Almond-&-Lemon-Crusted Fish With Spinach

Coating fish with nuts and baking it is an easy, foolproof way to cook it elegantly. And it is especially nice with a mild white fish like cod or halibut. The spinach turns a little yellowy because it’s cooked with the acidic lemon juice, but what you lose in green color is more than made up for in great flavor.

Tip: Overfishing and trawling have drastically reduced the number of cod in the U.S. and Canadian Atlantic Ocean and destroyed its sea floor. For sustainably fished cod, choose U.S. Pacific cod or Atlantic cod from Iceland and the northeast Arctic. For more information, visit Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch at seafoodwatch.org.

Prep/Cook Time: 25 Minutes, Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided
• ½ cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1¼ pounds cod or halibut, cut into 4 portions
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, slivered
• 1 pound baby spinach
• Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
   
2. Combine lemon zest, almonds, dill, 1 tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place fish on the prepared baking sheet and spread each portion with 1 teaspoon mustard. Divide the almond mixture among the portions, pressing it onto the mustard.
   
3. Bake the fish until opaque in the center, about 7 to 9 minutes, depending on thickness.
   
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach, lemon juice and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach is just wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Cover to keep warm. Serve the fish with the spinach and lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving: 244 calories; 12 g fat (1 g sat); 4 g fiber; 8 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 146 mcg folate; 67 mg cholesterol; 1 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 9,174 IU vitamin A; 18 mg vitamin C; 169 mg calcium; 4 mg iron; 508 mg sodium; 853 mg potassium

© Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission.