Blackened Catfish and Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts

I wanted to eat either lamb chops or fish, and seeing how lamb is pricier than fish, I went with catfish. I usually fry catfish, but I wanted to go slightly healthier so instead I went with a Guy Fieri recipe for blackened catfish. To be honest, his was one of the first recipes that came up and I didn't feel like looking further. It was easy enough though with a blend of spices that I already had on hand.

Quinoa is super healthy for you, so I found another simple recipe that could accompany the fish. It wasn't unlike some of the rice pilafs I'd made in the past.

The fish wasn't bad, but it was too spicy. The heat didn't obliterate the taste, but it did make it difficult to find. Next time, I'd cut the cayenne down by half.

Surprisingly though, the whole meal came into its own when I took it for lunch two days later. The flavor in the catfish bloomed with the heat quotient dropping, and the pine nuts had found a way to better blend with the quinoa. It was actually a lot better two days after the fact.