by Kate Vaynshteyn (www.babaganosh.org)
The flavors of the Mediterranean are as distinct as they are delicious. The cuisine of Greece, Southern Italy, Southern France, and other countries along the Mediterranean incorporate plenty of seafood, olive oil, and ingredients like olives, capers, artichoke hearts, lemon, and tomatoes to help give the food of the region its signature freshness and lightness in flavors.
Mediterranean recipes are also well-known for their health-minded choices. Because of the abundant seafood and vegetables used, the cuisine of this part of the world is often packed with protein, low on fat, and includes plenty of other vitamins and nutrients like Omega 3 Fatty Acids and fiber.
But the biggest surprise of Mediterranean recipes is that they are deceptively easy to make! Take this new recipe from our friend Kate Vaynshteyn for a delicious, light, and incredibly simple Mediterranean baked fish.
What is so wonderful about this recipe is it allows you to experiment with exotic flavors without straying very far from the center aisle! Fire-roasted tomatoes, olives, capers, artichoke hearts, and, of course, Randall Beans can all be found in jars or cans in the center aisle. That means this meal can be prepared for the most part with inexpensive ingredients you may already have sitting around in your pantry! All you need are a couple of white fish fillets and some fresh spinach.
However, despite many ingredients coming from a jar, the vibrant flavors are anything but ho-hum.
As for how to use these simple ingredients, the preparation of this dish is just as simple! All you need is a casserole dish to layer the individual ingredients and let it all bake together to perfection! While it bakes, cook up some couscous, rice, quinoa, or pasta to serve it over or prepare some nice crusty Italian bread to soak up all the fabulous and flavorful juices with it.
This recipe is a perfect example of how exotic, bright, and delicious flavors can come from a very healthy dish, and a meal meeting all that criteria doesn’t require much cooking skills or work to enjoy in your own home!
Ingredients
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 14-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup olives, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. capers, drained
• 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• 1 1/3 cups Randall Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 4-oz. white fish fillets, such as cod or flounder
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Layer the baby spinach at the bottom of a 2.5 – 3-quart casserole dish.
2. Top with half a can of diced tomatoes. Spread the olives, capers, white beans, and artichoke hearts evenly over the tomatoes. Top with the remaining half can of diced tomatoes. Place the fish fillets over the tomatoes. Season everything well with salt, pepper, and paprika.
3. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, or until the fish fillets are fully cooked and flake easily. Serve over couscous, brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat pasta.
Beans are a staple in recipes from all over the world! From Asia to South America, Ireland to Italy and even Greece and Africa, different cultures use beans in a variety of unique and, most importantly, delicious recipes!
