Who doesn’t love summer? There are so many reasons to love summer … reading on the porch or the patio, days spent at the beach, barbecues with family and friends, warmer weather, the county fairs across the country. I could go on and on. One of the many reasons I love summer is for the lighter, summer dishes I can make for dinner.

Last night, I decided I’d make fish for dinner and I chose Alaskan cod. I seasoned it quite simply with basil olive oil, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, sliced garlic, and lemon zest. I topped the fish with lemon slices before placing it in the oven and with sliced Kalamata olives and fresh basil before serving.

I started by placing the fish on a large sheet pan fitted with parchment paper and drizzling the basil olive oil over my cod. (If you don’t have basil olive oil, you can simply use regular olive oil.)

Once I had drizzled the cod with the olive oil, I sprinkled kosher salt and red pepper flakes over the top. Next, I added the zest of one lemon to the fish and topped that with slices of fresh garlic.

 

I then sliced the lemon that I had zested and placed those slices on top of the fish before placing it in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

While the fish was baking, I sliced a half cup of Kalamata olives and cut 9 large basil leaves into a chiffonade.

The cod was perfect served over a bed of quinoa. This dinner was light, healthy, and satisfying. A win-win in my book!

Last night’s dinner was so good, I repurposed it today for lunch. I simply heated the quinoa and fish in a shallow bowl. Once it was heated through, I drizzled a bit of basil olive oil over the quinoa and added fresh basil and grape tomatoes that I halved and a few small dollops of goat cheese. It was just as good the second time around and I loved the addition of the goat cheese and tomatoes for lunch.

Ingredients

1 pound cod

basil olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

zest and slices of one lemon

9 basil leaves

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

Directions

1. Pat cod dry with a paper towel and place on parchment paper on a sheet pan.
2. Drizzle and brush olive oil over the fish.
3. Sprinkle with kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Add lemon zest and sliced garlic. Top with lemon slices.
4. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes.
5. Serve over a bed of quinoa and top with olives and basil.

Enjoy!

Until next time, Kris