Pacific Sole with Oranges & Pecans

From EatingWell: August/September 2005, EatingWell Serves Two, The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook (2006) — Subscribe Now!

Not so long ago, Dover sole meant an overcooked fillet swimming in butter, dotted with tasteless dried herbs and soaked in too much lemon juice. But sole deserves a comeback: it can become a satisfying, sophisticated, one-skillet dinner with very little effort. The recipe can easily be doubled.

Pacific Sole with Oranges & Pecans Recipe

2 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 orange
10 ounces Pacific sole, (see Note) or tilapia fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted (see Cooking Tip)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Preparation

Using a sharp paring knife, remove the skin and white pith from orange. Hold the fruit over a medium bowl and cut between the membranes to release individual orange sections into the bowl, collecting any juice as well. Discard membranes, pith and skin.
Sprinkle both sides of fillets with salt and pepper. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the fillets and cook 1 minute for sole or 3 minutes for tilapia. Gently flip and cook until the fish is opaque in the center and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes for sole or 3 to 5 minutes for tilapia. Divide between 2 serving plates; tent with foil to keep warm.
Add butter to the pan and melt over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until soft, about 30 seconds. Add vinegar and the orange sections and juice; loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Spoon the sauce over the fish and sprinkle each portion with pecans and dill. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient Note: The term “sole” is widely used for many types of flatfish from both the Atlantic and Pacific. Flounder and Atlantic halibut are included in the group that is often identified as sole or grey sole. The best choices are Pacific, Dover or English sole. Other sole and flounder are overfished.
Cooking Tip: To toast chopped nuts or seeds: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 234 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 70 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 2 g fiber; 401 mg sodium; 556 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (70% daily value); Calcium (20% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 4 very lean meat, 1 fat