Serves 2-3 people
I have been buying mostly wild caught cod that is locally available and is not a Deep Sea fish that I also avoid because of mercury. But any fish that is a little thick and will flake apart in biggish chunks will do for this recipe. The first step can be all assembled whenever you have the time and energy to prepare it. It can be reheated ½ hour before eating. Served with a salad this makes a complete meal. As always, if onions or carrots are not good for your body, substitute another vegetable on the sweet side- like beets, parsnips, sweet potato, or some winter squash would do.
Ingredients:
Fairly thick fillet of fish about 8 inches long- enough for 2-3 people
1 medium yellow or white onion chopped fine
2 cups of carrots chopped fine
1 cup broccoli chopped fine
1-2 cups nut or rice milk to cover fish and vegetables in medium saucepan
8 oz. dried pasta: (no thin noodles but chunky shapes are best) made from buckwheat, rice, quinoa, millet or made from mixed gluten free grains- spirals, shells, or macaroni…
Step 1
Cut the fish into chunks if necessary to lay it mostly flat on the bottom of the pan and make sure veggies tuck in all around them to create a level top layer. Pour in just enough milk to barely cover the food. Season with any mixture of salt, pepper, dill weed, mustard, or curry powder. Bring just to boil (don’t let milk boil over) and then simmer for 15-20 minutes allowing some liquid to evaporate. Carrots color this a pale orange.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions for the shortest time recommended but at the end- if rinsing is called for to remove the starch after draining- don’t wash it off or do it very slightly. This will leave some starch available to thicken the liquid from cooked fish and veggies. Lightly grease a casserole dish with olive oil and pour in pasta and then spoon the fish, veggies and half of the cooked milk from saucepan on top. Gently stir. Use enough milk to moisten the whole mixture but not enough to float the pasta. The pasta will absorb some more liquid as it bakes. If a little too much milk is used- no problem- it will taste just fine. If baking later, use all of the milk and refrigerate until ready.
Step 2 : Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Bake casserole for 20 minutes to ½ hour depending on how hot food is before baking, or until golden brown crust begins to form on top. Enjoy a good winter New England meal.
Tip: Use leftover cooking milk if any to heat up other leftover cooked veggies and lean protein for a one person soup.