Today's Recipe: Baked Flounder over Special Rice and Lance’s Sauteed Kale

My husband's friend Lance asked for this recipe after I made it for all of us one cold January night. The buttery goodness of the fish complements the acidity of the kale and tomatoes perfectly! Prep the rice first (I use a rice cooker) so it'll be done by the time the fish is ready to serve. Enjoy!

Special Rice:
1 c. Basmati rice washed 4-5 times in cold running water. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.
2.5 c water
1 tbs butter
one large or two small bay leaves
small handful of cardamom pods
coriander to taste
onion powder or diced onion
one cinnamon stick
 
 
Flounder:
Preheat oven to 425. Prepare basting mixture in small dish:

• 2 tbs melted butter
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2-3 finely diced garlic cloves
• salt & pepper
• 1 tbs capers
• 1 ½ tbs oregano or to taste

 
Marinate two good-size fillets of flounder in the juice of half a lemon for approx. 10 min while you’re grating the parmesan for the breading. Mixture should be in a 2/3 to 1/3 ratio (crumbs to cheese) and you can mix it in a wide dish appropriate for rolling fish.

• plain bread crumbs
• fresh-grated parmesan or similar hard + sharp cheese
• salt & pepper 

Remove fish from marinade and roll in breading mixture. Gently lay fish in baking dish and cook 5 minutes. Remove from oven and pour olive oil mixture over top. Bake another 2-3 minutes, remove and test for doneness / flakiness.
 

Kale

• one large bunch kale (curly or lacinto)
• one medium yellow onion
• one can diced tomatoes
• bacon fat from one package bacon (good for several recipes)
• “Better than Bouillon” Chicken Bouillon

 
Wash one bunch kale, remove stems, slice width-wise into quarter-inch strips and then lengthwise 2-3 times. Halve a yellow union and slice into very thin quarter-rounds. In tall pot, saute onion in two tbs (one heaping spoon) bacon fat. As onion begins to turn translucent, add a half-can of diced tomatoes and any spices you wish. When tomatoes have reduced and water is gone, add kale to pot. Saute a few minutes. Add one cup “better than bouillon” brand chicken bouillon, cover and cook for 10min or so, maybe less. Toss to combine with onions before serving over rice. Lay fish on top of kale. Garnish with parsley if desired.