Getting dinner on the table fast is more important than ever now that the weather is warming.
The list of things calling us outdoors is endless — taking walks, watching baseball games, playing golf, or working in the yard and garden, to name a few.
Which is why a cookbook brimming with the kind of family-friendly fare that we can get on the table fast is always worth exploring.
The Recipe Girl Cookbook (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $24.99 softcover) comes from food blogger Lori Lange, whose blog, www.recipegirl.com, is a popular spot for home cooks looking for ideas.
The book has nearly 200 recipes including breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and happy hour. All of them are easy to put together and most are on the table in less than an hour and a half, including prep time and cook time.
Try this recipe for Baked Sole with Lemon-Panko Crust, which is easy enough for a weeknight meal and fancy enough to serve to company on the weekend, too.
BAKED SOLE
WITH LEMON PANKO CRUST
1¼ lbs. sole fillets, rinsed and patted dry (see note)
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp. freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
½ tsp. garlic powder
4 lemon wedges
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.
Place the fillets on a piece of waxed paper in one layer. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and lemon juice. Brush the mixture on the top of the fillets. Sprinkle the tops with the salt and pepper.
In a wide shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest and garlic powder. Dip the coated fillets into the crumb coating, covering both sides. Place the crumb-coated fillets onto the baking rack, mayonnaise side up.
Bake the fish uncovered for 15 minutes. Set the oven to broil and broil until the crumbs are browned and the fish is opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes: Opaque, perfectly done fish will come apart easily when tested with a fork. Feel free to substitute flounder, cod, orange roughy or haddock. If the fish is thicker than thin-cut sole, adjust baking time accordingly.
— The Recipe Girl Cookbook, Lori Lange
Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com. Find me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter @akronfoodie or visit my blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/lisa