Last Updated on December 7, 2018 by Fiona Maclean
Lemon Cod – A Fishy Recipe for the 5-2 diet and a Delish Fish Giveaway:
The 5-2 diet is working pretty well for me, I’ve only got 3kg more to lose before I hit my first target (no doubt I’ll still want to lose a bit more weight, but at least my summer clothes should fit). And much of that is down to eating a lot more fish. This week the dreadful weather got me yearning for spring and the sort of food I’d normally be eating around this time of year. I wanted something fresh, green and vibrant. But still warming. Because for me at least, it’s far too cold for salads at the moment. So this is my 5-2 Diet Lemon Cod.
My friend at DelishFish is trying to spread the word about how high in Omega3 Scottish fish is. If you were not already aware, Omega 3 oils are found in many fish – in highest levels in Salmon, Mackerel and other oily fish, but also in cold water sea fish like Cod and Hake. Omega 3 oils help to keep your heart healthy and also help prevent some kinds of cancer, Alzheimer’s and strokes. He sent me a lovely hamper of fish high in Omega 3 oils to sample and I spotted some lovely fresh Scottish Cod in there. This very simple recipe was something I made for my last 5-2 diet fast day. The beans are called flageolet – they are just a little smaller than baked beans and a pale green colour. You can buy them dried or in cans and they have a delicate freshness that makes me think of spring. Perfect for that period when spring vegetables haven’t quite appeared in the shops, but when you want something that reminds you summer is on its way. Spring onions are a good, light way to add a little bit of oniony taste without overwhelming the beans…and the asparagus, which is optional, just adds a little more green.
Now, I know you can pop into Waitrose and buy your fish already put in a baking bag. But, really, it’s a two minute job to make your own, and personally I’d rather add my own ingredients and seasoning. And, because my fish comes from DelishFish, I know it’s Scottish Cod and I know that it is ultra fresh, beautifully filleted and packed in one person portions that are ideal if you are dieting.
Here’s my simple recipe:

- 1 piece Cod Fillet about 150g
- 1/2 Large Lemon one or two slices removed to cook with the fish, the remainder zested then squeezed
- 100 g Canned Flageolet Beans drained
- 2 Spring Onions Trimmed and diced
- 1 handful Fresh Parsley
- 4 shots 1cal oil
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 4-5 sticks Asparagus Trimmed and cut into 1cm lengths
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Sprinkle the fish with salt and leave at room temperature for an hour or so. Then rinse and pat dry with some kitchen paper. This helps the fish to have a firmer texture and hold together well. Season well with pepper and just a little salt.
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Spray foil or baking parchment with 1cal oil and make a parcel with the cod, 2 lemon slices and half of the parsley. Seal the parcel up and place on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 170c for 15-20 mins (depending on the thickness of the cod)
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Put the spring onions and asparagus pieces (if you are using them) into a heavy bottomed pan with the olive oil. Heat gently till the spring onions just start to brown.
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minutes before the fish is ready, add the beans to the spring onion mixture and warm through gently. Squeeze in the remaining lemon juice and if you like add a little zest of lemon
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Plate by putting the bean mixture into a shallow bowl, placing the fish and lemon on top with a garnish of the remaining fresh parsley
Now, just in case you are feeling left out – Delish Fish have offered a heart-healthy Omega 3 high pack of fish for one of my readers.
This is the perfect case of fish for a small household – or if you just want to try DelishFish. It will contain 4 portions of salmon, 4 of smoked mackerel, 4 portions of frozen herrings, 2 portions of hake 2 portions of cod and 2 portions of haddock. If you want to order a case NOW, then contact John at DelishFish and for the next 30 days, he’ll send you all the fish listed above, worth £46 for £35 including delivery in the UK and pop in a free Omega 3 guide too, so you can find out more about eating fish for a healthy heart.
Oh, and I nearly forgot, the calorie count for this lovely and substantial meal is under 300!
Thankfulness to my father who shared with me on the topic
of this blog, this web site is truly awesome.
Salmon and thankfully my dad catches the odd one 🙂
Salmon
Just love Salmon 🙂
Simon.
Almonds
Salmon
Smoked haddock, new potatoes and salad mmmmm
Salmon, can’t get enough of it 🙂 x
I love fresh sardines, cooked on the gridle or bbq.
I love smoked mackerel for breakfast. A easy, but tasty, pre-packed fish which is very versatile.
To be honest I eat any fish apart from octopus or squid.
tuna either in a sandwich, salad or grilled 🙂
salmon is my favorite x
Salmon – wrapped in foil and cooked with ginger, a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil.
tuna and jacket potatoes and salad
love smoked salmon but also love sardines
Smoked Salmon, yum x
Salmon
I do adore my nuts.
Edamame beans – only found out recently that they are a great source of omega 3
Nuts
I Love smoked mackerel with cracked black peppercorns!
Mackerel
Love Salmon cokked every way possible 🙂
I love salmon
Love salmon 🙂
I love salmon or trout fillets, with new potatoes and salad!
Love tinned sardines on toast. So cheap as well.
Mackerel
A fresh tuna steak mmm!
I love mackeral, especially smoked in a salad
Salmon without doubt
Really big fan of salmon, and usually have it once or twice a week!! Also ANY smoked fish…its just lovely!
i love fish not sure i could choose between them 🙂 tuna and salmon i eat the most of x
Salmon! So versatile and tasty
I love mackerel. It’s so tasty 🙂
I love sardines, it a storeroom staple, great for just having quickly on toast and add real flavour to salads.
I love salmon
I love salmon, especially in the summer with asparagus!
Salmon is my favorite,I love it baked in the oven.
Tuna
I am not the classy time and much prefer a nice fresh mackeral, caught by my own fair hand, or as fresh as possible x
Salmon and that recipe looks lovely
Sardines on a BBQ
Sardines with salad
i love fresh salmon
Oven baked salmon with fresh lemon.
Smoked mackerel
Somked mackerel
Living right by the sea we’re lucky enough to get plenty of mackerel to enjoy, can’t beat it freshly caught and straight in the pan 🙂 But if I love fresh tuna and salmon too.
Definitely mackeral – not only is it fantastic tasting but my great-uncle was a fisherman and took us fishing for mackeral at the weekends so it brings back lovely childhood memories.
I can’t choose between mackerel, walnuts or butter beans. All so delicious x
has to be salmon
Sardines and Salmon amongst other oily fish
I love all kinds of fish, and love it sprinkled with toasted nuts & seeds too… yum
salmon
I love walnuts 🙂
Sardines..Cooked and eaten on a lovely beach in Portugal of course!!!!!
Tuna for me 🙂
Salmon as it is so versatile
I love smoked mackerel especially as a pate 🙂
I love tinned mackeral (and tinned sardines)… not sure how healthy they are (being tinned) but they take me right back to my childhood 🙂
salmon
Nice love fish
I love Cod
I love all fish, but probably fresh tuna
I love salmon wellington
Pecan nuts are my fave omega3 rich food .. though I am partial to a lovely piece of mackerel xx
Mackerel, so cheap and lovely.
I like cod and haddock!
i just love Shrimp xx
Salmon definitely 🙂 It’s the one fish all the kids ( I have 4) will eat too 🙂
mine is eggs
Salmon
Salmon would be mine, so many recipe options.
Cod
good old classic cod 🙂
Salmon
well
I love fish particularly tuna, salmon and cod
Just plain grilled mackerel, doesn’t need any extra ingredients, yum!
I am a fish lover, and I mackerel is one of my favourite foods – in any form. But nothing beats fresh mackerel with a squeeze of lemon – yummy 🙂
Salmon closely followed by smoked kippers
Tuna, salmon & Eggs Yummy
Mackerel
If really focusing on the omega 3 side of things then I’d say salmon or mackerel, but my favourite fish of all is smoked haddock – yum!
john (delish fish) makes the best smoked haddock I’ve tried for ages! Good luck Maria
Salmon
I love salmon!
salmon that swam up a river
is my favourite dinner
Thanks for all the lovely recipes. I will be trying the lemony cod one next week.
let me know how you get on with it;)
Fresh caught mackerel – lovely in a risotto smoked or unsmoked.
any fish particularly , particularly from Delish fish
grilled sardines are my fave!
Smoked mackerel gets my vote!!! Yummmmmmmm!!!!
Thank you!
Laura Williams
@SaladScoffer
Halibut for a treat
Great information. Lucky me I ran across your site by chance (stumbleupon).
I’ve saved it for later!
love cod and so do my children x
Lovely smoked mackerel flaked and mashed into a baked potato with some roasted tomatoes- mmmmm!
I have to say I’ve had pretty much that for my own supper tonight. Very yum. You need to try Delish Fish’s smoked mackerel.!
Cod
Salmon
sardines
love fresh tuna
Salmon
Salmon
Salmon!
Lemon sole
Cod is my favourite
Herrings in tomato sauce sandwiches!
cod is delicious
Salmon, I could eat it every meal.
mackeral, we try and catch out own x
Salmon
Salmon
Has to be salmon – cooked simply in paper in the oven with a bit of lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper – delicious – though I do love nuts too. xoxo
Salmon
Added flax to a lot of dishes
Great looking fish
oh I know flax is meant to be very good! Do you grind it down a bit or just sprinkle the whole seads?
Cod baked in the oven with lemon and cracked pepper
pilchards on toast yummy
definitely salmon, I adore it
Salmon
salmon
mackerel
Poached salmon
Smoked Mackerel (with a squirt of garlic paste then microwaved)
I love a kipper every now and again.
Salmon and prawns wrapped in a parcel and steamed
Salmon
Tuna or salmon….simply cooked with a salad…yum yum!
ooppss Cod I meant 🙂
Cos in parsley sauce x
As a child I loved pilchards on toast – from a tin. I’ve just redicovered them – yum!
Salmon
Cod.
Salmon
I love smoked cod yummy:)
tuna with salad
I love peppered mackerel
I absolutely love salmon. I made the most amazing recipe for it yesterday from the hairy bikers cookbook, it was fantastic, and on my fast day too!
flax crackers
sardines
Mackerel with gooseberry sauce. Mmmm
Omega 3 rich eggs,walnuts and mackerel would be my top foods for extra omega 3
mine would have to be salmon
Salmon
smoked mackerel
Mackerel
I love oven backed mackerel with a tomato sauce
I’d pick salmon, give it a light grill 🙂
Cod….yum yum! Must try this recipe!
Cod!
I can’t get enough Smoked Mackerel
I love salmon!
Salmon
Salmon
My homemade fishcakes made using salmon and egg, coated in oats, and served with spinach. A veritable feast of Omega 3!
Salmon
Definitely salmon- it’s delicious and versatile! 🙂
I love mackerel, especially barbequed in the summer!
my fave fish is salmon
I love Tuna, would eat it every day, especially with jacket potato and some salad!
I love smoked mackeral with baby new potatoes and green beans in a salad
I steam salmon – love it
Mmm! Not a fish person myself, but I would definitely replicate the rest of the meal, just sans the fish!;-)
i salmon dry fried or poached
i love smoke salmon 😀
smoked Makrel grilled with pepper corns
I love sardines, but also throw a few flaxseeds into my cereal every moring for an extra omega3 boost.
A lovely piece of haddock
I LOVE pecan nuts. A bit too much. I particularly like them caramelised but I’m pretty sure that undoes any goodness
I like cod
Omega 3 oils ..mmmm.. I don’t eat enough oily fish so take a capsule every day for my joints. But my vote is for griddled sardines with garlic and herbs. Summer on a plate . Yes please.
Omega rich…. hmmmmm sardines, kippers, salmon, tuna, so many to choose from! only one? ok, sardines, griddled with herbs and garlic. Summer!!
I love cod, I would eat just about any fish now, but when I was a child it was only cod, I hated bones, so cod I could cope with as I could see the bones easily. This sounds very nice with the beans, one to try I think!
The flageolet beans are lovely, very delicate…perfect with a little lemon and some cod
Salmon x
hi fiona your recipes always look fab &slimming as a bonus