Fiesta Fish

The winter doldrums are setting in.  For those of us lost in a sea of white snow and fog, seed catalogs and light, colorful, summery food can work miracles.

Last night I needed one of these meals.  Good fish can be a challenge to find, no fish monger here. I watch closely for what moves through our markets and when something looks good I nab it.  Fresh, USA wild caught cod fit the bill yesterday! My opinion, humble but all mine, is that you should not worry about what kind of fish to use in this. The MOST important thing here is freshness and quality. I prefer USA wild caught, no color added.  (REALLY - color?!)  If you aren't sure about how to pick out fish, ask. If you are lucky enough to have a fish monger - great! If not, the meat cutter in your grocery store is certainly a good candidate.  Alton Brown has a great 10 minute video that is packed with info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln-sCyclzJs

I went to the freezer section for some assistance with the "fiesta" aspect of my fish dish and found a great blend of black beans, corn, poblano peppers, red peppers, and onions. Perfect!   I'm out of the store and on my way to a quick, healthy, and warm weather inspiring supper.

Point of clarification.  I am going to use brown rice in my recipe. Brown rice does take a little longer to cook due to that nutritious hull that it has.  I think the extra 10 minutes is completely worth the health benefits and I love the nutty taste. I also added a bit of wild rice (which is actually a grass) for texture and flavor. You can stick with all brown rice or substitute white rice for all of the rice.

Fiesta Fish
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh fish fillets
14 oz bag of frozen black bean and corn blend (Ultimate SW blend from Birds Eye is fantastic)
1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup wild rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon organic no-salt seasoning (Kirkland brand is my go-to blend)
1/2 cup salsa verde or your favorite salsa
Olive Oil for pans
salt and pepper as needed for seasoning

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a small sauce pan and set over medium high heat. Add brown and wild rice to pan.

3. Add 1 Tablespoon of organic no-salt seasoning to pan.

4. Stir with a wooden spoon to gently toast the grains of rice for about 1-2 minutes.  This adds a nice nutty flavor.  Do not let the rice burn.  Add the 2 1/2 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover pan with a snug fitting lid.  Careful, the rice is hot and when you add the water it may jump, bubble and steam.   That might make a cool dance.  Set your timer for 35 minutes.

5. Remove your fish from its packaging and blot it dry with a paper towel.  Add a bit of olive oil to an oven proof baking dish.  Add the fish to your dish, gently rolling it over to get a bit of oil on all surfaces of the fish. Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Let your fish rest for a few minutes.

6.  Pour a glass of wine or your favorite beverage and have a seat for a minute. Breathe and smell the wonderful smells coming from your kitchen. Enjoy this moment.

7.  When your timer has about 18 minutes left on it put the fish to the oven and have a seat again.

8. With about 12 minutes left on your timer, add the black bean and corn mix to a microwavable safe dish. Add 1/2 cup of salsa verde and stir to combine. Cover with microwave safe lid and cook according to your microwave's directions. Mine has a frozen veg setting that takes about 10 minutes for a 14 oz bag. Check once during this time and stir to ensure you aren't over cooking. You don't want shriveled up fiesta salsa. That just wouldn't do.

9. Peek at your fish in the oven and see how it is doing. Over done fish is dry and unappetizing. You want it to still be moist.  Test for doneness by poking the fish with a fork. If you twist the fork the fish should flake nicely when it is done.  This may happen before your timer goes off or it may take another minute or two.  Just keep an eye on it.

10. When the timer goes off, the rice should be done. I like to check mine by taking a little bite and making sure it has a bit of firmness left in it but certainly not hard.

11. To serve your lovely meal place a half cup or so of the rice onto each plate, add a piece of fish to each and then top off with a scoop of the bean and corn blend. Tah dah!

Can you see the steam coming off this beautiful dish?  It feels like summer in here!  Enjoy!