Almond Crusted Fish Sandwiches

Today has been a long day. It was my first day back to school and I really don't have a better way to describe it than long. I left at 7:30, got back at 5:30, sat through 5 hours of class, drove to two schools, rode a bus, and drove home in a torrential downpour/tornado warning. Then I made dinner. And let me just tell you, I was loving my menu today...it provided my brain with a much needed respite when all I had to do was look at a piece of paper and follow directions. No thinking and no planning involved because I'D ALREADY DONE THAT! Lovely.

So for dinner we had:

 

Almond crusted fish sandwiches with honey mustard "coleslaw"
*original recipe here

I changed things up a little so here's what I did:

1. Whisk together 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 3 Tbsp oil & 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (I was going to use red wine vinegar until I looked at the bottle and saw that it said best used by 2008)

2. Pour over broccoli slaw, toss and set aside

3. Blend 1/2 cup or so of sliced almonds in a food processor:

 
4. Set up a breading station. Put some flour on a plate, an egg in a bowl, and combine your almond crumbs with some panko, some paprika and some pepper:

5. Select your fish (I used cod). Pat it dry, dredge in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and place in a hot pan with some oil:

6. Let them sizzle away and flip when golden brown:

7. Place the fish on a whole wheat bun, top with some of the broccoli slaw and enjoy:

The verdict? The broccoli slaw was not so much of a winner today. The hubby and I both decided that we like it better cooked so from now on I'll use it more in pasta and stir fry dishes. The honey mustard dressing was a little strong. If you like regular coleslaw, i'd probably stick with that...or just some lettuce and tomato would be good to. The fish itself was great. Loved the almond/panko crust!! Will definitely be making the fish again with a different topping.

I also made one of my all-time favorite side dishes. Allow me to introduce you:

Peel and chop up a couple of sweet potatoes. Throw them in a pan with some garlic and veggie broth. Cover and simmer until sweet potatoes are slightly tender:

Add some fresh baby spinach and some canellini beans:

Continue to simmer until spinach is wilted and sweet potatoes have reached desired tenderness. Season with some pepper:

Now that you've met, I'm sure you'll be rendezvousing again soon :)

And finally...now that school is back in session and I have to be in class for an ungodly number of hours each week, I have to pack my lunch every day but Friday. I thought you might like a sneak peak into....


Lindsay's Lunchbox!

Today's morning and afternoon snacks:

The mix is from Costco. It has dried cherries and cranberries, almonds, walnuts and pistachios. I added some cheerios and pepitas! And the apple is a delicious organic honeycrisp!

For lunch...a roll-up:

Peanut butter and granola topped with a banana. Simply roll up and eat. I tried to get a good picture of it rolled up but this little guy was not very photogenic in the rolled position! I also had a string cheese and a pumpkin muffin, along with a bottle of water :)

What's your favorite packed lunch?

I'll leave you with a new snack I came across today on Jessica's blog that I just can't wait to try:

Apple Nachos!

Uhhh...yes please!

Enjoy!
--Lindsay--