It's getting warmer here in New England and when this happens I want to cook fish. More than any other time of year, seafood in the summer seems to be a tradition around here. There are only a few white fishes I enjoy: yellow tail flounder, dover sole, halibut and cod. Cod is a delicate white fish with a fairly mild flavor. It's easily available, easy to cook and a healthy option for dinner. So let me show you how to make baked cod with tomatoes and feta.
Baked Cod is an Easy Dinner with Simple Ingredients
Sometimes, the best dinner is a simple dinner. I'm lucky to live in an area where most grocery stores have a seafood counter. I always check out what they have and look for sales with flounder, sole and cod. Halibut isn't as common, but when they do have it, I'll grab some.
Most stores sell cod one of two ways: A long "steak" like I use in my recipe or cut into smaller pieces. They had the steaks the day I was there. But remember: they can always cut anything for you so keep that in mind. If you prefer cutting the fish ahead of time that is fine too. I love cooking the whole fish as one piece. 🙂
Next, to keep this recipe simple this is all you need:
- Cod
- Cherry tomatoes
- Feta cheese
- Onion
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Lemon and parsley are optional
- Side dish: roasted zucchini or whatever your favorite veggie or salad is
How to Work With Cod: Tips and Tricks
- Use the fish within a day or two of buying it - preferably the *day* you bought it. One thing I can tell you about seafood: it doesn't sit in the fridge well. If you haven't used it the next day - freeze it for another time.
- With a large cod "steak" there is a thick end and a very thin end. Fold the thin end under before cooking so the tail end (thin side) becomes the same thickness as the other end and doesn't over cook. (see video)
- I sometimes cut the thin end off (I cut it off in the video so you can see what that looks like) and use it for another time as a one-person dinner.
- Once cooked: the cod is VERY delicate and falls apart easily. This is why I cooked it on parchment paper. I knew I wanted to move the whole cod to a platter without falling apart. Grabbing all four corners of the parchment paper to transfer to a platter was the best way to do this.
- Serve the baked cod on a platter and have a large utensil (serving fork, spatula) to cut off each serving. Or cut it all yourself and serve this already-plated. But I really love the presentation of the whole fish on a platter with all the tomatoes.
- With flaky white fish like flounder, dover sole, halibut and cod - don't forget to handle with care once it's cooked. Touch it as little as possible except to pick it up with a spatula and put it on your plate. It falls apart pretty easily.
Baked Cod with Tomatoes and Feta: A Healthier Choice
It can get really humid in Massachusetts come July and August. As it gets more hot and humid, I am not as hungry at dinner and prefer lighter, healthier meals. This baked cod recipe is perfect for lighter fare. I also enjoy my McCormick Fish Fry Flounder so if you love flounder like I do, you should check that one out too. It says "fish fry" but I cook the fish in olive oil and there is no batter involved. And of course, my Baked Dover Sole is another easy one and so delish.
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Fish is a great, healthier alternative for dinner and I love a simple side of veggies or salad to go with it. Fish is also pretty low maintenance with a short cooking time. You can do a lot of simple things to it and it will taste awesome. You could opt for just lemon. Toast some panko crumbs or Ritz crackers and sprinkle on top. Bake it. Fry it (though that would make it less healthy). Foil steam it. You have a lot of choices. My baked cod with tomatoes and feta is one of them. Hope you give it a try!
Easy Steps to Making Baked Cod with Tomatoes and Feta
Baked Cod with Tomatoes and Feta
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 portions 1x
Description
Looking for a simple healthy recipe for dinner? I’ve got a delicious baked cod with tomatoes and feta that is super easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (put garlic in this)
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 container rainbow cherry tomatoes, quartered (16.5 oz)
- ½ to 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup thinly sliced onion (yellow or white)
- 2-pound cod steak
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Optional:
- Lemon wedges
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
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Instructions
- Finely dice the clove of garlic and add it to a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside while doing other prep. We want to let the garlic flavor the oil for later when we brush it on the fish.
- Cut the tops and bottoms from the zucchini. Cut the zucchini across the middle into two pieces. Then cut each piece lengthwise. I cut the zucchini diagonally from there and prefer larger pieces. Should be ¼” in thickness or so. You can cut the pieces smaller if you prefer, but the thickness should be around ¼”. My video shows this well.
- After the zucchini are cut, transfer to a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Season to taste with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Maybe ¼ teaspoon of each. Toss to coat and cook later with the fish.
- Wash and quarter the cherry tomatoes. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, then in half again. The tomatoes will sit atop the cod later and it works best with smaller pieces. Put the tomatoes in a large bowl as you’re cutting them.
- Add half a cup of crumbled feta to the bowl and toss. If you’re a feta lover like me, add a full cup of feta to the tomato bowl. This is up to you. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper (about ¼ teaspoon each and you can skip the pepper if you’re not a fan of it). Mix together a minute and you’re done.
- Cut an onion in half, then cut very thin slices of the onion. As thin as you can get – like razor thin. Set aside.
- Lay out the cod on a cutting board. There is a thick end and a thinner end. I will show you what to do if you want to cut off the very thin end - it’s in the video above. If you are not cutting off the thin end – just fold it under to make it the same thickness as the rest of the fish. If there is an extra flap of fish on the side, just tuck it under the fish.
- Place the fish on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Brush the garlicky olive oil on the fish. Cover the top and sides fully. Try not to let any of the garlic bits get on top of the fish --- just the flavored oil only.
- Give the fish a light sprinkling of salt (¼ teaspoon). My camera was off when I did mine – sorry.
- Place the thinly sliced onions on top of the fish. Don’t crowd them. You may not need all of them either. Also, if you don’t want the onion you don’t have to use it. This dish tastes great with or without them.
- Transfer the tomato and feta to the top of the fish using a large spoon. Use your hands to secure the tomatoes on top. Some will fall to the sides – that’s fine.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. The zucchini takes about 20-25 minutes so put that in about 5 minutes before the fish.
- While the fish is cooking you can chop the optional lemon wedges and fresh parsley garnish if you choose to use them.
- Once the fish is cooked let it cool a few minutes. I found it was easiest to grab all four corners of the parchment paper and pick up the fish to transfer to a serving platter. I think it makes a cool presentation too.
- Transfer the roasted zucchini to a serving bowl.
- Use a large spatula to serve the fish. Cod is flaky and delicate so it will break apart easily. Enjoy!
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