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.

rose harissa hake with roasted cauliflower

This recipe is a delicious mix of lovely warm spices from the rose harissa and slight sweetness from the hake and coconut milk. It’s a great way to get a bit more fish in your diet - and cooking it in a sauce was always a good way to get my kids to eat it!

Depending on how spicy you want to go, you can double the rose harissa for extra heat or dial it back if you want a milder creamier flavour.

Roasted cauliflower is one of my favourite veggies and works really well with this dish. I’ve made it super tasty with a mix of coconut oil, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Cauliflower adds extra fiber to your plate and is also high in a compound called sulforaphane, which may enhance detoxification activity in the liver and protect against free radical cell damage in the body.

Hake is a good source of lean protein, with around 20g per 100g fillet. It’s a ‘complete’ protein containing all 9 ‘essential’ amino acids; these aminos are essential as they must be consumed in the diet as the body cannot synthesise them. It’s important to eat sufficient amounts of protein (I try to eat 1.5-2g per kg of body weight per day) for muscle repair and growth, immune function, heart health, and even brain function.

Hake is a good source of tryptophan, one of the nine essential amino acids. Tryptophan is understood to improve sleep quality as it helps to produce the hormone melatonin. Tryptophan is also a precursor to serotonin, which is important for sleep, mood, and appetite regulation.

Hake contains healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega 3s (but in smaller amounts than oily fish such as salmon and mackerel); these fats may have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the risk of heart and neurodegenerative diseases.

Hake is also high in several minerals that are essential for keeping our bodies functioning properly. The main ones include:

Phosphorus - this mineral is found in high-protein food as phosphates. It is associated with energy metabolism and can help with weight control. It also helps to maintain a normal PH, and is a major component of cell membranes, bones, and teeth. 85% of phosphorus in the body is found in bones.

Potassium - is a mineral and electrolyte that balances sodium levels in the body and, therefore, may help to regulate blood pressure. It is needed for normal muscular and nerve function and plays a role in maintaining bone density by neutralizing acids that can leach calcium from bones. A diet rich in potassium may help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Magnesium is essential for over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, including energy production, DNA synthesis, muscle contraction and relaxation, blood sugar regulation, nerve function, and bone health.

These minerals are key to maintaining a healthy metabolism and bone strength and density and may be important in mid-life. Metabolism and lean muscle can decrease, and women, in particular, are more susceptible to a decrease in bone density and osteoporosis with declining levels of oestrogen as they reach perimenopause.

• If you can’t get hold of hake, sub for any other white fish or salmon. You could also make this recipe vegan by using firm tofu chopped into cubes instead of fish.

Ingredients

Serves 4 

• ½ tbsp coconut oil 

• 1 lg onion, half moon slices

• 1 red pepper, sliced 

• 1 lg garlic clove, grated finely 

• 1 x 400g tinned tomatoes

• 1 x 400g tin coconut milk 

• 1 tbsp rose harissa

• 4 hake fillets

• Handful chopped coriander

• 2 limes cut in quarters 

• 1 cauliflower, chopped in med florets

• ½ tsp ground cumin 

• ½ tsp ground coriander 

• ½ tsp ground smoked paprika

• Pinch of sea salt

Method 

• Heat the oven to 180. 

• Warm a large sauté pan and melt the coconut oil. 

• Gently fry the onions for 10 mins, then add the red pepper for another 10 min. 

• Prep the cauliflower by spreading it in a large baking tray, add 4-5 knobs of coconut oil and the ground spices. Set aside. 

• Next, add the garlic to the onions and peppers for a minute before mixing in the ground spices. Allow to warm for 20 seconds, and then pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk. Add the harissa and simmer for 15 minutes. 

• Add the fish to the sauce for 10-12 minutes until the fish is cooked. 

• Place the cauliflower in the oven for 12 minutes. 

• Finish the fish by adding a good pinch of sea salt and chopped coriander, and serve with a couple of lime wedges.  

  Tip

• Switch tinned for 6 large vine tomatoes. 

• You can use any white fish in this dish, so cod, sea bass, pollack

•  The sauce won’t be particularly thick but don’t worry, the rice and cauliflower soak it all up. You could add a tbsp of cornflower mixed in a little water to thicken if you want to though. Just make sure you whisk it into the sauce quickly, or it’ll end up in a lump!