flounder puttanesca

this has become my go-to recipe for white fish.  its so delicious and we don't have fish as often as i would like, so it's hard to branch out and try another recipe when this one is soooo good!  i hope you like it too! tonight's movie: sherlock holmes.  has anyone seen it?

pan-seared flounder with puttanesca:

combine 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teasppon pepper; stir well.  sprinkle both sides of two 3-4 ounce flounder fillets (you can use any white fish you want- we've done this recipe with amberjack, halibut, and catfish too) with the seed mixture.  the sunflower seeds give the fish a crunchy texture without having  to fry it, and it is divine!  heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  add fish to the pan, saute about 5 minutes on each side or until its flakes easily with a fork.  transfer to a plate and keep warm.

heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the same pan over medium-high heat.  add 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 3 cloves of minced garlic to the pan and saute about 1 minute.  stir in 2 cups of cherry tomatoes (cut in half) and 1 tablespoon of capers, cook 2 minutes.  remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup of fresh coarsely chopped basil and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

top each fillet with a spoonful of the puttanesca.  serve orzo pasta alongside the fish.  we season the orzo with some fresh lemon juice, lemon rind, salt and pepper after its is cooked and then drizzle a little puttanesca on top of it too.  yummy!