Recipe of the Week: Fish on Christmas Eve

You don’t have to be an Italian-American to serve fish on Christmas Eve, although they do get credit for bringing the practice to this country.
In many areas they serve the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or sometimes a Feast of Three Fishes as part of the religious practice of not eating meat on a feast day, which in this case is Christmas.
The fish can be as simple as a soup or casserole that includes seven kinds of seafood, or as complex as a seven-course meal with seafood in each course.
If you are having an open house or Christmas Eve party, it also could be an array of appetizers such as shrimp cocktail, mini crab cakes, hot crab dip, fish taco bites, ceviche, tuna fish dip, calamari, tiny tuna melts or lobster- (or crab-) stuffed mushrooms.
Of course, there will always be someone who can’t or won’t eat seafood for health or personal reasons so it’s good to have at least one alternative option when doing a fish feast or spread. That could be a vegetarian dish such as a soup or casserole, or something simple like a meatball appetizer that could also go on rolls for sandwiches. For dessert opt for something light such as a tray of cookies.
Cod is one of the favorite fishes served on Christmas Eve in Southern Italy, because it is readily accessible, isn’t expensive and is easy to cook, even for a novice. This recipe is from delish.com and comes together quickly. Happy holidays, everyone!

Perfect Baked Cod

4 cod filets, about 1 inch thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking dish

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and pat cod filets with a paper towel until dry. Season all over with salt and pepper.
2. Combine olive oil, cherry tomatoes, lemon slices, garlic, and thyme in a 9-x-13-inch baking dish. Toss to coat and spread into an even layer. Nestle cod pieces into baking dish.
3. Bake until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness of filets.
4. Serve garnished with parsley, more lemon juice, and pan sauce.

Nutrition (per serving): 320 calories, 41 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 16 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 125 mg sodium

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