Hi Friends! It’s Fitness Friday, and this week I have a simple little recipe for two. I like to call it the “Fish & Veggie Hoedown!” All told, this took me about an hour to make, but throughout the recipe I have some time-saving tips to shave off 15-20 minutes. This meal is full of good-for-you stuff; I really enjoyed it and I hope you will, too!
What will you need?
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
4-6 small potatoes (I used Yukon golds)
1/2 tsp. onion salt
Minced herbs (fresh or dried) to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Non-stick cooking spray (olive oil can be used as substitute)
To start, wash your veggies extra-well, especially if you’re buying them at a large grocery store! This way you’ll avoid dirt and nasties like E. coli, which are not at all appetizing.
Cut peppers in half, carefully remove seeds. Put one half in the refrigerator for future snacking. Slice peppers into thin pieces. (To save time, use frozen pepper slices from the grocer. They’re cheap and great to have on hand!)
Chop garlic using a chopper, food processor, or paring knife. (To save time you could use minced garlic from a jar.)
Cut the potatoes into wedges of your choosing; I cut mine into eighths.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Warm a deep frying pan on the stove at medium-high heat. To test if it’s hot, sprinkle a handful of water into the pan. If the droplets dance and evaporate away, your pan is good to go.
Reduce heat to medium strength and put enough extra virgin olive oil in the pan to cover the bottom. Carefully add garlic and potatoes, as splashing hot oil could burn you!
Sautee until the potatoes get brown, then add peppers. Add in onion salt and apply herbs liberally! Cook 2-5 minutes. (If you like your peppers a little mushier, cook them on the longer side; I like mine to still have a little snap.) Remove from heat.
Grease a casserole dish (bottom and sides!) with no-fat cooking spray or a little bit of olive oil to make sure the food doesn’t stick to the pan (especially the fish). Spoon the mixture from your pan into the dish.
Using a fork, lay your fish on top of the vegetables. I used thin-sliced filet of sole, but if you use a thicker fish remember to cook it longer (you may even want to pre-cook for a minute or two in the microwave).
Put dish into the oven and let bake for fifteen minutes. Check the fish and potatoes for doneness: fish should flake apart easily (see picture) and potatoes should squish under your fork like french fries or baked potato.
Remove and serve with low-sodium soup or salad of your choice! Serves 2*.
*Portion size is about 1/3 of a dinner plate. That may look small because we are accustomed to huge restaurant portions. Trust me: when you eat soup or a salad with this dish it is quite filling, so I suggest trying one serving and waiting five minutes to see if you really want seconds!
REMEMBER: Always wash your hands and any surfaces that have been in contact with raw fish thoroughly (tabletop, counter, microwave, etc.)! Raw fish can carry bacteria that lead to food poisoning when ingested; cleanliness is the way to avoid a major catastrophe, especially if you live with pets, aged relatives, or small children.
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Have a great weekend!
