Baked hake with smoky tomato sauce, courgettes and couscous

This is one of my go-to midweek dinners. It’s quick and mostly hands off, and it gets protein, plenty of vegetables and wholegrains onto the plate in one go.

You can make the tomato sauce up to 3 days ahead. On the night, you just reheat it, add the fish and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes. That makes it easy on a busy weeknight, but it also works well for friends at the weekend. Once it’s in the oven there’s very little left to do, so you have more time to sit down and catch up.

I’ve used hake here, but cod works just as well. It’s worth buying the best quality fish you can.

Why it’s a good one

• Protein: around 30g per serving, mostly from the fish, which fits the 30g-per-meal aim from my protein guides [CHECK]. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass, which matters more as we move through midlife.

• Plants: around 8 different plants, depending on your grain and greens, plus smoked paprika. That’s a good step towards 30 plants a week.

• A balanced plate: protein, wholegrains and vegetables together, the kind of meal that tends to keep you satisfied until the next one.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 medium onion, small dice

• 1 red pepper, small dice

• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce), or regular paprika if you prefer a less smoky flavour

• 2 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes, or chopped plum tomatoes

• 1 tsp sea salt, plus a little extra

• 4 hake or cod fillets (about 120-150g each)

• 1 large courgette, cut into 1cm rounds

• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

• A small handful of chopped parsley

• 200g wholewheat couscous

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide, shallow, ovenproof pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook on a low heat for a further 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute or so, then add the smoked paprika and stir well.

3. Pour in the tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, then stir in the sea salt. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C while the sauce simmers.

4. Place the fish in the sauce so it is half submerged. Slide the pan into the oven for 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. If you don’t have an ovenproof pan, cover with a lid and simmer gently on the hob for about 10 minutes.

5. While the fish cooks, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium frying pan. Fry the courgette in 2-3 batches over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes a side, until browned. Lay the slices in a single layer with no overlap, otherwise they’ll steam rather than brown. Transfer each batch to a warm plate, dress with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of sea salt, and cover loosely with foil.

6. While the courgette cooks, put the couscous in a small saucepan or heatproof bowl with a good pinch of salt. Pour over 300ml boiling water, cover and leave for 8-10 minutes until soft.

7. When the fish is ready, scatter over the parsley and serve with the couscous, courgettes and remaining lemon wedges.

Make ahead

• The sauce keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge. Bring it back to a simmer before adding the fish.

Easy swaps

• Instead of couscous: any wholegrain works, such as brown rice or quinoa. Pearl barley is another good option. These take longer than couscous, so start cooking them once the tomato sauce is simmering (step 3), following the packet timings.

• Instead of courgettes: anything green works. Try steamed cabbage, leafy greens such as spinach, kale or cavolo nero, or a simple green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil.

Giant cous cous, chickpea, courgette, red pepper & feta salad

Summer is all about this kind of healthy salad for me. I love putting this type of dish together as I know I'll have enough for a few lunches and I can also turn it into a dinner in the evening by adding a green salad, fresh bread, roast chicken, or fish. 

This was literally a store cupboard recipe the other day as I needed to go shopping, but hadn't quite got around to it. Anyway, it just so happened that I had a random selection of ingredients which came together to make this rather nice salad :-)

Hope you like it too!

Ingredients

• 200g giant wholemeal cous cous

• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas

• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped

• 1 roasted red pepper ( I like to use one from a Cooks & Co jar when I'm short of time)

• 1 courgette, sliced and griddled or fried

Dressing

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1/2 clove garlic, minced

• Handful of chopped coriander

• Handful of crumbled feta

Method

• Cook the cous cous as per the instructions on the packet, I would add a veggie stock cube to give it a bit of extra flavour as well.

• Once the cous cous has cooled, put all the ingredients in a large bowl and pour on the dressing.

• Add the toppings for extra flavour.

Cous cous & chickpeas in ras el hanut

Cous cous can be a bit boring unless you really work on the flavourings and this recipe certainly does that. Usually consigned to side dish status, here the long suffering cous cous gets a chance to shine. Great with any kind of tagine, but also it works really well for lunch the day after topped with a poached egg.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 small onion

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon ras el hanut spice

• 200g cooked chickpeas

• 1 tomato

• 120g cous cous

• 360ml boiling water

• Handful chopped coriander, to taste

Method

• Fry the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften and colour. I use a large skillet for this dish and serve the cous cous in the pan on the table.

• Add the salt and ras el hanut, mixing well to release the flavours.

• Next add the chickpeas and chopped tomato and cook for a minute or so. Tip in the cous cous followed by the boiling water, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat and cover.

• Leave to stand for about 10 minutes while the cous cous absorbs all the water. When ready break up with a fork and serve with chopped coriander.