Are you afraid when fish swim into the kitchen?  I was.  But I knew it was time to swim with the guppies when I learned just how deficient we are in omega 3s, selenium, iodine, vitamin B12, zinc, choline, and more.  Seafood is a complete swimming package of all these.  My kids didn’t like fish much, aside from sweet-glazed salmon, but I knew it was high-time to start puttin’ the moves on.   Here’s a seafood recipe that got me what I asked for:  Seafood success.  What do I like about it?

• Easy to prepare
• Easy to bake
• Can make the side dishes while it bakes
• It is rich in omega 3s, iodine, selenium, and B vitamins
• The fish flavor is mild so it is tolerated by picky eaters better
• Ours is wild-caught and brought to my door by the Schwan’s man
• Cod keeps well in the freezer so you can keep it on hand
• The sauce that comes together while baking is pan-licking awesome

I have always served this with rice which I make while it’s baking.  If I didn’t serve this with rice, I’d choose “cauliflower rice.”  Drizzling the sauce over the rice and fish before serving is a must.  I don’t understand how the sauce bakes up so fabulously, but it does.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cod filets, about 5 ounces each, thawed
• A very generous 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• Juice squeezed from one lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 garlic cloves, fresh pressed/minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
2. Lay cod filets in a 9X13 glass baking dish.
3. Mix together remaining ingredients in a medium-sized bowl:  Olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, minced garlic clove, dried oregano, and fresh chopped parsley.  Whisk well.
4. Pour entire mixture over cod filets.
5. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the cod falls apart in flakes and is opaque white when you pierce the middle of a filet with a fork.

We always serve this with rice.  I plate it by putting a scoop of rice on the kids’ plates.  Then drizzling some of the sauce over the rice for flavor and moistness.  Finally, a fish filet is placed just on the edge of the rice and also drizzled with a little sauce.  Something green goes along side, usually steamed broccoli.

Family “gustar” report:  8/8 eaters (my whole family and grandparents) have approved.  I like this recipe and we eat it about every 10-14 days.

Closing 

Please know on this recipe, you can adjust amounts and types of ingredients.  For example, if you have only dried parsley, use that but decrease the amount by about half.  If you only have garlic powder, that’ll be okay for flavor.  Just use about a 1/2 teaspoonful or so.  There’s room for play.  The only time I was unhappy was when I used too much lemon zest.

When I know that my kids need to be eating something that they don’t like because their bodies flat-out need it, I put the moves on them.  I go after them.  Have you ever been wooed?  Chased?  Flirted with? Charmed?  Did he win you over?  Did she steal your heart?  How did it happen?  Overnight?  With flowers?  With words?  With kisses?  Did you play hard to get?  My kids play coy a lot, and I just keep making advances.  I won’t take “No” for an answer.  They need vegetables and seafood.  I just know it.  I can see the biochemistry on paper.  So I’ll be the persistent courtier.  I’ll always win them over, one kiss, one hug, one new recipe at a time.

 

Happy Weekend!

~~Terri