simple meals with lots of flavor

Recently, Whole Foods had on Prime Member special, wild caught Atlantic cod for $8.99/lb. Cod is a favorite fish of my husband, therefore, what better reason to pick up a pound. I wanted to prepare something that was fairly quick and easy. A web search brought me to the website “Everyday Food” and the recipe baked cod with potatoes and olives. 

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The recipe sounded intriguing and had just six ingredients. You’ll need red new potatoes, fresh garlic, crushed dried rosemary (I used fresh), cod fillets, a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes and Kalamata olives. Prep time for the recipe is 20 minutes, with an overall time of 50. The meal is prepared on one rimmed baking sheet at 450 degrees. First in are the potatoes to roast. After 20 minutes, the tomatoes and olives are combined with the potatoes and slid to one side so the fish fillets can be added to the pan. Another 15-20 minutes in the oven and dinner is done. So simple, yet so flavorful. The fish came out moist, the potatoes were roasted to perfection. The tomatoes add a little sweetness and the Kalamata olives, that are cured in red wine vinegar, add a bit of tartness. Yup, another successful meal that my husband and I enjoyed!

I was also given a head of escarole by my daughter. Many, many years ago a neighbor of ours use to make bean and escarole soup. It was all escarole with tender cannellini beans. I looked through several of my Italian cook books and found one in Naples at Table, by Arthur Schwartz. The recipe not only had the beans but a bit of celery, plum tomatoes, parsley and red pepper flakes.

The recipe was pretty straightforward. I had cannellini beans in the house, however, prior to cooking them, I soaked them overnight in cold water. I also glanced the escarole a day ahead. Once the beans were tender, the balance of the ingredients were added to the pot; such as olive oil, finely minced garlic, 3-4 plum tomatoes, celery and parsley that is finely chopped and a bit of red pepper flakes. As my escarole was cold, I add that at the same time instead of letting the other ingredients simmer for a bit. 


The soup was tastey, however, I did add some salt to the soup as it needed a bit more of a punch. I did note in another recipe that bay leaves were added to the beans as they cooked, I may try that the next time. The soup was hearty and filling, but I’m on a mission to find one that has a greater ratio of greens to broth.

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