Variable 3
or 4, becoming southwest, then veering northwest later, 5 or 6.
Slight or
moderate.
Rain for a
time.
Good,
occasionally poor for a time.
Unless you
have, as I do, a greengrocer nearby which not only sells a good variety of
fresh local produces, but also doesn’t bat an eyelid if you walk in and buy one
carrot, purchasing fruits and vegetables can be a drag if you cook for one
person. Even he cant be always relied on; for a) he closes at 4pm and b) still
sells things like a head of a cauliflower. Unless you want to eat cauli for a
week, this is not good.
Enter
freezer essentials. Especially if you have very limited freezer space, meat,
pizza, chips and fish should not be there. They can be purchased anytime, if
necessary at a petrol station at midnight. But decent vegetables are harder.
Frozen broccoli florets, peas, cauliflower florets, green beans, spinach are
equally, if not fresher, than a shop bought product. If you are really stretched
for space, go for the mixes like this one. You can always pick out what you
fancy.
However if
you have a bit more space, may I recommend these two essentials? Easy Sliced Mixed Peppers and Grilled Mix Vegetables
With these,
the last minute cooking world is your oyster.
But there
might be one ingredient you have overlooked as a vegetable. The humble onion.
Not only is it high in fibre, potassium, folic acid and Vitamin C, its
phyto-chemicals make it a darling since ancient medicine history
All you need
to do is start regarding it as a vegetable, and not only as something which gives
taste. And to make it even better, one onion is at least 1 of your 5-a-day, if
you take a Spanish onion, as in today`s recipe, you got two. Add the tomatoes and
the parsley and you have four in one meal. Serve it with a small bowl of green
salad and, hey presto, 5-a-day in a very-quick-because-I-am-tired Friday night
meal.
I used some
of my salted cod pieces which I soaked for 2 days in water (changing the water
at least 4 times), but you can add any white fish you like: cod, Pollock (Colin),
hake, hoki, tilapia.
I have no
clue where this recipe comes from. I have it written down on at the last page
of a book I bought 20 years ago and I wrote it using three languages. So it
might have been from a foreign newspaper and I tried to translate it.
Mediterranean inspired fish casserole
1 big Spanish
onion
1 tin
chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon
sugar
juice of 1/2
lemon
small bunch
of flat leaved parsley, chopped
salt and
pepper
1 tablespoon
olive oil
1 portion of
white fish, preferable equal thickness
Cut onion in
thin slices (can be done with a mandolin) and separate these slices into thin
rings. Put them into a sieve and let hot tap water run over (for about one
minute).
Heat the oil
in a pan for which you have a lid, but don’t make it sizzling hot. Add onions
and sugar, turn heat down, stir and let them soften for about 15 minutes. Add
tomatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, sir and let cook for another 10
minutes. Add fish on top of the mixture (don’t push it in), put the lid on and
let it steam that way for about 10 minutes.
After that
take fish out and put it on the plate, quickly stir the chopped parsley into
the onion/tomato mixture and spoon around the fish.
Serve with
bread and a salad or white rice. A nice chilled Rose however is essential.
After all it’s Friday.
Verdict:
What is not
to like? It is quick, easy, cheap. A one pot dish, so minimal washing up.
Virtuous and healthy. Delicious and warming.
Enjoy the
start to your weekend.
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