One Pot Wonder Fish & Rice

This has been a weeknight hip pocket dish in our home for a long time.  It involves quick cooking fish, so it can be ready in 20 minutes which is pretty much a dinner prerequisite
during a busy work day.  I absolutely love that you can basically throw in whatever you have and make a fabulous meal of it. ​ Want Tex-Mex?  Add chili powder and cumin and perhaps toss in some black beans and corn.  Want Middle Eastern?  Add Ras El Hanout or a bit of turmeric with some golden raisins and salty, briny olives.  I spiced mine up with some Calabrian chili paste, which I love to use.  You can find this online and in many stores.  I

What you need:

-4 small or 2 large tilapia filets (you can also use other firm white fish or shrimp)
-1 c rice, such as Jasmine
-1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes (I love the fire roasted kind)
-2 c liquid such as white wine, chicken stock or broth or even beer.    I like half stock and half wine,      but you can certainly leave out the wine if you like.
-1 large bulb of garlic, grated or finely chopped

-Any add ins that you want like mushrooms, zucchini, chopped onion or shallot, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, corn.  Get creative.  This part is all up to you and also a great way to clear out the fridge.
-olive oil
-salt & pepper
seasoning of choice- 1 T Ras El Hanout gives the Middle Eastern vibe.  1T chili powder and 1 t cumin will lend more of a tex-Mex feel, while 1 T garam masala can take you to India.  Such fun to experiment and see what your family likes best.
Small handful chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish (but also adds great flavor)

Saute the rice briefly in a bit of olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven with a lid.  The lid is important to be able to cover the dish for proper quick cooking.  Stir in onions and mushrooms if you’re using, then add the tomatoes and liquid of choice.  Add salt, pepper, seasonings of choice and garlic then cover a cook for 5 minutes.
Uncover and stir in any of the more tender vegetables such as zucchini or corn then place fish filets on top.  Season with some additional salt and pepper and cover for an additional 8 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with parsley or cilantro and serve.

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