Fish for Friday - easy one pot fish dish meals

We needed a deliciously easy one pot fish dish that couldn't go wrong and that everyone would like when we first began to offer evening meals at our new guest house, and our friend Nick came up with this amazingly simple and mouth-wateringly gorgeous one-pot fish dish.

People on diets like it, people who don't eat meat like it, people who like fish and vegetables like it, people who don't like heavy food late at night like it, and people who like healthy food like it. It's also handy if you want to serve fish for Friday. This easy baked fish dish is an all-round winner. Try it yourself and see.

Eating fish on Friday is a Catholic tradition that stems from requiring its followers to carry out some kind of penance in honor of the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross on Good Friday. Catholics are not required to eat fish, but they should refrain from eating meat, or show their faith in some other way. Vegetarian food could also be served.

Fish for Friday is nice, but fish is so good for you, so why not indulge a little more often?

• Fish. We have used a variety of white fish and so far, all have worked marvelously. The fish can be fresh or frozen.
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Vegetables, we have used peppers of various colours, courgettes, peas, mange-tout peas, sweetcorn, tomatoes.
• Lemon
• Olive oil
• Chicken stock or a stock cube
• White wine
• Salt and pepper

Slice the onions and the potatoes as shown. If the ptotatoes are too thick they won't cook through. and cover the bottom of an oven-proof casserole dish in layers as shown. Add the fish in a layer. Then add a layer of the other vegetables, sliced or sprinkled. Top with slices of lemon.

This recipe works with all sorts of vegetables so you can take advantage of seasonal vegetables that have the advantage of being both fresh and economic. On the other hand, it's a great dish to throw together from freezer food and store cupboard tins when you can't get out to the shops.

Add good splash of wine and stock. The stock should cover the bottom of the cassarole, but not cover all the vegetables as they will gently steam. Add pepper and salt to taste. Then cover with foil, wrapping the edges well to retain the moisture. Put into the oven at about Gas 6 - 7. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour. The dish is ready when the potatoes and fish are cooked. Test this by gently prodding with a fork, the potato should by soft.

If you use an attractive dish and serving spoons, (instead of the sort of baking tray I usually use; blackish and inherited from my great aunts!) you can put it straight onto the table and guests can help themselves. The dish is low fat, healthy and nutritious but looks colourful and tempting.

You can vary this dish according to the seasons! In the spring we have lots of fennel. One plant produces lots of leaf! It also seeds itself all over the garden. These tender little seedlings are ideal to cook with, give a special flavour and wonderful colour. For another twist, use nettles! Ordinary garden stinging nettles gathered young are tasty and good for you! Check out my nettle soup recipe!

Fancy trying another easy and healthy fish dish? Then have a look at this 'couldn't be more simple' fish curry.