Magnificent News: Eat Voraciously: Easiest baked fish

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Here's what's for dinner tonight.

By G. Daniela Galarza

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Easiest baked fish

It's midterm election day, and so the newsroom is abuzz. While you read or watch the returns, how about some dinner? I've got an especially efficient and healthful meal idea for you tonight. It's a baked cod flavored with lemon and garlic and served with steamed quinoa.

Recipes editor Ann Maloney brought it to The Post earlier this year, and in case you missed it this spring, I think it's a good excuse to turn on the oven now that there's a chill in the air.

"Frozen fish are often the most convenient, less expensive and more sustainable way to go, but in my experience, the result can be hit or miss when it comes to the fish's quality," Ann wrote. "This recipe offers a little insurance even if your fillet is not optimal."

It's from author Gary Deng's cookbook, "The Wellness Principles" and involves coating the cod with cornstarch, which helps keep the fish moist and tender. Olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika flavor the fish and turn into a sauce as it cooks.

It's a formula that works with other types of fish as well, and you can always alter the flavor profile. Here are a few other ideas:

Lemon + thyme
Orange + rosemary
Shallot + tangerine
Lime + ginger
Lime + jalapeño
Ginger + lemongrass

Today's recipe

Photos by Justin Tsucalas for The Washington Post; food styling by Nicola Justine Davis for The Washington Post

Lemon-Garlic Baked Cod With Quinoa

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

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Servings: 4
Active time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon fine salt, divided
1 cup (6 1/2 ounces) uncooked quinoa, preferably tricolor
4 (1 1/2-inch thick) skinless cod fillets (5 to 6 ounces each), thawed if frozen
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
Pinch of sweet paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Steps

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the water is absorbed, and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. (If the quinoa is still wet, uncover, increase the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.) Remove from the heat and keep covered.

3. While the quinoa is cooking, pat the cod dry, then sprinkle with the cornstarch, the remaining salt and the black pepper.

4. Slice the lemon in half. Juice half and slice the other half into 4 wedges.

5. In a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, or one of a similar size so that all of the fillets can fit in one layer with some space in between, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.

6. Add the fish and turn to coat in the olive oil mixture. Sprinkle with the paprika and cayenne, if using. Scoop up some of the garlic and spoon it on top of the fish.

7. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from the oven.

8. To serve, mound the quinoa on each plate, top with a fish fillet, spoon some of the pan juices over the quinoa and fish, and add a lemon wedge.

Adapted from "The Wellness Principles" by Gary Deng (Phaidon, 2022). Tested by Ann Maloney.

Nutrition information per serving (1 fish fillet, 3/4 cup quinoa, about 2 tablespoons sauce): Calories: 555; Total Fat: 32 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Cholesterol: 61 mg; Sodium: 374 mg; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 0 g; Protein: 32 g

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas:

No quinoa? >> Use rice or orzo instead, cooking it according to the package instructions.
Not into cod? >> Tilapia or salmon would be fine here.
Looking to avoid garlic? >> If it's the garlic itself, an infused oil might solve the issue. Or, use a minced shallot or skip it.

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Consider taking some time before bed tonight to clean out your refrigerator and freezer. Not only will you make space for the inevitable crush of food that's about to go into it in a few weeks, but you might unearth some ingredients or soup, dumplings, lasagna or stew that you'd forgotten about and can now have for dinner this week.