Recipe Of The Day: Sheet Pan Haddock

Back-to-school season is officially here. And that means chaos. Between early mornings at the bus stop, soccer practice, dance class and homework, who has time to think about dinner? Thanks to this sheet pan dinner recipe, now you do. Fresh haddock is baked alongside tomatoes, zucchini and shallots for a healthy, filling meal. It may sound like a lot of moving parts for a meal that's supposedly ready in 26 minutes, but there's one common kitchen tool that expedites the cooking process: your microwave.

50 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights

Roasting zucchini can be a time suck. Achieving a firm texture and golden brown color can sometimes take 30 to 40 minutes. Instead, this recipe suggests cooking the seasonal veggie in the microwave for a few minutes and then adding it to your sheet pan with the rest of the ingredients. Not only will this get out some of the zucchini's moisture, it will also speed up the roasting time. The shallots are also cooked in the microwave (with a little bit of water so they don't burn) and then added to the sheet pan.

Tomatoes roast easily so there's no need to cook them in the microwave first, where they run the risk of bursting. Assemble all of the ingredients onto a sheet pan, including the fish. This recipe suggests using haddock, but cod, rockfish, halibut and salmon will also work. The fillets should be about 1-inch thick. Bake for six minutes or until the fish is nice and flaky. 

Not only is this recipe a great way to make use of summer's treasured ingredients like tomatoes and zucchini, but it's also an easy way to pack protein and veggies into your kids' diets during the school week. It's one of many sheet pan dinner recipes that will make busy school nights way easier. 

Sheet Pan Haddock with Fresh Herbs and Paper-Thin Veggies

Ingredients 

• 3 small zucchini (about 6 ounces each), ends trimmed, sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 medium-size shallots, very thinly sliced
• 2 red-ripe small round or plum tomatoes, ends trimmed, very thinly sliced
• 2 fresh (or thawed frozen) haddock fillets, each about 4 ounces and 1 inch thick
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, chives, dill or a combination, for garnish

Directions

Step 1: Heat oven to 400F on convection or 425F on conventional setting. Spray a medium-size baking sheet generously with nonstick spray or brush lightly with olive oil.

Step 2: Put sliced zucchini into a large microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. Add ½ teaspoon salt, several grinds of black pepper and a couple of pinches of crushed red pepper flakes. Toss to distribute the seasonings evenly.

Step 3: Cover with a glass lid or plastic wrap vented at one corner. Microwave on high (100 percent power), stirring 2 times, until zucchini is crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Add 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic, ½ teaspoon dried basil and ½ teaspoon dried oregano. Microwave 30 seconds. Let stand covered.

Step 4: Put 2 thinly sliced shallots and 1 tablespoon water into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain well and add to the zucchini.

Step 5: Spread zucchini and shallot mixture on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle fish on both sides with salt and pepper and place in the center of the vegetables. Drizzle each piece of fish with 1 teaspoon of oil.

Step 6: Bake until the fish almost flakes easily, about 6 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve immediately.

.