Cod with Artichokes & Tomatoes

Many of my friends are pescatarians. For the most part, they are vegetarians who also eat fish to supplement their protein intake while avoiding meat. It’s a very healthy diet that uses many recipes from the Mediterranean Diet.

When my pescatarian-friends come over for dinner, I like to prepare a meal that relies heavily on vegetables for flavor. One of my favorites is Cod with Artichokes and Tomatoes. I’ve had the recipe for so many years that I can’t even remember where it originated. The magic of the recipe comes from a small jar of marinated artichokes which flavor and moisten the fish.

If you keep some cod in your freezer and some artichokes and diced tomatoes in your pantry, you can easily prepare a delicious supper with little effort. Serve it alone in a shallow bowl with some crusty bread to soak up the flavorful sauce or with a scoop of rice. Serving it to friends, I often use a half-ball shaped mold or ice cream scoop to form the rice in the middle of the dish. Simple but elegant.

COD WITH ARTICHOKES & TOMATOES
Serves 4

Ingredients
1½ pounds cod filet
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried marjoram (or oregano)
½ cup dry white wine
14 ounce jar of marinated artichokes
14 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf

Cut the cod into pieces about 1-inch by 2-inches.

In a frying pan large enough to hold the cod and vegetables in a single layer, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Sauté the onion on low heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Don’t let the onion or garlic brown or they will become bitter.

Add the marjoram and white wine and simmer for a couple of minutes until the wine evaporates. Set aside.

Place the artichokes and their marinade into a small bowl. Cut the artichoke quarters into smaller pieces so they will distribute more evenly throughout the sauce.

Put the artichokes, marinade, canned tomatoes (with their liquid) and bay leaf into the pan and let the sauce simmer for about a minute to thicken slightly.

Tuck the cod pieces into the sauce, cover the pan and continue simmering for 8 minutes. Check to see if the cod flakes easily with a fork. If not, continue simmering for another 2 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and serve immediately.