Tortilla Crusted Cod with Rice and Beans

A fun dish for a Tex Mex Tuesday! Crunchy tortilla chips take the place of breadcrumbs offering that wonderful corn flavor to this lovely cod. Rice and beans make it a complete meal and you will be sitting down to eat before your margarita gets watered down.

Serves 4

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small yellow onion, cut into small dice

½ medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 cup canned tomato sauce

1 (15 ½ -oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ½ cups cooked white rice, warmed

1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips 

1 large egg, beaten with 2 Tbsp. water

1 lime

4 cod fillets

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce and stir for 1 minute. Add the beans and 1 cup of water and simmer until the liquid reduces to the level of the beans, about 4 minutes. Add the rice to the beans and mix well. 

Place the crushed tortillas and the egg in 2 separate wide shallow bowls. Season the cod fillets with salt pepper, and fresh lime juice. Dredge the fillets in the tortillas, then then egg, then the tortillas again. Heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tortilla coated cod and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the cod is completely cooked through about 4 minutes more. 

Plate with the rice and beans, squeeze fresh lime juice over, sprinkle with cilantro, and enjoy.