spicy fishy rice

a regular favourite of ours combining smoked mackerel, vegetables, rice and spices . . . . and it's easy
i used to use frozen mixed vegetables but now i often use a mixture of fresh and frozen - any of the following might be included: peas, green beans, sweetcorn, finely diced carrots, diced courgettes, sliced/chopped peppers (any colour) - so it's rarely the same twice running
it's low in added fat, high in veg and fibre, has oily fish and you could use brown rice if you like ...... how many healthy boxes does that tick!

there are at least 2 ways to cook this; if you are confident with the absorption/pilau method of cooking rice you can do that in one pot - here i'm giving the 'boiled rice' method - this involves 2 stages and more washing up but is simpler for the less confident cook

     ingredients (3-4 people)
     1-3 tsp of your favourite curry paste or powder
     1 pint jug of chopped mixed veg (see notes)
     2-3 tbsp water
     1 large or 2 small smoked mackerel - flaked or chopped
     8 fl oz or 1 cup basmati rice cooked according to packet instructions


     method

• cook the rice as per instructions, strain and keep it warm until the rest is ready (NB - I have never rinsed rice before cooking, do it if you must!)
• use a good heavy bottomed pan or casserole dish 
• heat your pan up and gently cook the curry paste (or oil and curry powder) for a couple of minutes
• add the vegetables, stir well, add 2-3 tablespoons of water, reduce the heat and cover, cook 2-3 mins
• add the broken up mackerel, stir, cover and leave to cook until the veg are done to your taste - at this stage you can put the dish aside until your rice is cooked
• add the cooked rice and stir well , leave on a low heat or in a warm oven for 10 - 20 mins if possible before serving

     notes

• frozen mixed veg are convenient, but a mix of peas, sweetcorn, finely diced carrots  and peppers is good, with optional courgette and or green beans. NB - carrots take longer to cook than the othe veg so need to be finely diced or parboiled
• you can keep it warm in a covered dish for ages before serving so it's a good dish to have prepared earlier
• leftovers can be reheated in a pan or in the microwave or frozen for later