date night cod 🍷🐟
Welcome to those who were just scanning the web and serendipitously landed on my humble site 👋 whether you are in a rut and don’t know what to make; are in that loop of “sooo, what do you want to eat tonight?”; or have fallen into the infinite black hole of saved recipes from social media (the internet is truly ultimate purveyor of maximalist TL;DR content overwhelm 😵💫🫠🤭). I hope you enjoy — it brings me great joy to sprinkle any ease into your life — cheers to your good health, good love & good fortune!
And per my usual caveat, I do not claim to be a doctor or a chef. I do not dream of being a fancy food blogger. I’m just a gal who enjoys living and eating for optimum well-being. I like to creatively alter, and occasionally create, recipes to make them as balanced as possible, in both taste and health. I’ve come to learn soul-food and body-fueling food are both real and equally important, hence the critical importance and beauty of mind-body-soul eating! ✨ I typically like to begin with a key ingredient or two that I’m hoping to work with, search for a preexisting recipe as a guide, then play with measurements and make swaps to level up nutrient density. Consider this a destination for healthy recipe inspiration, where you’ll never have to scroll through any continuously re-populating ads. One of my primary goals is to add a little simplicity in places I’ve found murky.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS PERSONAL MEDICAL ADVICE. INDIVIDUALS SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT THEIR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEFORE ADMINISTERING ANY OF THE SUGGESTIONS MADE ON THEBALANCEDCALM.COM TO ENSURE THEY ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE.
This white wine cod recipe is simply divine and will have you feelin’ like a fancy chef for your next cozy, date night in. It’s pretty much exactly Sivan Ayla’s to a tee because I actually don’t think it’s possible to improve it. Breakdown as follows - cheers!
INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp organic crushed red pepper flakes
3 large organic garlic cloves, minced
1 pt organic cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1/4 cup organic dry white wine
1/2 c fresh organic basil, finely chopped
1/2 fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp fresh organic lemon zest
1/2 tsp himalayan salt
1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1 1/2 lbs fresh wild caught cod, cut into 4 pieces
1 bunch organic asparagus
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375º
2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper and garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant
3. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and blistering (but still holding their shape), about 10-12 mins
4. Add the white wine, stir and allow the mixture to simmer
5. Stir in the basil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes
6. Transfer the sauce into a bowl and set aside until needed
7. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper
8. Using the same (now empty) pan, add more olive oil over medium heat
9. Place cod in the olive oil and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes
10. Flip the cod over in the pan carefully, then place the pan into the oven for another 5 minutes
11. Pour the white wine tomato mix over the cod and serve immediately
As with everything I make, I love to know the ingredients will fuel not only a beautiful plate, but a beautiful feeling inside. I will again caveat, I’m not a nutritionist, but as holistic health coach, here’s some functional food for thought:
ORGANIC WINE
Let’s talk a little about the importance of buying organic wine and preferably natural wine when we can find it! Since there is no government standard for “natural” wine, it can tend to be even harder to identify than organic wine and even organic wine isn’t always labeled. However, per my guiding principal, organic is always better than non-organic! So, seek it out. One simple reason for this is that we are what we eat (or drink) all the way down to the soil our food is grown in, this includes the grapes of our wine. Organic winemakers are very mindful of their soil health, stewards of the environment and are sustainably conscious. I would also like to imagine, small family run wineries are highly involved and concerned with the integrity of their product and keep practices mindful. So, the wine is off to a great start out the gates, good tasting energy and all. In addition to this, organic wine is organic — so it does not involve the use of harsh pesticides or other harsh chemicals or genetic modification that we would not want to see done to our food. The reason why natural wine technically levels things up is that some organic wine can have additives such as yeast and use technological manipulation during the fermentation process that natural wine would not. So, because natural wines contain no additives, we often see lower sugar levels and less of a hangover/headache/congestion that we can experience from non-natural wines. Bottom line, organic is highly preferably to non-organic and it’s ideal to get to know your winemaker ;)
ASPARAGUS
Asparagus is low in calories and is an excellent source of fiber, as well as essential vitamins and minerals, particularly folate and vitamins A, C and K. Folate is vital for a healthy pregnancy and many important processes in the body, including cell growth and DNA formation. The antioxidant rich nature of asparagus makes it an easy nutrient dense addition for fighting oxidative stress. Rich in vitamin E and glutathione, as well as various flavonoids and polyphenols, including powerful flavonoids quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol, all of which have been found to have blood pressure-lowering, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anticancer effects.
PINK HIMALAYAN SALT
Since pink Himalayan salt is less processed than table salt, your body has an easier time processing it, as it doesn’t require as much water to clear out the excess sodium! It also contains more than 80 minerals and elements, including potassium, iron, calcium and (naturally occurring) iodine, aiding our body’s natural detoxification process and promoting the removal of bacteria. This can even help lower blood pressure, as iodine supports our body’s electrolyte balance, allowing our intestines to absorb more nutrients.
***important to note, quality is essential — always shop organic, whole, preferably in season, ideally know where your food is coming from and thoroughly wash those fruits + veggies!
