Baked cod on a tomato and courgette bed

Baked cod on a tomato and courgette bed: a simple oven dish with tender cod, juicy cherry tomatoes, courgette, garlic, thyme and lemon.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 20 min
• Total time: 30 min
• Calories: 220 kcal per serving
• Protein: 35 g
• Fat: 3 g
• Carbs: 12 g

Ingredients

• 2 cod fillets (fresh or gently thawed)
• 1 large courgette
• 400 g cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Pepper
• 1 sprig of thyme
• Salt
• A little lemon juice

Method

You’ll need: oven · baking dish · chopping board · knife

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan) and grease a baking dish with olive oil.
2. Slice the courgette and halve the cherry tomatoes. Put both in the dish with the garlic cloves and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
3. Pat the cod fillets dry, season lightly with salt and lay them on the bed of veg.
4. Bake everything in the oven at 200 °C for 15–20 min, until the cod is just cooked and flakes easily into large pieces. The veg should be soft and have released some juice.
5. Take the thyme sprig out of the dish and check that the veg is well seasoned. Add a little more pepper if needed.
6. Arrange the cod on the tomato and courgette bed and drizzle everything with lemon juice before serving.

Good to know

An oven dish like this is pleasantly easy and still feels really well-rounded. The fish stays tender, the veg turns juicy, and at the end the lemon brings freshness to the plate.

Swaps

Cod → coley or skrei (Norwegian winter cod) (similarly lean, plenty of protein, often cheaper) Cherry tomatoes → diced Roma tomatoes or peppers (milder acidity, more volume) 1 tsp olive oil → 1 tsp avocado oil or a little ghee (heat-stable, no seed oils) Lemon juice → lime juice or a little white wine vinegar (fresh acidity, a similar effect in the dish)

Allergens

The recipe contains fish as an allergen; it's usually well suited to children if the bones are carefully removed, and during pregnancy fully cooked cod is generally a suitable choice.

Frequently asked questions

What nutrients does cod contain?

Cod mainly provides protein plus iodine, selenium and vitamin B12. Compared with oily fish, its omega-3 content is rather moderate.

What's special about the tomatoes in this dish?

Tomatoes contain lycopene, a carotenoid, as well as vitamin C and potassium.

Does garlic suit everyone?

Not necessarily. Garlic contains FODMAPs, which can cause symptoms in some people with a sensitive gut or IBS.

What does courgette contribute nutritionally?

Courgette is very watery and provides fibre, potassium and small amounts of folate and vitamin C. It is usually mild.

Does the lemon juice add only flavour or nutrients too?

Mainly freshness, but it also provides a little vitamin C and organic acids. The amount in the finished dish is rather small nutritionally, but very noticeable in flavour.

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