Baked Fish — The Lunch I Made When the Pasteles Were Gone

Postpartum week two at Miguel Jr. and Jenny's house. I am there every day. Eduardo drives me over in the morning with a cooler full of food, drops me off, and comes back in the afternoon. I sit with Jenny. I hold the baby. I cook lunch. I fold laundry. I take Lucas and Isabella to the backyard for thirty minutes while Jenny naps.

This is grandmother work. Nobody tells you how physical it is. I am on my feet for four hours at a stretch at Jenny's house. I am carrying a two-year-old up and down stairs. I am bending over the bassinet to pick up a newborn. I am unloading the dishwasher, which is loaded by people who do not load dishwashers as well as I do, which is what I tell Jenny, and she laughs.

Wednesday I made pasteles for lunch. Leftover from the Christmas freezer stock — I had been saving six specifically for this moment. I boiled them at Jenny's house, untied the banana leaves at her kitchen counter, served them with the hot sauce I had brought. Jenny ate two and said, "Ma, I do not know how I will ever go back to regular food after this." I said, "You will not. You will come to my house every Sunday for the rest of your life." Jenny said, "I planned on that." I kissed her forehead. She kissed Mateo's head. The baby slept through lunch, which is his way.

Mateo is a calm baby, mi amor. He does not cry much. He sleeps four hours at a stretch already, which the pediatrician told Jenny is unusual and lucky. Lucas, at four, is jealous and Lucas, at four, is adoring, alternating by the hour. Isabella is indifferent. She has her Peppa Pig. She has her Mommy. She does not need a new baby brother. Mateo does not care. Mateo is going to win her over slowly, as younger siblings do.

Thursday I came home and collapsed on the couch at 4 PM and did not get up until 7. Eduardo made me a grilled cheese. I ate it. I went to bed at 8:30. I am fifty-seven years old and I cannot hold a baby for four hours the way I could at forty. My arms were sore. My back was unhappy. I did it anyway. I will keep doing it until Jenny says she has it. That moment is coming. It will not be this week.

Friday Sofía came to the house and drove me to Jenny's place because Eduardo had a dentist appointment. Sofía held Mateo for a long time. She said, "Ma, he is so beautiful." I said, "You will have one someday." She said, "Not soon." I said, "I know, mija." She looked at Mateo and she had the face. The future-mother face. She does not know she has that face. I know. I am not saying anything. Wepa.

The pasteles from the freezer were six, and then they were gone — eaten and earned, every one of them. But Jenny still needed lunch the next day, and the day after that, and this is the recipe I leaned on when the banana leaves were untied and the Christmas stock was finished: a simple baked fish, nothing complicated, the kind of thing you can put together in someone else’s kitchen with a tired back and a newborn in the next room. It fed everyone without asking too much of me, and some weeks that is exactly what a recipe needs to do.

Baked Fish

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 white fish fillets (such as tilapia, cod, or haddock), about 6 oz each
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Lemon slices, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold all four fillets in a single layer.
2. Make the seasoning. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice until combined.
3. Season the fish. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel and lay them in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the seasoning mixture evenly over each fillet, turning once to coat both sides.
4. Bake. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 18—20 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork and is opaque throughout. Thicker fillets may need the full 20 minutes.
5. Finish and serve. Remove from the oven and scatter the fresh parsley over the top. Serve immediately with lemon slices on the side and rice or bread if you have it.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 240 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 2g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 380mg