Fish stew

(The Poem-a-Day prompt was to write a "beyond" poem. I wanted to write about fish stew, mainly to hold onto the recipe for the concoction I created tonight so I am not wasting time in the future searching the Internet for the perfect fish stew recipe that will suit my tastes for the moment. So I compose with the theme of "beyond" in the background.)

Soft on the teeth,
mild to the stomach,
low in calories,
high in protein and flavor,
receptive to spices and vegetables, too.

Got the cod,
off a Long Island boat.
Fisherman lost his license
for peddling fish
caught in his waters
but not on his boat.
Nice guy, good ethics.
But the rules of locally made
can be strict,
and acting fishy
about the source of your fish
will get in trouble,
beyond a doubt.

Health rules for the day:
No tomato, no chili,
no turmeric.
Still in recovery
so coconut milk,
rice, a sauteed onion with ginger
and sweet potato
will probably be fine,
with the hake from the fisherman
who pushed his boundaries
of local a little beyond the truth.

Oil in a heavy pan heats.
Ground fenugreek, coriander,
and whole cumin seed go in.
Thirty seconds later,
finely chopped onion, ginger, and carrot.
Peas from last summer's harvest
thaw in a colander,
their flavor outlasting their crispness
beyond nine months.

Finely chopped sweet potato
and a tablespoon or two of water
sweeten and thicken the mix.
Lower the heat,
lid the pan.
Wait thirteen minutes
for the potatoes to soften
beyond the stage of rawness.

Coconut milk flows in,
and comes to a simmer
as the heat picks up a little.
A few leaves of chard sliced into ribbons
add a bold dash of green
to the stew.
Fish cut into chunks,
with the tail end into slivers
for the cats to savor
as a treat beyond their
main course.
Lower the heat,
lid the pan.
Wait four and a half minutes.

Stir in the peas,
gently prod the fish
as it breaks
into pieces beyond resemblance
of the original fillet shape.

Lower the heat
but leave the lid off.

Rice spoons into a bowl,
coconut milk juice soaks it through.
Chunks of fish, onion, potato, chard, and carrot
decorate the top
with the peas offering a
colorful flourish.