Middle Eastern za’atar cod

Middle Eastern za’atar cod
  • High protein
  • Low fat
  • Low potassium
  • Low salt
  • Main meal
  • 1 hour or less
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A tasty, quick and simple low-fat dinner. It is low in potassium and salt but high in protein, so is perfect for those receiving dialysis.

Chef

Chef Paul Ripley
Paul Ripley

Kidney Kitchen Chef

Add a little spice to your cod with aromatic za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend available in supermarkets. It’s usually a combination of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, with sumac and toasted sesame seeds.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 red or orange pepper, chopped into 1cm chunks

1 garlic clove, grated or chopped into small pieces

120g bulgur wheat

240ml low salt vegetable stock

2 cod fillets, skinless (approx. 120g each)

2 tablespoons za’atar spice

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

20g fresh coriander, roughly chopped (optional)

Method

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 200C/gas mark 6.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a saucepan on a medium high heat. Once hot, add the onion and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently until tender. Add the garlic and cook one more minute.

  3. Step 3

    Once the garlic is cooked, pour over the prepared vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Stir in the bulgur wheat and simmer for 1 minute. Cover and remove from the heat to steam cook for 12-15 mins or until ready to serve.

  4. Step 4

    Place the cod fillets on a baking tray lined with baking paper, season with pepper, sprinkle over the za’atar spice and roast in the oven for 12-15 mins or until cooked through. The fish will flake and look opaque when it’s cooked.

  5. Step 5

    Once the bulgur wheat has steamed, carefully fluff it up with a fork and stir through the balsamic vinegar. Season with pepper to taste.

  6. Step 6

    Divide the bulgur wheat evenly between your plates. Top with the cod and sprinkle over the coriander to serve.

Food facts

The main source of carbohydrate in this dish comes from the bulgur wheat. The carbohydrate value of this dish has been provided for those who have been trained in insulin adjustment.

As long as you follow the serving sizes suggested in this recipe, this dish is low in potassium. Both the cod and the bulgur wheat contain phosphate, which makes the overall content of phosphate in this recipe just over the threshold to be classed as low. Therefore, If you have been prescribed a phosphate binder, ensure you take them with this dish.

This recipe is high in protein which is great for those receiving dialysis.

Use a gluten-free grain, such as buckwheat or quinoa, and a gluten-free stock cube.

The fish is the most expensive ingredient in this dish, therefore to reduce the cost, consider any other white fish that may be cheaper or on special offer. Frozen fish is often cheaper than fresh.

Fish should be eaten on the day it’s cooked, therefore this dish is best served fresh.

If you have had a transplant, you should always buy your fish pre-packaged, rather than from a fresh fish counter, in order to avoid any risk of bacterial contamination.