Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Raisins and Pine Nuts

Although I love to cook and don't mind fussing, chopping, washing veggies and so on, sometimes I get lazy or tired and prefer to take the easy way out. I don't mean order-in (although I do understand that). I mean, make food that's easy.

In fact, I find that I like quick-and-easy more and more often.

Like this roasted cod dish. I had been looking at loads of recipes that include tomatoes, raisins and pine nuts with fish. Most of the recipes involve searing and/or roasting the fish and making the sauce separately. But I didn't feel up to doing all that. And I certainly didn't want an extra pan to clean.

So I put all the ingredients together in a roasting pan and placed the fish on top, thinking the sauce would become sauce all by itself, moistened by the natural juices leeching from the fish.

And voila! I was right. There it was. Crispy topped fish and lovely, savory sauce. So good. So easy. Cleanup almost free.

I scattered some bread crumbs on top to give it a lightly crispy surface. (During Passover you could use matzo meal.)

Roasted Cod with Tomatoes, Raisins and Pine Nuts

• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2-3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 2 pounds fresh cod
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs (or matzo meal)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the tomatoes, raisins, pine nuts and garlic in a roasting pan and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. Place the fish on top of the tomato mixture. Brush the fish with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter the bread crumbs over the top. Roast for 18-20 minutes or until top is lightly crispy and the fish is cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

Roasted Salmon with Teriyaki Glaze

After any big holiday -- like Passover -- where there's been tons of food and extra goodies like chocolate matzo bark and jelly rings, I need to pare down. Pare down me I mean. Me, lover of matzo, who probably ate 3 boxes worth over 8 days.

It's over.

More thoughtful dinners are in order. 

Simple food is on the menu. 

Also, after all that holiday cooking, meals that are quick and easy to cook.

It's just Ed and me tonight.

So, this salmon dish, along with some veggies ---

 

Roasted Salmon with Teriyaki Glaze

• 24-32 ounces salmon

• 1/4 cup sake

• 1/4 cup mirin

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives (or scallion greens)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the fish in a roasting pan. Place the sake, mirin, soy sauce, vegetable oil and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Stir until the ingredients are blended. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is reduced and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pour the liquid over the fish. Sprinkle with chives. Roast for 12-16 minutes, or until cooked to desired doneness.

Makes 4-6 servings

Roasted Salmon with Harissa

Many years ago Ed and I took our daughters on a cruise to Alaska. At the time they were going through what I think of as the usual teenage disdain for anything their parents liked. So although they went with us on deck to see some of the famous, enormous glaciers, after the first few, when we uncool grownups were still excited to see yet another huge hunk of ice, they stayed in their cabin. And so they missed the Columbia Glacier which, just by chance when we were watching, dropped what we were told was the ice equivalent of a 6-story apartment building into the water.

Okay, so they missed it. I still smile when I close my eyes and think about what we saw that day.

The other thing we all missed was the salmon. Alaskan salmon is world famous, and for good reason -- it's fat and flavorful. And some of the folks on our trip actually went fishing and caught some fish, which the chef cooked them for dinner. And for those who didn't go fishing, well, they got fresh fresh salmon anyway.

Unfortunately our daughter Gillian is allergic to fish, so we never have it on the table when she is with us.

Ed and I have made up for that in the years that followed, when we dine alone or with people who can eat and appreciate fish.

We both love salmon and eat it very often.

And so, in keeping with the political theme of this blog over the past several weeks, I will pay tribute to the Alaska Democratic political caucus coming up on March 26th (the Republicans had theirs on March 1st), and offer one of the salmon recipes we have loved over the years. It's so quick and easy to cook you can serve this any night of the week. And yet, salmon is festive, so it's a good choice for company also.

Roasted Salmon with Harissa

• 4 salmon filets or steaks, about 6 ounces each
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves)
• 1 teaspoon harissa
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the salmon pieces in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, oregano, harissa and mustard. Spread this mixture on top of the fish filets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-18 minutes, depending on thickness, or until cooked to desired doneness.

Makes 4 servings  

Tasmanian Ocean Trout for Dinner

There's a new Citarella market near me. I love this place, mostly because they have all sorts of gorgeous, fresh produce, interesting breads and fish that not only looks beautiful, but looks as if all of it was just caught -- moist, glossy, and without any hint of fish odor.

Also -- the variety of fish they offer is huge -- you just can't get some of it in most places, even a good fish market. Some I've never seen before.

Like Tasmanian Ocean Trout.

It looked, well, good enough to eat, I had to buy some.

It was more than good enough to eat.

Although Tasmanian Ocean Trout resembles salmon, it doesn't taste like salmon. It's milder and sweeter. The flesh is softer. More like trout.

Of course.

I'll be going back for more. 

Here's how I cooked it. Stay tuned for more recipes.

Of course, if you can't find this fish variety, do try the recipe using salmon.

 

Roasted Tasmanian Ocean Trout with Orange, Soy and Ginger Glaze

• 1-1/2 pounds Tasmanian Ocean Trout (or substitute salmon) filet
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 thick scallion, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the fish in a shallow pan or dish. In a bowl, mix the orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, vegetable oil, ginger, garlic and scallion. Pour the mixture over the salmon and coat the entire surface of the fish with the mixture. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the fish on the parchment. Pour some of the marinade on top. Roast the fish for about 15 minutes or until the surface is crispy and cooked to desired doneness. 

Makes 4 servings

Love Those Tuna Burgers

Tuna is not one of my favorite fish. It's frequently dry and chewy, except when it's rare, and unless you buy a really thick hunk of really high quality fish, it's difficult to get it rare to perfection -- if the piece is thin it cooks to an unpleasant looking grayish color.

But tuna burgers? I love them. Because grinding or chopping the flesh makes it tender, even when the burger is well-done. And the color is just fine for burgers, especially because the outside surfaces crisp to a gorgeous golden brown whether you grill, broil or saute them.

I don't mix in too many seasonings when making tuna burgers. Instead, I add flavor with a tangy condiment to serve with the tuna burger on the roll. Recently I mixed the fish with chopped fresh chives -- the only herb I have been successful in growing in my garden this year -- and served the burgers with mayonnaise mixed with chopped kalamata olives and a hint of lemon peel.

This recipe is extremely easy, also quick to cook. Just perfect for casual, summertime eating, meatless/dairy meals and any old time.

 

Tuna Burgers with Olive Mayo

• 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped kalamata olives
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel
• 20 ounces fresh tuna
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 rolls
• lettuce, spinach or arugula leaves
• 4 slices tomato

Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler (or use a sauté pan). Mix the mayonnaise, olives and lemon peel together and set aside in the refrigerator.

Chop the tuna into very fine pieces (or pulse in a food processor). Place the fish in a mixing bowl. Add the chives and garlic and some salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Shape the mixture into 4 patties. Brush the remaining olive oil over the surface of each patty. Grill or broil the burgers for 2-4 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crispy on both sides and cooked to the degree of doneness preferred. OR, pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan and fry the burgers for 2-4 minutes per side over medium-high heat.

Spread equal amounts of the mayonnaise mixture on the bottom side of each roll. Place a lettuce leaf on top, then top with a slice of tomato. Place the burger on top of the tomato. Cover with the top of the roll.

Makes 4

Gorgeous Hunk of Salmon, Roasted with Orange and Dill

We eat so much salmon at our house that one of these days Ed and I might actually turn into some. That's probably because in years past, when our kids were still living at home, we couldn't have any fish in the house. One of our daughters is allergic.

So we're making up for it now (I decontaminate the refrigerator after a fish dinner to get rid of any leftover fish oils or vapors). And salmon is a favorite. It's tasty, attractive and also healthy. Can you beat that?

We like it all sorts of ways, but I try to vary the seasonings, just to keep it from being too boring (same goes for chicken).

We had this dish recently: roasted salmon with a glaze that's basically orange marmalade and mustard. It is incredibly easy to prepare -- takes less than 5 minutes. I served it to company. Everyone declared it a keeper.

 

Roasted Salmon with Orange MARMALADE, MUSTARD and Dill

• 24-30 ounces fresh salmon

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the salmon in a baking dish. Mix the marmalade, dill, garlic, lime juice and mustard together in a small bowl and spread this mixture evenly on top of the fish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, or until the fish is cooked to desired doneness and the top is crispy-browned. 

Makes 4 servings

How to Make Fish More Appealing

My Mom, good cook though she was, was not an ace at making fish. Her broiled salmon was delicious, but beyond that, well, .... let's just say she didn't love fish, didn't want to experiment with it and so we didn't have a lot of fresh fish for dinner.

Same for my grandmother, except for once a summer when my father, uncles and assorted other men would go for their once a year fishing trip and come back with either mackerel or bluefish.

Now, everyone knows that if you come from a family that doesn't particularly love fish, mackerel and bluefish are not the ones you would pick for the once-in-a-while fish dinner. But that's what the men caught during the summer (when we would always be at my grandmother's place).

My grandma did her best with what -- and who -- she had to work with. I was -- and remain -- a devout fish lover, along with my cousin Leslie, but we were the only ones. 

For everyone else, grandma had to be creative.  Even as a child I realized that what she did to make the fish more palatable was to smother it with other ingredients that would not only distract from the strong flavor of those oily fish, but also make the dish more attractive so that we would all want to eat the dish placed in front of us.

It worked every summer. Everyone regarded that fish dinner as a winner.

You can make this recipe for the darker, oilier fish such as mackerel and bluefish, but it's also wonderful with plain old mild cod, which most people prefer.

Roasted Cod

• 4 6-8 ounce chunks of fresh cod
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 12 pitted olives (green or black), cut in half
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup matzo meal or bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the fish in a lightly oiled casserole dish. Pour the vegetable oil over the fish chunks and rub to spread the oil on the top surface of each chunk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter the garlic and shallot on top. Scatter the plum tomatoes and olives on top, then sprinkle with parsley and dill. Finally, scatter the matzo meal or bread crumbs on top. Roast for 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, or until the fish is cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

Roasted Arctic Char with Meyer Lemon and Rosemary

Arctic char is one of my favorite kinds of fish to eat. It's delicate but has lots of flavor and besides, Ed likes it too, though fish is never his first choice for dinner. 

It's also easy to dress Arctic char up and it takes very little time to cook. This entire recipe required about 15 minutes from start to finish. That's a good thing for busy midweek isn't it?

I used Meyer lemon because they're available now, but regular lemon would be just good for this recipe.

 

ROASTED ARCTIC CHAR WITH MEYER LEMON AND ROSEMARY

• 20-24 ounces Arctic char
• 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon peel

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the fish on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Set aside. Combine the Meyer lemon juice, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, rosemary, Dijon mustard and Meyer lemon peel in a bowl and mix to combine the ingredients. Spread this mixture evenly over the fish. Roast for about 10 minutes or until the top is lightly crispy.

Makes 4 servings

Grilled Sardines

Kids grow up believing all sorts of stuff. Like my niece, who thought french fried potatoes came from a box in the freezer.

Okay, she was only 6 years old. She stayed over at my house and I made french fries for dinner. From potatoes. And when her Mom and Dad came to pick her up one of the first things she told them was that “Aunt Ronnie makes french fries from a potato.”

It was an understandable mistake and I made a similar one when I was a kid.

I thought sardines came from a can. My mother, who loved sardines, ate them once or twice a week. I remember she made a big deal about opening the can, which had a thin metal top that you had to use a key to roll open. 

I didn’t realize then that there were real sardines, in the fish store, that you could cook and eat. But after I did, and grilled a few, I understood that they were a completely different item than canned sardines.

I like canned sardines.

But I love fresh sardines. 

Grilling sardines couldn’t be easier. We eat them as an appetizer, but you could certainly make more and have them for dinner.

By the way, fresh fish is monumentally expensive these days. But not sardines.

Grilled Sardines

8 fresh whole sardines

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

one lemon, cut in half

Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler to medium. Coat the fish with the olive oil. Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. Grill the fish for 2-3 minutes per side or until crispy and cooked through. Squeeze the fish with fresh lemon juice and serve. Makes 4 appetizer servings

Seared Cod with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, Capers and Raisins

I’ve been cooking a lot of cauliflower dishes recently. The heads in my local stores have been so firm and fresh looking that I keep buying them and then of course have to cook and eat them while they are still so perfect. 

This Seared Cod and Cauliflower dish was our dinner recently. A sort of all-in-one-pan meal. So easy!

The creamy color was a lovely monochromatic sort of thing, but I added fresh parsley to give it a highlight of green.

Cod can be mild and tasteless. Cauliflower can be robust — I didn’t want it to overwhelm the fish. The toasty-tasting pine nuts (pignolis) and sweet raisins gave the dish a good balance and mix of flavors. 

Seared Cod with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, Capers and Raisins

1/2 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 to 2 pounds cod, cut into 4 pieces 

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1/4 cup pine nuts 

2 tablespoons drained small capers

2 tablespoons golden raisins

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Cook the cauliflower in simmering water over high heat for about 4 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan large enough to hold the cod pieces and vegetables. Add the fish, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Turn the fish over. Add the butter and let it melt. After it has melted, place the cauliflower, pine nuts, capers and raisins in the pan and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until the nuts are toasted, the fish is golden brown on the second side and the cauliflower has crisped. Pour the wine vinegar over the fish. Spoon equal amounts of fish, cauliflower and the other ingredients onto dinner plates, sprinkle with parsley and serve. Makes 4 servings