Low-carb baked cod with olives

Low-carb baked cod with olives: juicy oven-baked cod with tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, garlic and lemon – savoury, fresh and simple.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 20 min
• Total time: 30 min
• Calories: 350 kcal per serving
• Protein: 38 g
• Fat: 16 g
• Carbs: 12 g

Ingredients

• 2 cod fillets
• 1 small tin of chopped tomatoes or 3 large beef tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• a few lemon wedges
• 1 tbsp small green capers
• ½ jar of black Kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp mild olive oil
• black pepper
• dried rosemary and oregano
• Salt

Method

You’ll need: oven · baking dish

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Put the tomatoes, capers and Kalamata olives into a baking dish.
2. Add the garlic, rosemary, oregano and olive oil and mix briefly so the flavours spread.
3. Season the cod fillets with salt and black pepper. Then nestle them into the tomato mixture.
4. Drizzle the fish fillets with a little olive oil and bake uncovered at 200 °C for 15–20 minutes, until the cod is cooked through and still juicy.
5. Take it out of the oven and leave to rest for 1 to 2 minutes so the fish can settle.
6. Serve hot, drizzled with lemon juice. A green salad or steamed veg goes well with it.

Good to know

I like a bake like this on days when it has to be quick but should still taste like a proper meal. The fish stays tender, and the sauce turns savoury and pleasantly fresh.

Swaps

Cod fillets → wild salmon fillets (more omega-3 fatty acids and usually more vitamin D) Tinned chopped tomatoes → fresh beef tomatoes (less processed, often additive-free) Black Kalamata olives → green or black olives in brine without additives (often a shorter ingredient list) Mild olive oil → extra virgin olive oil (more polyphenols and other natural compounds)

Allergens

Contains fish. Olives and capers can be quite salty, so season more mildly for children. In pregnancy, cook the fish right through; if in doubt, follow your doctor's or midwife's advice, as always.

Frequently asked questions

Which nutrients are in cod?

Cod provides plenty of protein with little fat. It also contains iodine, selenium and B vitamins such as vitamin B12, among others.

Are olives and olive oil interesting nutritionally?

Yes, both mainly provide monounsaturated fats. Olives and extra virgin olive oil also contain polyphenols, whose content varies with variety and processing.

What do tomatoes bring to this dish?

Tomatoes contain vitamin C, potassium and the red plant compound lycopene. The exact amounts depend on ripeness, variety and processing.

Do capers and olives suit everyone?

They're often quite high in salt and strongly seasoned. If very salty or pickled foods don't agree with you, use a little less.

Does raw garlic suit everyone?

Not always. Garlic contains sulphur compounds and can cause discomfort with a sensitive stomach or IBS; baked, it's usually milder.

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