Sheet Pan Cod With Vegetables and Smoked Paprika Sauce. Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post/food styling by Gina Nistico for The Washington Post
Sometimes just deciding what to make on a given week overwhelms me, and I’m often tempted to just get takeout and call it a day.
Happily, I have found a few strategies to get me over the hump. First, I take the pressure off by planning only three meals a week, a number that feels absolutely attainable. For each, I cook extra so we have leftovers for at least two more nights, covering the whole workweek.
Second, I remind myself to keep it simple. While I like to be adventurous in the kitchen, it’s not practical to get too elaborate at the end of a long day when I need dinner on the table fast - and it’s not necessary. Some of my family’s most beloved meals are the fairly basic ideas. One I lean on in the cooler months is roasted fish and vegetables, simply seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
This sheet-pan recipe is an iteration of that, made with cod (or any other white, flaky fish) and potatoes, which get a head start in the oven before sharing the pan with some broccoli florets. It’s a perfectly satisfying meal as is.
But my third weeknight dinner strategy - tap easy ways to add big flavor - takes the dish to another level. While the fish is cooking you whip up a quick sauce made with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, tomato paste, smoked paprika and a touch of honey. It gets drizzled over the fish and vegetables and adds a smoky, umami flavor, gorgeous ribbon of color and craveable lusciousness.
Showered with a confetti of chopped parsley, you end up with a dinner that delivers so much and so easily, I consider it a weekday stress reliever.
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Sheet Pan Cod With Vegetables and Smoked Paprika Sauce
4 servings
Total time: 35 mins
Elevate roasted cod, broccoli and potatoes with an easy drizzle spiked with smoked paprika, lemon and tomato paste. This quick, flavor-packed sauce is all it takes to turn a plain weeknight meal into something truly special.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (5 medium), unpeeled, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon fine salt, divided
1 medium head broccoli (1 1/4 pounds), cut into 1 1/2-inch florets
4 fillets of white, flaky fish, such as cod (about 5 ounces each; see Substitutions)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from the same lemon)
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
STEPS
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 425 degrees. Have ready 2 large sheet pans.
Arrange the potatoes on one side of one of the sheet pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and toss to coat. Transfer the sheet pan to the upper rack in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Arrange the broccoli on the other side of the pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and toss to coat. Return the pan to the upper rack in the oven and roast for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, line the other large sheet pan with foil or parchment paper, and set the fish fillets on top. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of the oil and use your hands to coat the pieces in the oil. Season with 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
Place the fish on the lower rack and roast for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. The fish should be opaque and flake easily when pressed with the tines of a fork, and the vegetables should be tender and nicely browned.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl or jar, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, the lemon zest and juice, tomato paste, water, honey, smoked paprika and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
To serve, divide the fish and vegetables among individual plates, drizzle with the sauce and garnish with the parsley.
Substitutions: Cod >> flounder, haddock, tilapia or other flaky white mild-tasting fish. Broccoli >> broccolini or broccoli rabe, with an adjustment to the cooking time. Potatoes >> sweet potatoes.
Nutrition per serving (1 fish fillet, 1 1/2 cups vegetables and generous 1 tablespoon sauce): 423 calories, 30g carbohydrates, 61mg cholesterol, 21g fat, 6g fiber, 32g protein, 3g saturated fat, 567mg sodium, 6g sugar
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger.
