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Recipe: Skinny Tomato & Turmeric Cod with Cauliflower Rice
It is getting to that point in the year where we have all had probably one too many ice creams, barbecues, bottles of beer and pitchers of mojitos over the summer, and we’re looking for quick, easy, bright and delicious weeknight suppers that also happen to be super healthy, to get stuck into before this weekends Bank Holiday. So, today I want to share an old favourite my Mum has been making for weeknights for years, her Skinny Tomato & Turmeric Cod, and our new favourite (which I honestly can’t believe I even like, let alone love), a little late to the party I know, Cauliflower Rice all jazzed up with spring onion and pomegranate.
I know I know. I don’t believe in all of those ‘substitute’ things. Spiralized courgette will never be as good as a bowl of pasta, and cauliflower ‘rice’ simply is not rice. I still believe in all of that, but I was not counting on my mother wanting to try both, and us becoming rather obsessed with them as side dishes. I still have not swapped out my courgette for spaghetti, but as we have a glut of home grown courgettes, I have found that lightly blanched with some salt and pepper, they make a great side vegetable. And cauliflower rice? It’s not rice, but made with pomegranate seeds, thinly sliced spring onion, a squeeze of lemon and a glug of olive oil (I use the recipe in Sophie Michell’s brilliant book Chef on a Diet), it is officially my new favourite side vegetable, and works really well here with this slightly Indian, slightly Mediterranean cod for a filling supper.
The measurements here make enough for two people (cod usually comes in packs of two from the supermarket, and there are usually two of you to feed in the average household), but it is easily halved or scaled to feed however many people you need. I love the colour and flavour the saffron strands add, but you can leave them out to make this a much more budget friendly dish. The fish recipe is adapted from Rosemary Conley’s Gi Hip & Thigh Diet. I’m not one for diet books and I never follow them, but in our house we have several back problems caused by sports injuries (horse riding, rowing etc.) which mean if some of us (me included) are carrying too much weight, it hurts! I never follow the diet plans, but some of her diet recipes are very delicious, and very guilt free. My Skinny Sticky Storecupboard Barbecue Chicken is also adapted from one of her recipes, and I don’t know anyone who does not adore it.
This Skinny Tomato and Turmeric Cod served with Cauliflower Rice is one fo my favourite super healthy weeknight dinners for two.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Skinny Tomato & Turmeric Cod
1 Small Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Large Garlic Clove, crushed
2 Large Ripe Tomatoes, chopped
Large Pinch Paprika
Large Pinch Ground Turmeric
3–4 Saffron Strands
Small Handful Parsley, chopped with a bit set aside for garnish
Juice of 1/4 Lemon
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Cod Steaks
For the Cauliflower Rice
1/2 Small Cauliflower
Large Handful Pomegranate Seeds
2 Spring Onions, white and green thinly sliced
Lemon Juice
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees (395 Fahrenheit).
Heat a small, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, and dry fry the onion until it is soft.
Add the garlic and the tomato, and continue to cook until the garlic has softened but has not started to brown.
Add the spices, and cook for a minute more before adding lemon juice, parsley and a generous amount of seasoning. Remove the pan from the heat.
Lightly season the cod steaks, and place them in a small, oven proof dish, skin side down. Spoon over the salsa, and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cod is firm.
Meanwhile, make the cauliflower rice. Break down the florets, and chop into a fine, rice like mixture in a food processor. Place in a heatproof glass bowl, and cover with kitchen wrap.
Stick a few holes in the plastic, and microwave it on high for 7 minutes.
Remove the plastic (making sure to stay away from the escaping steam, it is hot enough to burn you!) and stir in the pomegranate seeds, spring onion, a generous squeeze of lemon, a glug of olive oil, and some seasoning.
I'm a food writer, professional recipe developer and cookbook author living in the English Countryside. I love creating easy, accessable recipes filled with vibrant world flavours that are manageable on busy weeknights. Simple and delicious dinners, from my kitchen to yours!
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One Pan Pescatarian: 100 Delicious Dinners – Veggie, Vegan, Fish
My second cookbook contains 100 delicious dinner recipes, all of which are either vegetarian, vegan or which celebrate fish and seafood - all cooked in either one pot or one pan.*
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