What's For Dinner Wednesday: Pan Fried Filet of Sole Sandwiches

I rarely indulge in fast food now that I am a health conscious adult.  I can probably count the number of times I have eaten at a fast food place since college on one hand.  And I haven't missed it very much!

Speaking honestly though, every once in a while I do miss one of my childhood fast food faves: the McDonald's Filet-o-Fish Sandwich.  Yum.  I was never a big burger fan, so this was my go to item every time we stopped into a drive thru.  I'm pretty sure it's also one of the most unhealthy things on their menu-- deep fried breaded fish, melted cheese, and fatty tartar sauce on a white bun.  Yup, that pretty much screams "heart attack" to me.

I had some really good deli sandwich rolls that needed to be used this week, so I decided to recreate (in a healthier way) my childhood favorite.  Making my own tartar sauce with light mayo is a great place to start.  I also skipped the cheese... isn't cheese with fish sort of a bizarre combo anyway?  And pan searing a fish filet has to be better for you than deep frying a frozen patty! I wouldn't necessarily call this a "healthy" dinner, but given your fast food alternative it is a much better (and tasty) choice.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. reduced fat mayonnaise
• 1 Tbs. dill pickle relish
• 1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3/4 lb. - 1 lb. sole filet, sliced into to two equal pieces *You can use any kind of mild flaky white fish here.  Normally I'd recommend tilapia, but my husband is super allergic to it.  Cod, scrod, or whitefish would also be great.
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. dry parsley
• 1 tsp. dry chives
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 good quality sandwich buns, sliced in half and lightly toasted
• Lettuce, for serving

To make the tartar sauce: Combine mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste, cover, and chill until sandwiches are ready to serve.

Season fish filets to taste with salt and pepper.  In a shallow dish, beat egg well and set aside.  In a second shallow dish combine panko and next 4 ingredients.  Dip each fish filet into the egg and toss to coat evenly.  Shake off any excess egg and transfer fish to the panko mixture.  Gently pat on each side to ensure that the breadcrumbs have coated both sides equally.  Repeat with second fish filet.

Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Coat well with olive oil.  Carefully add fish filets to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes.  Spray the top sides of the fish with olive oil, flip over, and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until fish is completely cooked through (opaque and flaky in the middle).

Layer each toasted roll with lettuce, a fish filet, and tartar sauce (to taste).