chili-rubbed fish with quinoa, corn and black bean salad

Hey guys, this is Aggie from Aggie’s Kitchen!

I have to say I was pretty excited, and well, quite flattered when Jenna asked me to guest post on Eat, Live, Run. I have read ELR often over the years and have always loved Jenna’s laid back fun style…her food and photography are always making me hungry and I love that she posts her latest reads on here too. If you are a reader, like I am, then you’re always looking for your next book. Cooking & reading…always my first two items listed after the “what do you enjoy doing?” question.

I am sharing with you today one of my latest favorite recipes. As a matter of fact, I was cooking this up the other evening when I first got the message from Jenna asking me to guest post. As I contemplated what “old” post I was going to revive here on ELR, I instead realized that the meal I was making reflected exactly how I love to eat and would be perfect to share, especially this time of year when most of us are trying to eat a lot lighter.

My food philosophy is pretty simple: I eat to feel good. And this plate of food definitely does the trick.

It’s full of awesome-for-you stuff and you can’t help but feel good after you eat it. If you are new to quinoa and are hesitant to try it out, then I highly recommend making a salad like this. I think quinoa tastes so good when dressed and tossed with veggies in a “salad” and you can really change it up to suit your tastes. It’s a very light whole grain and a little goes a long way. I made the salad early in the day (you can totally make it the day before) and the fish cooked up extremely quick in the pan. Dinner was ready in no time, and leftovers became a perfect lunch the next day.

Thanks for having me over Jenna! Hope everyone enjoys the recipe!

Chili-Rubbed Fish with Quinoa, Corn and Black Bean Salad

Inspired by recipes found in Orlando Sentinel and In Good Taste

Print this recipe!

Ingredients:

For the salad:
(makes 6-8 servings)

1 ½ cups quinoa (pre rinsed)
3 cups water
15 oz can of black beans, rinsed
2 cups fresh or frozen cooked corn
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapenos, minced
big handful cilantro, chopped
bunch chives or green onion, chopped

Dressing:
4 limes, squeezed
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ tsp cumin
big pinch salt and pepper

Add quinoa and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Bring down to simmer and cook until all water is absorbed and quinoa has “popped”, you’ll see a faint white “ring” around grain (about 10 minutes). Take off heat and let cool.

In a jar or air tight container, combine lime juice, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Shake vigorously until well combined.

In large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, black beans, green peppers, jalapenos, chopped cilantro, chives or green onion and dressing. Gently toss till completely combined. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Can be made ahead of time and stored in refrigerator.

For the fish:
(makes 4-5 servings)

1 – 1 ½ lbs flaky white fish (I used frozen barramundi, but tilapia, red snapper, or cod will work well)
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp oregano
½ tsp cumin
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
lime

Directions:

Combine chili powder, oregano, cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper in bowl. Pat dry each fish fillet and gently brush marinade on both sides.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Gently lay fish into skillet and let cook for about 4-5 minutes or until bottom of fish is white. Carefully flip over fish and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes or until fish is translucent and flaky. Cooking time depends on thickness of fish so keep an eye on it and test for doneness.

Before taking fish out of pan, squeeze fresh lime juice over fillets. Serve with Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn salad.

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