Almond Crusted Cod // Almond Green Beans and Caramelized Onions

Well, after getting back to my apartment after a month of glutinous eating in cruise ships, buffets, and fancy restaurants all over North and South America, I had a food slump.

What is a food slump? Well it’s my own term for when after dining on the fanciest foods ever during vacation, you get home, realizing
A) now you have to chop, cook, AND wash all your dishes
B) your pants are a lot tighter
C) you are now utterly broke.

So what do I do? I’ve been gone from my apartment for 6 weeks but have just enough random scraps and leftovers to avoid going to the grocery. And so I eat cereal, frozen dumplings, and frozen leftover pizza for a week’s worth of dinners. And zero vegetables.

Yes, Chef Uy’s culinary skills and ambition at its finest *ahem*

But eventually, I had to get my lazy butt to the grocery store and cook. I needed something
A) healthy
B) crazy easy with minimal cleanup, and
C) reasonably fancy to counter my food slump.

Hence, the almond crusted cod with green beans and caramelized onion. Not a bad fix. Cod adapted from Eating Well and green beans adapted from Food Network’s Tyler Florence.

Almond Crusted Cod

Ingredients
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided
1/2 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
1 1/4 pounds cod (see Tip) or halibut, cut into 4 portions
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine lemon zest, almonds, dill, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 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.
Bake the fish until opaque in the center, about 7 to 9 minutes, depending on thickness.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Almonds

Ingredients
Kosher salt
3 pounds green beans, trimmed of stem end
1/2 cup skin on sliced almonds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Fill a large high sided skillet with some water, adding enough to be just shy of the rim of the pan by about 1 inch. Place over high heat and bring up to boil; add a big pinch of salt and the green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes, the beans should still be crisp. Drain the beans and then run them under some cold water to stop them from cooking. Reserve the beans while you start the onions.

Return the skillet you cooked the beans in to the cook top over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast stirring every now and then until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the almonds from the skillet and reserve. Return the skillet to the heat and add the butter and olive oil and heat until the butter has melted. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook stirring frequently until the onions caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the thyme, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cooked cooled green beans and almonds, and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.