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crispy flounder
Photo: Lynn Andriani
10. Broiled Crispy Flounder
This technique works with any thin white fish fillets, including cod, haddock, orange roughy and pollock. Lay fish on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add chopped herbs such as thyme or chives if you have them. Sprinkle with panko or regular bread crumbs and cook under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, testing for doneness after 5 minutes (the fish should break apart easily when you try to peek inside with a fork; thicker fillets will take a little longer). You can also make this in a toaster oven.

11. Pasta with Winter Vegetables
Boil water for pasta. While it's cooking, cook chopped bacon or pancetta in a sauté pan until crispy, and remove. Add cauliflower florets or sliced brussels sprouts to the pan and cook until they are caramelized and browned in spots. When the pasta is not quite al dente, drain it (reserve about 2 cups of the cooking water) and add it to the sauté pan with the vegetables, along with the bacon or pancetta, plus a handful of bread crumbs and a half-cup of grated Parmesan. Add some of the cooking water to make a sauce. If you have cream cheese or chèvre, throw in a few spoonfuls for a richer-tasting dish.

12. Pan-Seared Pork Chops
Brown pork chops in a tablespoon of olive oil, turning so both sides get a slightly crispy exterior. When they're almost finished, remove them from the pan and add the juice of one lemon and a spoonful each of honey and soy sauce, and let simmer for 3 minutes. Add the chops back to the pan to finish cooking in the sauce.

13. Greens and Beans
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil or butter in a large sauté pan, then pour in a can of drained butter beans (they look like oversized white beans; Goya sells them as "gigantes"). Let them sit for a few minutes so they develop a golden crust, then shake the pan so the other side can cook. Add a coarsely chopped onion and a clove of minced garlic and let those soften; after a few minutes, throw in a few handfuls of chopped kale, escarole or collard greens. When the greens are wilted, drizzle the entire dish with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a lot of grated Parmesan.

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Published on December 29, 2011