Particularly in summer, having quick meal recipes on hand can be a game changer. With only a million things to do, let dinner nearly make itself with an easy baked cod dinner boasting the flavors of Greece. Everything from lemon to capers come together to make dinner bright and beautiful.
If you don't happen to have capers on hand, you can use finely chopped olives instead. I tend to keep capers on hand and sprinkle them like savory raisins onto my favorite dishes for a briny flavor shot near the end of cooking. Dill can be skipped if you don't have fresh stuff available, but I love how well it plays with all of these bold flavors. And do try to choose cod (or other firm, white-fleshed fish) that's about the same size and, more importantly, the same thickness. How thick your fish is will determine how long you are baking it. You'll notice there's a range of time offered in the recipe - the fish is done when it's opaque and can be flaked with a fork. Watch it carefully and test if you're not sure. Overcooked fish is a sad meal!
I like serving this dish over lemon-cilantro or lemon-dill rice. A simple side salad would also be nice. Then pour some chilled white wine and enjoy a rather fancy, super easy midweek meal!
Mediterranean Cod
- 3-4 cod fillets (approximately same size and thickness)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 T. butter, melted
- Zest and slices from 1 lemon
- 2 T. chopped fresh dill
- 2 T. drained capers
- 2 T. finely chopped green onion
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Place the cod into a large baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Combine the olive oil, butter, and lemon zest in a small dish. Pour over the cod. Sprinkle the cod with the dill, capers, green onion, and lemon slices. Season gently with salt and pepper (you can adjust this later to suit your tastes, but adding more is possible and removing it is not).
Bake the fish in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cod flakes easily with a fork. Serve hot.
- Yields: 3-4 servings
- Preparation Time: 25 minutes