Recipe - Spinach-Wrapped Flounder And Warm Lentil Salad With Cucumber

1 One half pound Fresh spinach; (about 2
medium
; bunches), stems
; discarded and
; leaves washed,
; rinsed thoroughly,
; and drained
1 cup Dried lentils; picked over
1 small Red onion; chopped (about 1
; cup)
3 tablespoon Olive oil
1 tablespoon Redwine vinegar
1 cup Plain yogurt
2 Garlic cloves; minced and
mashed
; to a paste with 1/4
; teaspoon salt
One half lg Seedless cucumber; (about
Three fourths pound)
Six; (6 to 7 ounce)
; flounder fillets
One half cup Loosely packed fresh mint
leaves; (about 1 bunch),
; chopped
One half cup Crumbled feta cheese; (about
2 ounces)
Garnish: mint sprigs

Line 2 baking sheets with paper towels. In a kettle of boiling salted water
blanch spinach in small batches 2 seconds and transfer with tongs to paper
towels, laying it flat, to drain.

In a saucepan bring 4 cups of water to a boil with lentils. Simmer lentils,
covered 15 minutes and add salt to taste. Simmer lentils, covered, until
just tender, 3 to 5 minutes more, and drain well. Transfer lentils to a
bowl.

While lentils are cooking, in a heavy skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon
oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in
lentils, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cook lentil mixture, stirring, until just heated through and keep warm.

In a bowl whisk together yogurt and garlic paste. Peel cucumber and remove
any seeds. Cut cucumber into 1inch pieces and in a blender blend until
smooth. Whisk cucumber into yogurt mixture with salt and pepper to taste
and let sauce come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 400F. and lightly oil a shallow baking pan.

Pat flounder fillets dry and season with salt and pepper. Divide spinach
among fillets, overlapping leaves to cover each fillet completely on one
side, and transfer fillets, spinach sides down, to oiled pan. Sprinkle top
of fillets with half of mint and wrap with remaining spinach, overlapping
leaves until fillets are completely covered. Brush tops of fillets with
remaining 2 tablespoons oil and bake fillets in middle of oven until cooked
through, about
10 minutes.

Stir remaining mint into sauce and stir feta into lentil mixture.

Divide lentil mixture among 6 plates and top with fillets. Spoon some of
sauce onto each plate and garnish fillets with mint sprigs.

Serves 6.

Gourmet March 1995

Converted by MC_Buster.

Per serving: 1575 Calories (kcal); 69g Total Fat; (37% calories from fat);
95g Protein; 164g Carbohydrate; 98mg Cholesterol; 1514mg Sodium Food
Exchanges: 7 One half Grain(Starch); 6 Lean Meat; 7 One half Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 12
Fat; One half Other Carbohydrates

Converted by MM_Buster v2.0n.