Quick Cod Dinner with a Sassy Touch - Dinner Tonight - Cooking

Quick Cod Dinner with a Sassy Aioli Touch

No Comments | Written on November 29, 2011 at 5:00 pm, by Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine

courtesy of Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine

It’s time for me to play the “what’s left in the larder” game. I ask myself what I can whip up in order to cook my way through what’s already in my fridge, so that nothing goes to waste and I’ve come up with a healthy, tasty meal.

Since I had some fresh cod filets waiting in the refrigerator, and some kale I’d picked up recently, I scoured Recipe.com for simple codfish recipes. (Kale is a wonderful cool-weather veggie, and is readily available at the market. It’s always a good value; it’s high in nutrients and low in cost). I was already planning to sauté the greens and toss in some sliced fingerling potatoes.

The meal crystallized quickly when I came across this recipe for Pan Seared Cod with Preserved Lemon Aioli, which I new it would go perfectly atop the kale and potatoes. Aioli (pictured above) is basically a creamy mayonnaise livened up with garlic and lemon. (Think of it as sophisticated tartar sauce!) If you decide to make this dish at the last minute, like I did (and you don’t happen to have preserved lemons on hand), you can use some lemon zest instead, and it will still taste just as delicious with this slight modification.

Fish is what I turn to often for a quick and easy dinner. It’s especially healthy when I prepare the filet on a bed of vegetables. And it’s a quick-cooking protein so in minutes I can usually have a dinner that everyone enjoys ( and I can feel good about) on the table. My 11-month-old son was even calling out for more!

P.S.: These days you can order special ingredients no matter where you are. If you’re interested in trying preserved lemons and don’t want to make them yourself, you can order them from Zingerman’s, one of my favorite online resources, from Michigan.