7 days, 7 dinners, day 4: fried fish

As we go through life, I believe it is important to celebrate the little things. So most mornings, I ask God to help me notice simple joys and miracles that I might have otherwise passed by. I've been getting up at 6:15 so I can make my coffee and get out to walk Jamiewoo as the sun rises. What a treat to see the pinks, whites, and blues of sky as that orange ball creeps up.

Today I went to the dentist. I'd not been in over a year for a cleaning because crowns and such hit in the meantime, and I needed a break from that place, so I was not looking forward to my cleaning. I am always nervous that I'll get bad news, like I need a filling replaced, because I often do. But alas, I had a delightful time catching up with my hygienist, who I've been seeing for over ten years, and I got a clean bill of teeth, so I am good for another six months. Aaaah. So happy.

Last night's dinner was fried fish, baked sweet potatoes, and salad. First, a word about buying fish. I learned the hard way to always smell the fish. Sometimes I feel a bit foolish asking to do this, but it is the only way I have found to ensure freshness. So I got a piece of wild caught basa at H-Mart, the amazing Asian grocery store nearby.



To make the fish, I dried it off, dredged it in flour, then dunked it in low-fat buttermilk, then in a mixture of cornmeal and salt and pepper. I used a non-stick pan and fried it on medium-high in a small amount of olive oil till crispy on both sides, about 8 minutes in total.

I zinged up the salad by using arugula and lettuce, and adding feta cheese, finely chopped onion, sliced red bell pepper, and stir-fried pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds). For that, you melt a little bit of butter in a fry pan, add some raw pepitas and sprinkle sugar and salt on top. Stir as they cook on medium till toasty browned and the sugar is melted. Cool on a sheet of wax paper, then add to salad. For dressing, use oil and vinegar, or low fat raspberry vinaigrette.