Catfish in a Curried Tomato Sauce

• Season the fillets with half of the salt and all of the turmeric, rubbing the spices gently into the fillets. Set them aside. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate the fish for up to 24 hours.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté them until they are lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, remaining salt, cayenne pepper, and curry powder to the pan with the onions and sauté them for about 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and simmer everything for 3 – 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and put the fish in the dish. Top the fish with the spinach, if desired.
• Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the fillets, and bake them for 20 – 25 minutes until the fish flakes easily in the thickest part. If you have added the spinach, stir the sauce once while the fish is baking to make sure the spinach wilts into the tomato sauce. Serve the fish immediately.

Slow Cooker Directions:

• Omit the oil. Combine the onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, curry powder, tomatoes, ¼ tsp. salt, and spinach (optional) in the slow cooker. Season the fillets as directed, lay them on top of the vegetables, and gently spoon some sauce mixture over the fish. Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours. (Slow cooker cooking times may vary—Get to know your slow cooker and, if necessary, adjust cooking times accordingly.)