This mediterranean vegetable and halibut bake is the ultimate no fuss, healthy meal. You can scale this up to feed a crowd or just make a single supper. Oh, and if live is crazy and you’re short of time like me, you can turn out this meal in about 20 minutes.
I have a confession to make. Life is very busy here and last minute Just Eat/drive through dashes are happening far too regularly in our house. It’s so difficult to keep healthy eating in check when your tired, busy and unorganised. Unfortunately those three words describe me with untold accuracy right now.
I think the issue I have is that when I meal plan if I meal plan, I overcomplicate things. I have this glorious menu of very involved cooking laid out for the week and somehow forget that by Thursday I want nothing more than for someone to spoon feed me so I can just stop and rest for a minute. Overambitious and not realistic.
It’s time to pare things back, reassess and be easier on myself. Being an adult is hard sometimes!
Reader, if you’re tired, this recipe is for you.
Is there anything nicer than the effortlessness of baked halibut? With nothing but thyme, olive oil and a little salt and pepper, the halibut gets a chance to really shine in this recipe. Of course any white fish will work, but halibut is particularly great for baking because of its firm texture. Be sure to speak to your fishmonger to find out which white fish is at it’s best that week.
If you try this recipe I really hope it reminds you that the simplest food can be delicious too. No one expects Heston’s 18 hour chilli con carne to be served up when you finish your shift on a Wednesday night.
I love recipes like these because they are such a helpful way to use up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. I’ve used peppers, aubergine, courgette, onions and tomatoes but feel free to experiment. Butternut squash, fennel, long stem broccoli, beetroot, asparagus and even spring onions will work here. Just remember to adjust the cooking time for harder vegetables. Actually, no, don’t skip the tomatoes, they’re my favourite and they bring a sauce element to the dish, keep them.
- 4 Halibut steaks
- 350g Cherry tomatoes
- 2 Red onions
- 2 Peppers, deseeded
- 1 Large aubergine, thinly sliced
- 1 Large courgette, slice
- 6 Sprigs thyme
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
- Slice the pepper and onions and cut the courgette and aubergine in to thin rounds.
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a roasting tin or ovenproof dish, then add the vegetables and thyme. Toss the vegetables to coat them and season with plenty of salt and pepper.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the fish to the top of the tray and return to the oven for a further 8-10 minutes, or until the halibut flakes easily when tested with a fork.
- Serve as is or with rice, pearl barley or quinoa. Garnish with fresh thyme.
Let me know what you think