Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Insert Creative Title Here

Ahhh... comfort food. I'm very guilt of it these past few weeks.

Tonight... what was known as "Tomato-Spinach-Parmesan Fish Bake" when I was growing up. No idea where the recipe came from, but it was something we often enjoyed in winter because the oven time did wonders to anemic, winter produce tomatoes. Perch also used to be dirt cheap, and it was an ideal meal during the winter months when my dad (roofer) wasn't bringing in steady pay.

Basically, it's some pretty bland fish like perch, and on top of that goes some chopped spinach/onion/egg mixture, a sprinkle of parm, then some tomato. Growing up, that'd be slices of tomato. I'm lucky enough to know how to make tomato confit, and I know the tomatoes are key to this dish, so I went with tomato confit.

The stuff to chop up....



Oh yeah, it was also usually red onions while I was growing up, but I've got shallots on hand. Really, any onion will do.

Plop the fish on the bottom, top it with the spinach mixture, add tomatoes and parm, and throw it in the oven until done. It's one of the few fish dishes the hubby will actually eat without a major hissy fit.


Looks pretty basic, tastes pretty basic. As I've said, the tomatoes are just key. The acidity just makes it all work. And proteins + veg in one dish makes me a pretty happy cook.

Knowing I was going to be serving the hubby fish, I figured I'd also make some bisucits. What isn't improved by hot, homemade biscuits?

I found this recipe online and I'm a fan of the drop biscuit. Problem - no buttermilk on hand. Maybe I'll just tempt fate and try the tried and true but-I'm-convinced-it-will-cause-a-spontanious-explosion-if-I-try-it substitutions....



Tablespoon of white vinegar, meet tablespoon of milk.

I'm happy to report my kitchen did not explode. Although it never got to the thick consistancy of buttermilk, it performed just like buttermilk in the recipe.



See?? Pretty, nice, tender and fluffy drop biscuits. I did it all in my food processor and it worked like a charm. Hardest thing was getting them on to the sheet pan to bake.

Not the most exciting of meals, but it was a tasty one. The hubby ate all his fish, and two biscuits. And there were no complaints.

2 comments:

Marilyn said...

Good for you, getting food into the hubby.

kim/TX said...

Vic -- There are several Cookies upon whose knees I would like to sit while they cook. You are definitely one of them!

tomato confit....yum

kim/TX