Cod Bowl w/Tomatoes & Kale

Are you sick of my cod recipes yet?  I hope not!  I'm definitely not finished cooking cod since it's such an easy and versatile fish to use.  I modified this recipe from one I've been looking at for quite some time.  Pretty much any time I look at a recipe, I try to figure out how to add more veggies to it.  The original recipe only called for tomatoes, but I added kale & bell pepper to make it a more complex dish.  I also added wheat berries to some of the dishes for extra body.  The tomatoes and peppers bring a really great sweetness to the dish while the wine and lemon bring a punch of acidity.  I used some of our freshly harvested basil which also paced a great herby punch.  

I'm so excited to be exploring new proteins and recipes through this blog.  In a few weeks we're heading out to Martha's Vineyard and I can't wait to get my hands on some premium seafood.  Not only are we going to be eating the best, freshly caught seafood, but we'll also be enjoying freshly picked produce from the garden.  I'm already starting to think about what fun recipes we can make (and we might have to make this recipe again since freshly grown tomatoes are the absolute best).  Stay tuned for more seafood recipes coming at you in the next month!

Total Time: 20-25 minutes

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs fresh cod, cut into 3-4 fillets

4 tbs olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

4 garlic cloves

1 lb cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 large bell pepper (yellow, red or orange)

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon zest

Salt & pepper to taste

Optional: wheat berries or other grain

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan and add red pepper flakes and garlic.  Saute for one minute and then add the cherry tomatoes.  Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chopped bell pepper and cook for an additional 5 minutes until tomatoes are blistered and peppers are soft.  Add chopped kale and cook an additional 2 minutes.
3. Add white wine and bring to a gentle simmer.  Add basil, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Pat cod with paper towels and season with salt & pepper.
5. Add cod to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until mostly cooked through.  Flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, until cooked through.
6. To plate, add the tomato & pepper mixture on the bottom* and the cod on top.  
7. *Optional add on: mix cooked grain of choice with with tomato & pepper mixture.