Cod with Spicy Orange Sauce

Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 oz couscous
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced, divided
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 4 green onions, diced, divided
• 1 tsp dried cilantro
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 large navel oranges
• 4 tbsp no-sugar-added all-fruit black cherry jam
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 4 4-oz cod fillets or other whitefish of your choice (1 lb)
• 1/2 tsp Spanish paprika

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and set aside.
2. Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Mist with cooking spray, add half of yellow onion and 2 cloves garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrots and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add all but 2 tbsp green onions and sauté for another minute. Add couscous, sauté for 1 minute more, then remove from heat. Season with cilantro, salt and black pepper.
3. In a small bowl, zest 1 orange, then squeeze juice from orange over zest. Slice remaining orange in half, then cut orange slices in half, leaving the peel intact. Set orange slices aside.
4. Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Mist with cooking spray, add remaining onion and remaining 2 cloves garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add juice-zest mixture and jam, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in cinnamon and cayenne. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened just enough so it will coat the back of a spoon.
5. Preheat broiler on high. Line a cookie sheet or shallow baking pan with aluminum foil and arrange fillets on top of foil. Sprinkle paprika over fillets, then top each with 1 orange piece. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes or until fillets are cooked through and flaky.
6. To serve, place 1 cup couscous-veggie mixture on a plate with 1 fillet, still topped with orange piece. Pour 2 tbsp sauce overtop of each fillet, followed by 2 tsp green onions and 2 to 3 additional orange pieces. (You will have 1 cup couscous and about 1/4 to 1/3 cup sauce left over.)

Nutrients per serving (1 cup couscous-veggie mixture, 4 oz fillet, 2 tbsp sauce): Calories: 440, Total Fat: 2.5 g, Sat. Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 76 g, Fiber: 13 g, Sugars: 9 g, Protein: 33 g, Sodium: 150 mg, Cholesterol: 50 mg

Nutritional Bonus: Not only is cod rich in protein and low in fat, it’s also a great source of three B vitamins – niacin, B6 and B12. B vitamins assist with digestion and maintain healthy nerve cells.

Full Price: $14.36

Cost Per Serving: $3.59

TIP: If you’re cooking for picky eaters who don’t like spicy fare, lower the heat by removing the cayenne pepper entirely to create a sweet orange-cherry sauce. Or replace the cayenne with 1 tsp Spanish paprika to add depth of flavor without the intense heat.