This balanced and tropical cod recipe captures vibrant colours and flavours including coconut and mango alongside a little spice from jalapeño and chili. 

While salmon tends to get a lot of attention, a cod fillet is not one to be overlooked. It has a light flavour that can take on a variety of flavours and you can’t beat that flaky texture! 

As Registered Dietitians, we love that cod is highly nutritious as a rich source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and minerals like selenium! If you've got a bit more time on your hands for a flavourful dinner, we highly recommend taking 30-40 minutes to make this tropical trio of seasoned cod, coconut rice, and mango salsa!

We picked up our cod from Charlie's Seafood in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. As an alternative to cod, you could prepare this same dish with shrimp, scallops, or salmon! We've even enjoyed it with barbequed chicken!

INGREDIENTS

MANGO SALSA

• 1 mango*
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 avocado
• ¼ red onion
• 1 lime, juiced
• ¼ teaspoon salt

COCONUT RICE

• 1 cup (180g) jasmine rice
• 400 ml coconut milk , full fat or light
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• ½ tsp salt

FISH

• 4 filets of cod 
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder

NOTE:

* if you can't find a ripe mango, 1 cup of fresh pineapple is a wonderful substitution!

DIRECTIONS

MANGO SALSA:

1. Dice the mango, bell peppers, jalapeño, red onion, and avocado. Toss with lime juice and salt. Set aside. 

COCONUT RICE:

1. Soak the rice in water for at least 15 minutes and then drain. This quickens the cook time but also prevents the texture of the rice from becoming glue-y.
2. Add the rice, coconut milk, water, sugar and salt into a pot over medium high heat.
3.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, stir, and place a lid on the pot. Turn the heat to low and let cook for 12 minutes. While the rice cooks, prepare the fish.

FISH

1. Season the cod with salt, cumin, and chili pepper by sprinkling the seasoning and spices on both sides.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. When hot, add the coconut oil. Cook the fish for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through. 
3. Serve the fish by first layering the coconut rice into a bowl. Then top the rice with the fish and spoon over the mango salsa. Enjoy!

DIETITIAN TIP

This recipe has a beautiful combination of carbohydrates, fats, protein, and volume to keep your blood sugars well supported. Supporting blood sugars by combining food groups is a concept we discuss with all of our 1:1 nutrition coaching clients in Saskatchewan!

• Carbohydrates: rice and mango
• Protein: fish
• Fat: coconut milk and avocado
• Volume: bell peppers & onion

Something else we love to do with any leftover coconut rice is make a balanced 'rice pudding.' Simply combine ½ to 1 scoop of a vanilla protein powder with ½ cup of your preferred milk. Pour it over a serving of rice and mix in 1-2 tablespoon of chia seeds. Let the mixture set in the fridge for 4-6 hours. Then top with berries and additional nuts and seeds!

MORE RECIPES!

Looking for more fish recipes? Try our colorful mango fish tacos, speedy shrimp tacos, or flavourful herb baked cod!