Baked Cod & Black Beans

Yum, right?
This is the first dish I made after accepting Austin's "Eat Your Kitchen First" challenge, and it turned out wonderfully! Not only did it take 20 minutes to get on my kitchen table, but the flavors blended together seamlessly, and it was even better to know that I was eating clean and nutritiously.

Servings: Two (bag your lunch or feed a friend!)

What I found in my kitchen:

• Frozen Cod Fillets (thaw them before cooking, but if you have fresh fish, go for it!)
• Bell Peppers
• Can of Black Beans
• 1 cup dry quinoa (rice works too)
• Optional: Canned Chicken Broth
• Optional: Fajita Seasoning
• Optional: 1 lime

The Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat 2 cups of chicken broth (or salted water) on the stove. When it starts to boil, add quinoa and lower heat to medium. Let cook for 15 minutes or until "tails" of quinoa separate from the seed (a sign its done.)
3. While quinoa is cooking, heat the black beans in a separate pan on low.
4. Spray a pan with cooking spray. Slice bell peppers and place on pan. Season cod with salt, pepper, and fajita seasoning. Place the fish on the pan next to the peppers. Place pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, until fish is no longer transparent and the pepper slices are nicely roasted.
5. To plate the dish: place 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa in measuring cup. Flip upside down on a plate so it makes a dome shape. Spoon black beans over quinoa. Layer on some roasted pepper slices. Lightly place baked cod filet on top. Slice a lime and put the "icing" on the cake.

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Challenge met. Happily.

xoxo n