Fish is one of the things I am asked about frequently. I only buy wild and most often in the form of fillets because it’s what my husband likes best. What are you able to buy locally?
Frozen cod is readily accessible for me, so we eat it regularly. In pieces, I might put it in soup or tacos. Fillets can be fried or baked or poached. Whatever suits your fancy.
What’s the key to success with fish? Season it with something interesting and don’t overcook it. I can’t emphasize this enough. No one wants to eat dry fish.
You don’t have to serve it with rice, but starting by putting some brown rice into the rice cooker with water, turmeric, a touch of salt and olive oil is a basic starting point for me while I figure out what else will go with my anchor ingredient: the cod.
Where Are My Veggies?
I had planned to pick up some groceries the next day, so I decided to use the last of my leafy greens: collards and swiss chard. I love greens with fish. What else did I have in the fridge to use up? Part of a can of peeled tomatoes. Perfect. My vision began to take shape.
Pulling a piece of ginger and the end of a jalapeno out of the freezer, I decided to cook the greens with these along with onion, garlic, cumin and turmeric. Adjust the seasonings to your liking.
After sautéing the diced onions in some olive oil, I added the minced garlic, ginger and jalapeno. Then I tossed the chopped collard stems in because they take the longest to cook. Tomatoes were at the ready to add acid and liquid if things began to get brown too fast. As I began to add the collard leaves, I decided I needed some more liquid, so I took some shrimp stock out of the freezer and popped that into the pot. Water or chicken broth or wine would work too. Whatever is handy for you.
Eventually I added the chopped swiss chard stems and once the collards were mostly done, I added the swiss chard leaves because I just want them to wilt down. They’re not as tough as the collards and require much less time to cook. I gotta tell ya, I can make a meal out of these greens alone. Make it a vegan meal by pairing it with chickpeas or lentils.
What About the Fish?
Once the veggies were nearly ready, I dried the defrosted cod with paper towels and seasoned with:
- garlic powder
- salt
- cumin
- cayenne
In a shallow baking dish, it cooked in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes total. Checking them at 7 minutes to see how they were doing, they needed more time. Some liquid had released into the baking dish, so I added that to my greens to simmer away and put the fish back into the oven for a few minutes more.
Did I have a recipe when I began? No, nor do you need one. Start with an anchor ingredient, see what else you have to go with it and create something harmonious that suits your palate. Experiment and learn to trust your intuition in the kitchen.
Are collard greens new to you? Please read Keen On Beans and Greens for ideas to get you started on another delicious plant based meal.