Baked Cod with Roasted Sweet & Sour Vegetables
Yesterday, it snowed. Today the winter sky is clear and bright. The snow shadows are blue- almost purple. I was sorry to see the last of our Beef and Potatoes au Chocolat go. A chilly day like today is the perfect day for a slow cooked soup or stew. But alas. There's not a cup of soup in the house. Or any leftovers, for that matter. Last night we tossed together a simple dinner for two- cod fillets baked in olive oil and garlic, and topped with tangy roasted vegetables. Mermaid comfort food.
It was gone faster than you could say Daryl Hannah.
Baked Cod with Roasted Sweet & Sour Vegetables
The roasting sauce was an easy combo of good tasting olive oil, balsamic vinegar (for the sour) and apricot preserves (for the sweetness). Adjust the seasoning to your taste buds. Make it as savory or spicy as you like.*
First, put on a pot of long grain white or basmati rice, and roast the vegetables.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Combine in a roasting pan:
Half a head of purple cabbage, sliced thinly
1 sweet or red onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 green sweet pepper, sliced into strips
2 carrots, sliced into matchsticks
For the sauce, combine:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup apricot preserves
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon mild or hot curry, or hot pepper flakes, to taste (use paprika if you prefer mild)
*Add a dab of honey mustard, if you like mustard
Pour the sauce on the vegetables and stir to coat. Roast the vegetables on the lower of two racks in a hot oven until tender-crisp and almost but not quite done; say, maybe 40 to 45 minutes.
Then add your fish dish to the upper rack, and bake.
Ideally, the veggies and fish will be ready at the same time. The fish will only take 7 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Keep an eye on it, and don't over-bake it; it should flake and appear opaque when done.
For the fish:
2 single cod fillets (or one large fillet, cut in half)
Extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
A squeeze of citrus (lemon, lime or orange)
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Place the fish in an oven-proof dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Scatter garlic on top. Squeeze a little citrus all over the fillets and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until done.
Serve the fillets on a bed of hot cooked rice seasoned with olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper. Top with the roasted veggies and spoon any extra roasting sauce from the pan all over the top.
Serves 2.
