to use in a salad the next day (see instructions below).

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories536Fat21 gSodium228 mgSaturated fat11 g

CRISPY PORK SALAD WITH PARMESAN VINAIGRETTE

Makes about 3/4 cup vinaigrette.

Note: Adjust main salad ingredients for number of servings, as needed.

• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

• Salt and pepper, to taste

•1/2 c. olive oil

• 1/2 to 3/4 c. grated Parmesan, and more to shave

• Baby arugula (see Note)

• 1 small bulb fennel, sliced

• Sliced pork (see Note)

Directions

Whisk together red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil and stir in grated Parmesan.

Toss with arugula, fennel, apple and pork. Season to taste, and shave Parmesan over the top.

PAN-SEARED TOFU AND KALE SALAD WITH LEMON-SOY VINAIGRETTE

Note: The tofu marinade becomes a dressing for this quick wilted salad. Try to find bunches of kale that have smaller leaves, which are more tender. Serve this over brown rice for a balanced meal -- to save time, the frozen rice from Trader Joe's can be ready in 3 minutes, and is perfectly acceptable (some Food & Wine staffers liked it better than the longer-cooking rice). For kale, look for the Lacinato or Tuscan varieties.

• 10 oz. extra-firm tofu

• 1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce

• 1/4 c. lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

• 2 tbsp. honey

• 3 tbsp. olive oil, divided

• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 large or 2 small bunches kale (about 8 c. chopped) (see Note)

• 1/3 c. roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

• 2 tbsp. thinly sliced green onions

Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes, and place on paper towels to drain while you make the marinade.

Whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium-sized bowl. Add the tofu, and gently toss to coat; let marinate for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the tough stems and ribs from the kale, and cut the leaves into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Rinse and dry very well. Take care to remove grit and water, either in a salad spinner or by hand. Place into a serving bowl and set aside.

Set a large, nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmering. Use a slotted spoon to lift the tofu out of the marinade and add to the pan in one layer; cook, undisturbed, until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir the tofu and continue to cook for another 3 minutes, gently stirring every minute or so, until golden brown on most sides.

Add the marinade and let boil down for about 1 minute. Pour the contents of the pan over the kale, toss gently to fully coat the leaves with the dressing, and garnish with peanuts and green onions. Let stand for a few minutes to slightly wilt the kale, toss once more, and serve warm.

Calories457Fat29 gSodium919 mg