During Lent, a 40-day period serving as a reminder of Jesus鈥� profound sacrifice and ultimate resurrection on Easter Sunday, Christians across the globe focus on their faith and cut out the excesses of life, with many fasting and abstaining from indulgent behaviors.
Many Christians do not eat meat each Friday during Lent, also abstaining on Ash Wednesday and other holy days of obligation. That makes Lent an ideal opportunity to incorporate new meatless recipes, including seafood, into one鈥檚 culinary repertoire. The following recipe for 鈥淩oasted Black Bean Cod鈥� from 鈥淟ow Fat for Life鈥� (DK Books) by Sue Kreitzman can certainly fit the bill.
Roasted Black Bean Cod
Serves 2
1聽聽 聽large garlic clove
1鈦�2聽聽 聽inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2聽聽 聽teaspoons teriyaki sauce
1聽聽 聽teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1聽聽 聽cod fillet, about 3鈦�4 lb
聽聽 聽Freshly ground black pepper
Spray made of water-diluted oil
1聽聽 聽quantity of Black Bean Tomato Sauce (see below)
聽聽 聽Salsa of choice
Black Bean Tomato Sauce
4聽聽 聽cloves garlic, peeled
1聽聽 聽inch fresh ginger
6聽聽 聽to 7 scallions, chopped
11鈦�4聽聽 聽cups stock
1鈦�4聽聽 聽cup dry sherry
1聽聽 聽teaspoon oyster sauce
1聽聽 聽teaspoon Chinese chili sauce
2聽聽 聽teaspoons Chinese black bean sauce
1鈦�2聽聽 聽cup passata
聽聽 聽Juice of 1 lime
2聽聽 聽tablespoons fresh cilantro
Make the black bean sauce and set aside:
Crush together the garlic and ginger and put in a wok with the chopped scallions, stock and sherry. Simmer briskly until the liquid has almost evaporated.
Stir in the oyster, chili and black bean sauces and bring to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring for a few seconds.
Stir in the passata, and then simmer briskly for 30 seconds. Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro and simmer for a few seconds longer.
Make the cod:
Crush together the garlic and ginger and put in a bowl with the teriyaki sauce and vinegar.
Put the cod on a plate and cover with the ginger-garlic mixture. Grind over some pepper. Marinate at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes.
Mist a baking sheet with the oil-water spray. Put the cod on the sheet, scraping all of the marinade over the fish. Spray with oil and oven-roast for 9 to 10 minutes per one-inch thickness of fish.
Spoon the heated Black Bean Tomato Sauce onto a plate. Set the roasted fish on top, then surround with salsa as garnish.聽聽聽
