Fish Fillets with Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:

2 lb fish fillets (sea bass, trout, flounder, etc.) cut in eight pieces
6 tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
1 medium carrot (peeled and chopped)
1 stalk celery (chopped)
1 leek (trimmed and chopped)
½ teaspoon oregano
4 cloves garlic (diced)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
1teaspoon vinaigrette or 2 tablespoon dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon hot red chili powder
4 bay leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1st Step: Put the tomato, carrot, leek or scallion, celery, fresh garlic, oregano, one tablespoon oil in a medium pot; Add the six cups of water or more; Cover and cook for 15 minutes;

2nd Step: purée or mash the vegetables in a blender;

3rd Step: Rinse the fillets with cold water, lemon or lime; tap dry with paper towels;

4th Step: Heat and grease the frying pan with one tablespoon of oil and stir fry the fillets five minutes each side; Remove from the pan;

5th Step: In a medium pot, mix the sun-dried tomato paste, one tablespoon lemon juice, garlic powder, wine or vinaigrette, one tablespoon of oil, hot red chili powder or paprika; whisk well, combine with the purée vegetables; add two cups of water and bay leaves;

6th Step: Cook the purée vegetables mixture for 10 minutes or more; Add salt and black pepper;

7th Step: Pour half of the purée vegetable sauce on a medium baking saucepan; lay the sauté-fry fillets side by side and cover with the rest of the sauce;

8th Step: Preheat oven to 400 degree and bake the fish covered for 15 minutes;

Serve it warm with rice or your choices of pastas.

6-8 servings

P.S. If you wish to eat it with Injera (Ethiopian flat bread), add more hot red chili powder to make the sauce spicier.