braised cod with roasted tomatoes and zucchini

Braising is one of my favorite cooking methods. It's easy and almost always produces a moist and flavorful dish. Plus, if you're like my husband, there's usually some sort of broth or sauce to dip your crusty bread in.

Last night I made Braised Cod with Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini. I used cod because I can afford cod - not because it's my first choice. If I could have found halibut for less than $12 a pound then I would have used that. However, cod worked fine.

2 (7 ounce) cod steaks, skin and bones removed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
kosher salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 medium zucchinis, cut into 1/4 inch slice
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Sprinkle both sides of cod with oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the tomato and zucchini slices with salt and pepper as well.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. When hot, add zucchini and saute until browned on one side (about 1 minute). Flip over and saute until brown on the other side and tender. Remove zucchini from pan and divide among two serving dishes.

Add cod steaks and tomatoes to the saute pan (adding a bit more olive oil if necessary). Cook until cod steaks are golden on the bottom (about 4 minutes). Turn cod and tomatoes over and add 1 cup of water and the garlic. Bring liquid to a simmer and let cook until the cod feels firm (about another 4 minutes). Place cod, tomatoes and broth of the zucchini and garnish with parsley. I also suspect some freshly grated parmesan reggiano on top would be a delicious addition but we're trying to cut down on extra calories around here.