Midweek Magic: Mediterranean Baked Cod with Cannellini Beans
One of my most savored pleasures when I am cooking is creating inspired, exciting flavors from your everyday basic ingredients. I think the biggest reason for this is I get bored with the same old flavors and dishes, especially during this time of year. Without my fresh produce from the garden, cooking can tend to feel a little stale, so I have to think outside the box a little; or perhaps think inside my pantry. This dish is a product of this; it takes super simple, inexpensive, easy to find ingredients and elevates them into an elegant but hearty meal worthy of dinner for two or gatherings with family, friends or coworkers.
One Fish, Two Fish
Fish is not something we have covered on the blog as of yet, but it is high time that we discuss this versatile and healthy protein. In full honesty, it has taken me years to build up my culinary confidence to cook fish. I always shied away from it because of it’s delicate nature and frankly not really knowing how to build flavor profiles around or with it. Finally, I just decided to go for it and experimented with some classic flavor pairings (lemon, dill, butter, wine). As my confidence in cooking it properly grew, so did my ideas, and fish in some form has become a weekly addition to our menu.
Nutritionally speaking, adding fish to your diet is a stellar way to get a low fat, high quality protein into a meal as well as a excellent source of heart and brain healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Intentionally, fish in all forms works when you are trying to tap into the powerful and flowing energies of water. Due to the relationship between water and the lunar cycles, I personally associate fish and seafood with fertility and abundance as well.
In today’s recipe, the fish we choose to use is Atlantic cod. Cod is a mild tasting, flaky and firm white fleshed fish that lives deep in cold waters; generally preferring to stay in tight knit groups towards the ocean floor and near rocky slopes. We created this recipe to build upon the tenacious nature of this family of fish; to afford us the strength to dive more deeply for insight during even the most difficult situations we find ourselves in and allow ourselves to rely upon those we are closest to for help and guidance.
Supporting Flavors
While the fish is the main star of this dish, we also wanted to shine the spotlight on a few of the other ingredients that are featured in this recipe that further enhance and compliment the intentions we are setting:
Cannellini Beans: Canned beans have become a very frequent ingredient in our weekly menu at our house and for good reason. They are a shelf stable, easy to use, and inexpensive option that I love adding to dishes of all kinds. Here we chose cannellini beans for their buttery, mild flavor and creamy texture, as well as their boost to inspiration and clear communication, which will help us immensely in our search for insight.
Canned Tomatoes: Another pantry staple that we always have available to us is canned tomatoes. Super versatile and affordable as well, you can add these to any number of dishes all year round for a pop of flavor. Intentionally, we are using canned diced tomatoes in this recipe to help us seek clarity to find creative solutions to issues.
Pine Nuts: Perhaps most often associated with classic applications such as pesto or Italian pignoli cookies, pine nuts add a rich flavor to many savory and sweet recipes. We tend to use these more sparingly in our meals because like many nuts, they are a bit more on the expensive and perishable side. That being said, they are great when you want to add a little touch of luxury to your weeknight meals or social gatherings and encourage enlightened conversation.
Golden Raisins: Understably, I can see this as an ingredient that some might find odd paired with fish, but it truly is one of my favorite elements of this entire recipe. The subtle, earthy sweetness of raisins doesn’t overpower the mild fish; it simply melds with the acid from the tomatoes and the creamy flavors of the beans and the pine nuts to create a lovely balance of flavors and textures I just adore. Raisins also pack an intentional punch here, assisting us with energy for creative thought flow as well as drawing in towards us an abundance of luck.
The Recipe
Mediterranean Baked Cod with Cannellini Beans
Ingredients
- 1 lb cod loin (deeper insight, keeping close company of loved ones)
- 12 oz canned cannellini beans, drained (clear communication, inspired insight)
- 12 oz diced canned tomatoes, drained (clarity, creative solutions)
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped (protection, warding of negative energy)
- 1 Tbsp honey (healing, manifestation)
- 1 tsp red pepper flake (action in spellwork, protection)
- Zest of 1 lemon (cleansing, clarification)
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill (focus, positive communication)
- 1/4 cup golden raisins (abundant luck, creative thought flows)
- 1/8 cup pine nuts (charming social gatherings, enlightenment)
- 1 tsp rosemary (strength, purification)
- 2 Tbsp panko or gluten free breadcrumbs (abundance, prosperity)
- 2 Tbsp avocado or olive oil (abundance, fertility, beauty)
- 1 tsp salt (cleansing)
- 1 tsp black pepper (banishment of negative energies)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (protection)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F and prepare a heat safe baking dish or pan with cooking spray or oil. Pat dry the cod loin and set aside.
- Spread drained beans into the bottom of the dish evenly and place your cod loin on top. Mix together salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, dill, rosemary, lemon zest and garlic powder and even season the cod and beans.
- Sprinkle drained tomatoes, chopped garlic, raisins, and pine nuts evenly over the cod and drizzle the honey over the top.
- Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the fish and drizzle the oil over all of the ingredients.
- Bake uncovered for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the beans are tender and the cod has turned from translucent to opaque white (145 degree F in temp).
- Serve the cod over a bed of the beans and garnish with extra fresh dill. You can also serve with brown rice, farro, barley, or sauteed greens if you so choose. Enjoy!
