Seared Cod With Swiss Chard And Almonds Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare the Swiss chard by stripping the leaves from the stems with a knife. Slice the stems on a slight diagonal about 1/2 inch thick. Loosely arrange the leaves and chop into large pieces.
• Toast the almonds in a large skillet over medium heat without oil, shaking the pan occasionally, until the almonds are lightly browned and aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour them out of the pan to stop them from cooking and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in the same skillet and increase the heat to medium high. Add the shallots and chard stems and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and browned, about 6 minutes. If the skillet begins to brown too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Add a handful of the chard leaves and a little salt, stirring until they wilt; continue adding leaves, seasoning lightly and wilting, until all the leaves are wilted.
• Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with the vinegar and some additional olive oil, top with the almonds and sprinkle with dried cherries if using.
• 6th ingredient - dried cherries, golden raisins, diced apricots

Steps:

• Place lemon in a small saucepan; add water just to cover. Place a small heatproof plate inside the saucepan, on top of the lemon, to keep it submerged. Bring water to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until lemon is very tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cut lemon in half and let it cool.
• Scoop out the pulp from both lemon halves and press pulp through a coarse-mesh sieve into a small bowl; discard any solids remaining in the sieve. Finely chop the peel and pith and add to pulp. Set aside.
• Toast coriander and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until slightly darkened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Coarsely grind the toasted coriander and cumin seeds in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with spice mixture, salt, and pepper; place skin side down in skillet. Cook until browned and crisp, 5-6 minutes. Turn and cook until just opaque in the center, 2-4 minutes more. Be more cautious cooking the fish if it is skinless, as you do not want the unprotected flesh itself to be brown and crisp; you could also bake or broil the fish if it is skinless.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chard by the handful, tossing and allowing it to wilt slightly between additions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until all chard is tender, 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
• Mix the sliced olives and the reserved lemon mixture into the cooked chard. Season with salt, pepper, and more crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve fish with the chard.