Mediterranean Sunshine Cod with Roasted Red Pepper-Walnut Quinoa

Ingredients

• 2 fillet Cod fillets
• 0.5 cup Quinoa
• 1 cup Low-sodium vegetable broth or water
• 1 large Red bell pepper
• 0.5 cup Cherry tomatoes
• 2 cup Baby spinach
• 2 tbsp Kalamata olives, pitted and thinly sliced
• 0.25 small Red onion
• 1 clove Garlic
• 2 tbsp Walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 0.5 tsp Smoked paprika
• 0.25 tsp Black pepper
• 2 tbsp Fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the whole red bell pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the skin is blistered and slightly charred. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let steam for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, peel, core, and deseed the pepper. Roughly chop half of the roasted pepper for the quinoa and set aside the other half for the pesto.
2. While the pepper roasts, rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water. In a small saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa and low-sodium vegetable broth (or water). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
3. Prepare the Pesto: In a food processor or with an immersion blender, combine the reserved half of the roasted red bell pepper, toasted walnuts, 0.5 clove minced garlic, 0.5 tbsp olive oil, 0.5 tbsp lemon juice, smoked paprika, and a pinch of black pepper. Blend until smooth, adding a tiny splash of water if needed to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Bake the Cod: Pat cod fillets dry with a paper towel. Lightly brush with 0.5 tsp olive oil and season with a pinch of black pepper. Place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven (400°F/200°C) for 10-12 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
5. Assemble Quinoa Salad: In a medium bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, chopped roasted red pepper (from step 1), cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, sliced Kalamata olives, diced red onion, and the remaining 0.5 clove minced garlic. Drizzle with the remaining 0.5 tbsp olive oil and 0.5 tbsp lemon juice. Toss gently until well combined and the spinach begins to wilt slightly from the warm quinoa.
6. Serve: Divide the quinoa salad evenly between two plates. Top each with a baked cod fillet. Spoon a generous amount of the roasted red pepper-walnut pesto over the cod. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)