Roasted Cod with Lemon Sauce

In 1981, Australian recording artist Olivia-Newton John came out with her song, Physical. There is one line that has always stood out to me: Let Me Hear Your Body Talk. When my body talks trust me when I say it's not telling me to get Physical. But what it does say are things like, "you need iron". The craving for fish becomes the predominant force behind my choice for dinner and I just have to have it. Have to.
Yesterday I set out to the store to get some food as we were going to get hit with a snow storm followed by bitterly cold temperatures. When I approached the fish station I was so pleased to see the front of the case opened and that new fish was being added in the case. My choice was two beautiful cod loins - about 1 1/2 pounds total. Enough to feed four people with some sides.

• 1 1/2 lbs. cod loins
• 4 lemon slices
• 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary - minced
• 2 tbsp. white wine
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 mushroom thinly sliced (remove stem)

1. Preheat your oven to 400°.
2. Season both sides of the fish with salt, black pepper and paprika.
3. Add the lemon slices to your baking dish as shown below.
4. Add the wine and sprinkle with the fresh rosemary. Place the fish over the lemon slices.
5. Place the thinly sliced mushroom on the top of the fish, or around the dish if you like.
6. Top off with a tablespoon of butter on each loin.
7. Depending on the thickness of the loin, roast in the oven uncovered for 20-35 minutes. The fish is cooked when it is opaque and just beginning to separate.

As the fish bakes it releases its' own juices to combine with the lemon, wine, and rosemary to make an appetizing sauce to spoon over the loin when plating. We had green beans, sliced tomato and baked potato as our sides. You could do rice and an inexpensive vegetable like sauteed squash to keep the cost of the dinner on the low side. Perhaps zucchini squash or yellow squash would be a good choice. If you go the way of rice and zucchini the total cost is $14.76, feeding four people for $3.69 each.