Baked fish/Quorn fillets

I learnt this one when we visited my sis-in-law in Kazakhstan. The original recipe is a slow-cooked Russian fish. I have adapted it to bake the fish and modified the herbs to suit Anjalie's (who is now nearly 3) taste. She loves to eat this fish with rice. Since the recipe uses fish fillet, which can differ in thickness, please, remember to adapt the time you cook accordingly. I am told that the general rule of thumb for fish is 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

You will need:
1 packet (usually 3-4 pieces) of skinless boneless cod/haddock fillets/loins washed and cleaned or quorn fillets for veggie option
1 tsp lemon juice
2-3 cloves of garlic crushed
1-2 carrots cut into thin slices about 3-4 inches long
1 sweet red peppers sliced into long thin pieces
1 medium onion thinly sliced
cumin coarsely chopped
oregano, sage, basil, thyme, rosemary, coriander or any herb mixture of your choice.
150 ml veg. stock/fish stock/ water
salt and black pepper to taste




Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius/400 degree Fahrenheit. Divide the fish, onions, peppers and carrots into 2 or 3 portions. In an oven proof dish arrange a layer of onions, a layer of fish/quorn fillets and a layer of carrots followed by sweet peppers and repeat the layers until all the onions, fish and carrots are done. Add garlic, lemon juice, herbs, cumin, salt, pepper and the veg. stock to the arranged fish layers. Cover with kitchen foil and bake covered for 15-20 mins. The cooking time may vary. Two indicators that the fish is sufficiently done are flakiness and an opaque colour. Put the end of a knife or a fork into the thickest part of the baked fish and pull. Seeing flakes separate is a good indicator that the fish is done. An opaque fish looks milky white rather than clear. Serve warm with rice/couscous/noodles and salad.

Tip: The carrots will remain a bit crunchy after the baking. If your toddler does not like crunchy carrots, try blanching them for 10 mins in boiling water before baking. This recipe is very good to make in large quantities and can be frozen in smaller portions for later use.