Middle Eastern Spiced Cod

Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the rice. Cook, uncovered, 17 to 19 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.

While the rice cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the tomatoes; place in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Small dice the zucchini. Zest the lime to get 2 teaspoons (if you don’t have a zester, use a peeler to remove the green rind, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind). Quarter the lime. Peel and finely chop the garlic; using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste (or use a zester). Roughly chop the spinach. Pit and roughly chop the dates.  

To the bowl of seasoned tomatoes, add the diced zucchini, lime zest, the juice of 2 lime wedges, and as much of the garlic paste as you’d like. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; stir to combine. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

While the vegetables marinate, pat the fish dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt, pepper, and enough of the ras el hanout to coat (you will have extra). In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the seasoned fish; loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Turn off the heat. 

While the fish cooks, in a bowl, combine the yogurt, the juice of the remaining lime wedges, and a drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. 

To the pot of cooked rice, add the marinated vegetables (including any liquid from the bowl) and chopped spinach and dates. Drizzle with olive oil; stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the cooked fish over the finished rice. Serve the yogurt sauce on the side. Enjoy!