Karen Wright: A simple tasty and healthy one-pot cod dish
Fish is such a healthy source of protein and very low in fat. I try to eat fish at least a couple of times a week and usually I stick to salmon or smoked mackerel as they are great for healthy oils too but last week, I used some cod loin and made one of the best one pot meals I have had in a long while.
I am trying to keep the carbs low too so instead of potatoes, pasta, or rice in this dish I used butter beans. When I was a child, I thought butter beans were horrid, but I really do love them now and use them often.
To make this meal I softened a chopped onion in a little olive oil in a large frying pan and added some crushed garlic and a deseeded and chopped red chilli. I added a few slices of spicy chorizo and some sliced red peppers, which I cooked for a couple of minutes before adding a can of chopped tomatoes, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a scatter of oregano, a generous tablespoon of smoked paprika, and a glug of red wine. I simmered this for about ten minutes and then added a can of drained butter beans. I stirred everything well and seasoned it with salt and pepper. When the sauce had thickened a little, I added two cod loins and covered the pan with a lid to cook the fish.
The fish took about twelve minutes to cook and was ready when it was white and opaque. The finishing touch was the zest and juice of a lemon over the fish just before serving; it was totally scrumptious!
In other news, Wakefield’s Rhubarb Festival is coming up in February, and I am booked to do the opening and closing slots in the food demo marquee, and I am pleased to report that the new season’s rhubarb is now available to purchase! It is important to me as I need to get my hands on the rhubarb to practice with as I need to decide which recipes to demo in the tent. This year I am fancying a rhubarb tiramisu and a pork and rhubarb sausage plait. Watch this space for updates as I will keep you posted once I have made a start on the recipes and made my final decisions.