Who could have even predicted a week or so ago that we would be living in the new world we are living in at the moment. A world filled with uncertainty and fear. For, the moment this is the new normal and we have no idea if things will ever be the same again. I am hopeful that they will be, but only the man upstairs knows for sure.
Todd and I decided last week that we were going to self-isolate for as long as it takes. Because he is 82, and a fairly recent cancer survivor, and we both have underlying health conditions, we feel it is the safest route to take for us and we are prepared for this in every way.
I have always kept a healthy store cupboard. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we have have always been cautioned by our leaders to be prepared for emergencies. That means we have food storage to keep us for at least 2 months, 72 hour packs, etc. It is not hoarding, just common sense, and we are prepared to share what we have with those who need it. We all are.
We've been taught to store foods that we will use and to use what we store so that it is rotated regularly. Again that only makes sense. Because of our preparedness, we have no need to panic. It makes me sad to see all the panic buying that is going on now and the hoarding. I get that people are afraid, I really do, but what I see is panic mixed with greed and it doesn't paint a very pretty picture.
There are quite a few people who lack the means and the ability to stock up and I have seen photos of elderly people wandering around the shops unable to find even a small pack of loo roll. That's just sad and I think unecessary. Last week at Costco I saw people with their carts filled to overflowing with loo roll. Surely as a humanity we are better than that. If you have more than you need, do the kind thing and share with those who don't. This is the perfect opportunity for us to show love and compassion for one another.
As a couple who are self isolating we are still quite capable or ordering in things we need on line, fresh items like meat and poultry, fruit and veg and fish. I get my frozen fish from an online fish monger called Seafresh. They are just brilliant and have not only fish, but also meat and poultry. They also have a line of oven ready items such as Lasagna's, Wellingtons, Chicken Goujons, Pies, Battered Fish Portions, Crisp Bakes, etc.
Today I used some of their Cod Jumbo Battered Fish Fingers to create a delicious store cupboard casserole for us.
Their Jumbo Fish Fingers are not like regular fish fingers. They are much larger and made with delicious white Cod, just cod nothing else, and are coated in a light crispy golden batter. they are quick to cook from frozen and are perfect for casseroles such as the one I am sharing with you today! We love, LOVE them!
This casserole is a very simple bake that goes together in a flash and is oh-so-delicious when its done. I hasten to add that children just love it.
You have a creamy base of cooked rice, mixed with evaporated milk (you could use cream or half and half if you aren't bothered by calories), a small amount of creamy ranch salad dressing, grated cheese and a quantity of frozen vegetables.
Today I used frozen peas, corn and green beans, but you can use whatever vegetables your family enjoys. You can also cook vegetables from fresh to use, or even use drained tinned vegetables.
You could leave out the vegetables altogether and just use a tin of drained chopped tomatoes, which would also be nice. Especially if you traded out the Ranch Dressing for a creamy Italian and replaced some of the cheese with a grated Parmesan.
In short it is very adaptable to what you have on hand and what kinds of things your family likes to eat. If you use these jumbo fish sticks/fingers you will find that one of them is the perfect size for one person.
This is a casserole that also reheats well the day after if you are a smaller family, or very easily cut in half if you are not a couple who enjoys leftovers. Its very forgiving to say the least.
We enjoyed it with an Oriental Chopped Salad on the side. It went down a real treat! I am so very grateful that in this day and age we have these options available to us, that we can do our shopping online if we choose, very quickly and easily. What a special blessing!
Fish Stick Casserole with Cheesy Vegetable Rice
Yield: 4
This is quite simply delicious. It makes a great use of store cupboard ingredients as well.
Ingredients:
- 250g of cooked long grain rice (2 cups)
- 180ml evaporated milk (3/4 cup)
- 60ml creamy ranch salad dressing (1/4 cup)
- seasoning to taste (I didn't use any)
- 12 frozen fish sticks (if using the larger ones, then you only need one per serving)
- 180g strong cheddar cheese, divided (1 1/2 cups)
- 2 cups of frozen vegetables, cooked for 2 minutes in the microwave (I used corn, peas and green beans)
Instructions:
How to cook Fish Stick Casserole with Cheesy Vegetable Rice
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/gas mark 5. Butter an 8 by 11 inch casserole dish. St aside
- Mix together the rice, milk, salad dressing, 3/4 of the cheese, any seasoning as desired (remember cheese is salty) and the partially cooked vegetables. Spread this in the prepared casserole dish. Lay the frozen fish sticks on top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over all.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until heated through, the fish sticks are cooked through and the casserole is golden brown. Serve immediately. A salad goes nice on the side.
As with any fish dish, quality speaks for itself. When you are starting with really good fish, you really don't or shouldn't have to do very much to it to get the best from it. The fish fingers from Seafresh are beautiful. I think they are the best I have ever eaten and that says a lot! If you are looking for quality fish at a great price with a fabulous delivery service I can't recommend Seafresh highly enough! Their product, delivery service, packaging and customer service are exemplary in my opinion and so is this recipe!!
A few things about Seafresh:
- Same Day dispatch on orders received before 1 PM.
- All packages are carefully hand packed.
- Free delivery on orders above £50, £8 on orders below that amount.
- Responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Air Blast Frozen at source within 4 hours of being caught.
- Wide variety to choose from.
Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Note - Although I was gifted with product free of charge for the purposes of review, I was not required to write a positive review in exchange, nor would my integrity allow me to recommend anything if I did not truly like it. Any and all my opinions are my own entirely.
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