Lemon herb crusted flounder, roasted asparagus, steamed black rice 

Ingredients:

• Three flounder fillets
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1 cup black rice
• 1 T vegetable bouillon
• 2 1/4 water
• Herbs from the garden (parsley, chives, oregano)—about 1 1/2 T total
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• Zest of 1/4 lemon
• 1 T melted butter

The How To:

1. Put the rice, water, and bouillon in your rice cooker and stir. Set it and forget it for about 25 minutes in your favorite rice cooker.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prep your baking sheet and baking mat.
3. Gently dab your flounder fillets with a dry clean cloth. Salt and pepper them.
4. Take one piece of your asparagus and gently bend it until it breaks near the fat end. Line the piece up with the rest of the bunch and cut off all the ends to that length.
5. Massage with olive oil and salt.
6. Assemble the fillets and asparagus on the baking sheet.
7. In a small bowl, mix the herbs, melted butter, lemon zest, and soy sauce.
8. When the rice has about 10 minutes left, put the asparagus and flounder in the oven.
9. Remove after 7 minutes. Add the panko to your herb mixture and top each fillet with 1/3 of the mix. Bake again for five minutes.

So, what’s it cost?

• Three flounder fillets: $2.50
• 1 bunch of asparagus: $.99
• 1 cup black rice: $1.16
• 1 T vegetable bouillon: $.10
• 2 1/4 water
• Herbs from the garden (parsley, chives, oregano)—about 1 1/2 T total
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs: $.24
• 1 tsp soy sauce: $.10
• Zest of 1/4 lemon: $.06
• 1 T melted butter: $.12

Total cost: $5.27, or $1.75/person