Baked Cod with Parm & Garlic Butter

Getting through some older recipes - for this one, actually have a picture of the end result so read on...

Recipe

3/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon (juice & zest)
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 tsp paprika
3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 lb fresh cod

Preheat the oven to 400.  Mix the parm, garlic powder, paprika, and lemon zest on a plate.  Melt the butter and get your stations set up for the fish > butter > cheese > greased sheet pan; top with the extra butter!  Cook for about 15 minutes.  Squeeze on the lemon juice and serve!

Notes

As promised:

Roasted Flounder & Bell Peppers

While I wasn't thrilled with the New York Times' recent reporting around the gun control debate, that's a topic for a separate blog.  This week's Food section had this appetizing concept:

Recipe

1 1/2 lbs mild fish fillets: hake, flounder, cod, etc.
3 bell peppers, mix of colors, sliced thin
1 small bunch thyme
1/4 c olives, black/green/mixed, pitted and sliced
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c parsley, chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper

Season fish with salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of chopped thyme.  Let rest at room temperature while you slice the peppers, spread them on a baking sheet, and toss with 1 1/2 tbsp of oil and some salt and pepper.  Sprinkle some thyme sprigs and pop in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, tossing a couple times.  Increase the temperature to 500, push the peppers to the edge, add your fish, sprinkle on your olives, drizzle with oil, and back in for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile whisk together the vinegar, garlic, 3 tbsp olive oil, parsley, and a sprinkle of salt.  Sprinkle sauce over cooked fish and peppers as you serve.

Notes

The Gray Lady knows her food!  And for once, it actually looked a lot like the picture:

Almond-Crusted Cod

I had this recipe earmarked for a bit, and finally got around to it recently.  I've been working through a bag of almonds, and keeping an eye out for cod in the Morton Williams freezer...  Everything else should be sitting around your kitchen.

The Recipe

1 lb cod filet
1/2-3/4 cups almonds, crushed
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp seasoning of choice
salt & pepper

Lay the cod out on a baking sheet.  Mix the butter, almonds, herbs and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and lay evenly on the top of the cod.  Cook for 10-15 minutes at 500.

Notes

I wasn't totally happy with the cooking time from the original recipe.  By 10 minutes the almonds were almost burning but the cod seemed underdone.  So I left it in a little longer.  I don't think you really have to worry about the almonds being overdone, though - you want a nice toasty flavor!

Here's the finished product with orange-tomato broccoli - the secret ingredients for the night were almond and thyme.

Cod & Fennel Chowder

I'm always on the lookout for good, easy seafood options, and appreciate simple, one-dish recipes.  And there are chilly winter days that are just right for soup.  This recipe fits all those criteria, with paleo options if that's what you're looking for.

Recipe

2 fennel bulbs, fronds & core removed, chopped
1 onion chopped
1 pint cream (coconut creamer for paleo)
1 qt stock
1 - 1 1/2 lb cod, cut into chunks
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 lb bacon, chopped
salt & pepper

Crisp up your bacon in a large soup pot, then remove but leave in that grease.  Next, in goes the fennel and onion until soft.  Then add the creamer and stock.  Once it simmers, add in your cod and cook for about 10 minutes.  Squeeze in the lemon juice, sprinkle in some salt and pepper, and top with the bacon.

Notes

This was not a premeditated dinner.  I actually went to Morton Williams for some red meat, but saw their usually unimpressive seafood cooler had a bunch of cod as the day's special.  So I fired up the mobile Internet, recovered this recipe, and went to work.  Things looked grim, though, when I went to the produce section and there was no fennel.  The only thing that looked like my very vague conception of raw fennel was labeled anise.  Back to the smartphone!  Wikipedia calls fennel and anise "similar-tasting"; I also figured that, if either one is good enough for the anise swallowtail, who am I to discriminate?  Onward!

The grocery store was the trickiest part.  Otherwise, the recipe was pretty simple.  The fennel-onion saute seemed to take a while; not sure if it needed that long since you want it kind of crisp in the chowder.  I also figured the whole thing was (over-)done when the cod chunks started to fall apart.