After making this delicious dinner many, many times we decided to add some Kalamata olives for a little extra color. What a wonderful addition! Not only did it add color but the olives added a little brininess to the Mediterranean flavor! Below is the original posting now with the addition of the olives. See Notes below for Gluten-free options.
While relaxing on my front porch after repotting some plants today, Teresa pulled up with some cod for tonight’s dinner. Cod is one of those fish that takes on the flavor of whatever you season it with making a Mediterranean-style dinner absolutely delicious. We were wondering what we had on hand to make with it and I found a half-full jar of pearl couscous! We had some grape tomatoes, plenty of garlic, onions, & feta cheese, along with a garden full of fresh herbs. We set about making dinner. We’ve said this before and it’s very true…some of the best dinners we make are thrown together with what we have on hand. This dinner turned out fabulous…we were counting on leftovers but NONE were to be had!
Mediterranean-Style Cod over Couscous
Equipment
- Large deep skillet with cover
- Large rimmed baking sheet
- Large skillet with cover
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds fresh cod fillets
- salt & pepper to taste
- garlic powder to sprinkle lightly over fish
- 1 sprig fresh greek oregano chopped (approximately 1 Tablespoon)
- 2- pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- 6-8 large cloves of garlic peeled and left whole
- EVOO to drizzle over fish and tomatoes & garlic
- 3 ounces Kalamata Olives pitted & cut in half
- 1¾ cups pearl couscous also known as Israeli couscous
- 2¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 large sweet onion roughly chopped
- 6-8 large cloves garlic peeled & minced
- 10 oz fresh baby spinach a few large handfuls
- salt & pepper to taste
- 6 ounces Feta cheese we use President's Chunk
Instructions
- In a large skillet add the Israeli/pearl couscous to a dry, hot skillet. Gently stir to prevent burning. After a few minutes, the couscous will start to brown. Do not burn. Not all the couscous will brown & that's ok.
- Add the chicken stock, cover, lower heat, and simmer about 15-18 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
- In a large, deep skillet, saute the onions until they start to caramelize then add garlic & cook another minute. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
- Add the cooked onions, garlic, & spinach to the couscous. Stir well. Cover and set aside until fish is done.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Turn oven to broil. Once hot, reduce the oven temperature to 425º.
- Wash tomatoes then coat them along with the whole cloves of garlic (skin on) with 1-2 Tablespoons of EVOO. Sprinkle with salt. Combine well. Place on a lined baking sheet.
- Place baking sheet on the top oven rack and bake for 15-20 minutes at 425ºF, until tomatoes blister & garlic is soft.
- Remove from the oven when done. Using a fork or a wooden spoon, smash the garlic. Take half the tomatoes plus the juice and garlic then add to couscous, mixing well.
- Just before serving, crumble & add the Feta cheese & Kalamata olives to the couscous and combine.
- Using the same rimmed baking sheet, drizzle EVOO and arrange the pieces of cod on the sheet. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt & pepper, chopped fresh greek oregano. Drizzle lightly with EVOO and place on center rack of 425º oven.
- Cook 10-16 minutes, depending on the thickness of cod until it's opaque & flakes.
- To serve, place cooked couscous mixture on a serving platter and top with fish fillets. Sprinkle with remaining blistered tomatoes & garlic. Garnish with sprigs of fresh oregano or thyme.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note: Although the Nutritional Facts are provided, we are not nutritionists and therefore cannot verify the accuracy of these calculations. Please verify any data you see here with your favorite nutrition calculator.
