Ember Friday and the 2nd Friday of Lent

Today is the second Friday of Lent and the first Friday following the first Sunday of Lent. That would mean it’s an Ember Days Friday, too. So confusing. Bottom line is it’s a day of Abstinence within the Universal Catholic Church. It means no meat today. It is also a celebration of Spring with Ember Days of Lent.

When it comes to the influence Lent has on the secular market place, I am always amazed. During Lent, Wendy’s Fast Food offers their fish sandwich while big chain grocery stores features an abundance of Lenten approved fish and seafood. In our house, that means it’s time to stock up on great deals for Lent and beyond.

Today is also National Pistachio Day. I can remember when Hubby would keep a big bag of Pistachios on hand for snacking on while watching sports. I’m not sure why he doesn’t do that much anymore – if the Pistachio has lost its appeal or what. While I’m not a fan of eating Pistachios by the handful, I do like them in a cake or as part of the flavors of a good Spumoni Sundae. I love Watergate Salad. And that certain something a Pistachio Crust brings to fish such as Salmon or Cod.

No surprise here, I love to watch cooking shows. I especially like those that are a combination “talk” show and cooking. It’s like hanging out in a friend’s kitchen swapping recipes and having a good time. I think that’s also why Hubby has given me the same gift two years in a row for Christmas – Food Network Magazine. One of my favorites is The Kitchen. No surprise that I found Katie’s recipe for Pistachio Cod perfect for National Pistachio Day, Ember Days Friday and part of our Lenten Season Table. So bright, so colorful. With dishes like this, Friday’s sacrifice of meat are painless. Hum, does that mean it doesn’t count?

Pistachio-Crusted Cod with Citrus Salsa
1 Pink Grapefruit
1 Tangerine 
1 Naval Orange
Olive Oil, for drizzling 
Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh Black Pepper to taste 
1/2 cup shelled Pistachio, roasted and salted
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt 
4 (6 oz) skinless Cod Fillets
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard 

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Using a small knife, remove the peel, pith and outer membrane of the grapefruit, tangerine and orange. Working over a bowl, slice each into segments; remove the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

In a food processor, pulse the pistachios and garlic salt until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Transfer to a shallow dish.

Season both sides of the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Use a pastry brush to coat the top side of each piece of fish with the Dijon mustard. Gently press the mustard-coated side of the fillets into the pistachio mixture. Transfer them pistachio crusted-side up onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Transfer to a serving plate and top with the citrus salsa. Drizzle with olive oil and season with more salt and pepper before serving.

Original Recipe Katie Lee Biegel – Food Network