Blackened Cod w Mediterranean Side Salad

About

Flaky cod is coated heavily in spices before cooked to a blackened char in your pan. The flavor is sealed in and the cod doesn’t lose its natural fats while staying together. Served along the side is a Mediterranean-inspired side salad full of crunch, citrus, herbs, and refreshing flavor.

Ingredients

2 ½ ounce grape tomato
6 ounce cucumber, raw, with peel
3 teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon white wine vinegar by alessi
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon oregano, dried
8 leaf basil
½ ounce feta cheese
8 oz cod atlantic raw
¼ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper by simply organic
¼ teaspoon garlic, powder
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon italian seasoning
2 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon lemon juice, fresh

Instructions

Halve or quarter your grape tomatoes and combine them in a small bowl with diced cucumber, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, oregano, and chopped whole basil leaves. Toss until everything is coated evenly.
Crumble and gently fold in the feta cheese. It will break up as you stir more. Wrap the bowl and set it aside in your refrigerator to marinate the duration of the recipe. You may also do Step 1 and 2 earlier in the day to let the side salad develop more flavor.
Pat dry and lay flat 2, 4-oz cod filets. Sprinkle over the tops the lemon pepper, salt (use additional salt if your lemon pepper is salt-free), red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and italian seasoning. Press the seasonings gently into the fish so they adhere.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Lay the seasoned side of the fish down in the oil and cook for 4-5 minutes. For this recipe, you do want the spices blackened, but you can adjust the heat if necessary to avoid complete burning.
Flip the fish over and reduce the heat to medium. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and let the steam infuse the fish. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes to a golden brown. Set the cooked fish aside to rest for a few minutes.
Serve each cod filet with a fair scoop of side salad. Enjoy with extra lemon, basil, dill, or another flavorful garnish you enjoy.