5-2 Diet Recipe Lemon Cod – Heart Friendly and Low in Calories

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:

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5-2 diet low calorie lemon cod with flageolet beans

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: British

Servings: 1

Author: Fiona Maclean

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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)
   
   
3. 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.
4. 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
5. 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!