This is one of those perfect summer meals when you relaxed all day at the beach or by the pool and you want to have a nice healthy dinner, but not work for it. This works with any fish, but I prefer cod or halibut. I like to have this dish always on hand to make in a pinch, so I will usually keep a spaghetti squash handy - if stored in a cool dry place, they can last up to 2 months!
Insane.
I also keep individually frozen cod filets in freezer, and I am slightly obsessed with Costco's Kirkland brand Pesto. It's sold in refrigerated section. It contains nuts, so don't kill anyone. I am sure one of my Italian ancestors is pissed I am using store bought, but I have made pesto sooo many times and I just cant stand cleaning all that basil, the outcome for me is not worth effort, when Kirkland did it so well.
Also, the blackened seasoning is easy enough to make from scratch if you have all the ingredients on hand. Don't be shy of a store-bought pre-mixed seasoning. I rely on them often when I have no sh*ts to give when making a quick dinner.
Recipe for Marisol - enjoy making it for Rob :) lol
For the Cod
Ingredients
(4) 6 oz filet cod
olive oil
lemon wedges for serving
Blackened Seasoning* (see note)
mix all ingredients in a bowl - store excess in jar or ziplock
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Instructions
Dry cod with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
Rub cod with olive oil
Coat the cod in the blackened seasoning on all sides. Push the seasoning into the filet to ensure it coats it.
Pour 1-2 Tablespoons into sauté pan and heat to medium high.
Once oil is hot, place cod into the sauté pan.
Cook each side for approximately 3-4 minutes or until cod is thoroughly cooked through.
Serve with lemon wedges.
*note: store bought blackened seasoning is totally fine, I am all about ease of cooking and investing time where most needed. My store bought seasoning of choice for fish is Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends: Blackened Redfish Magic Seasoning
For the Pesto Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
Store bought pesto (I prefer Costcos Kirkland brand, I put that sh*t on everything)
olive oil
salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
With a sharp knife cut off the top and bottom ends of the spaghetti squash. Stand the squash upright and carefully slice through it from top to bottom to divide it in half, you should be sitting it lenghtwise in half. Be careful - this is the hardest part of the whole recipe.
Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Rub the insides of each squash half with olive oil and rub it all over the inside. Season the insides with salt and pepper, then place them cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, until the cut sides are browning and the inside is easily pierced through with a fork.
Once the squash is done and you can cleanly remove a fork when poking it, fluff the inside with a fork to make the insides spaghetti-like. You can get deep in there and keep using the fork to remove spaghetti like squash.
Place in bowl.
Add 1/4 cup or so of pesto. Mix well.
You can heat this up if preferred to ensure the sauce warms up and evenly coats the squash, I prefer it @ room temp.