day date.... fried sole sandwiches with spicy mayo & pickles

Summer is officially over for my clan and I. Gone are the days of staying up late watching movies and sleeping in 'till eight. Where a shower consists of jumping in the pool and the blonde in my kiddos' hair has a kiss of green. And what's that you say about a schedule? Schedule, smedule. That's what summer is all about. Slowing down and enjoying time. Time with our family. Time with our friends. And time in the summer sun.

...sigh...

Yes, back to reality we go. Some more excited than others (like my brand-spankin' new middle-schooler!). Cherishing the last bit of leisure we could, my husband and I kissed our final Saturday of summer goodbye with a day date. A trip to the movie theater and then back home where I cooked a simple, easy and delicious meal for the two of us to share in our quiet backyard, sans kids. Cheers to summer. It was great while it lasted...

Fried Sole Sandwiches with Spicy Mayo & Pickles

My Father’s Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow
serves 4

3 fillets Dover sole, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels

1 cup milk

1 cup plain bread crumbs mixed with 1 tsp each coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon

spicy mayo (recipe follows)

1 baguette, cut in half lengthwise

1 cup loosely packed baby arugula or shredded romaine lettuce

½ cup bread-and-butter pickle coins

Dip the fish in the milk and then dredge it in the bread crumbs. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the fish for 2 minutes on each side, in batches if necessary. Drain on paper towels; cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half over the fish.

While the fish is cooking, slather the mayo on the cut sides of the bread and lay the arugula and pickles evenly on one side. Layer the fish on top of the arugula and pickles. Sandwich with the other piece of baguette, cut into quarters and serve with the remaining half of the lemon cut into wedges.

Spicy Mayo

yields 1 ¼ cups

1 cup Vegenaise (or mayo)

1 ½ TB ketchup
1 ½ TB Sriracha

Mix everything together.

**Quick notes: I can't believe how completely effortless this meal was to throw together, how little clean up there was after and how delicious it tasted!! My husband couldn't stop raving over it and suggested we have it for dinner the next night. Definitely a keeper!