SPRING is the best time of year for spinach and you’ll begin to see an abundance of it in the shops over the next few weeks as it comes into peak season.

Spinach is at its sweetest and most tender during the spring months so take advantage of this bright, nutritious vegetable while it’s at its best.

High in vitamins and minerals and rich in antioxidants, it is easy to see why spinach has been classed in the ‘superfood’ category – Popeye was certainly onto a good thing all those years ago!

The leafy vegetable only takes a few minutes to cook - you simply need to wilt it - which also means much of its nutritional value isn’t diminished in the cooking process.

Really fresh spinach should have vibrant, bright green leaves - discard any that are yellowing or bruised.

You can also enjoy raw baby spinach leaves in salads – just make sure you give them a good wash beforehand. These young leaves are milder in flavour and don’t need to be cooked.

This week’s recipe is a seasonal favourite that’s both delicious and nutritious. If you don’t want to use cod you can use any other firm white fish of your choice.

Serve with some fluffy rice, couscous or middle eastern style tabbouleh and additional steamed greens for a really substantial and tasty meal.

HARISSA COD WITH CHICKPEAS & SPINACH

(serves 4)

4 cod fillets

2 tbsp harissa paste

150g cooked chickpeas

300g spinach

Juice of half a lemon

50g butter

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Small handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

METHOD

Marinate the cod fillets in the harissa paste for two hours or overnight.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the cod for 2-3 minutes on each side until it starts to brown. If you have particularly large or thick fillets then you might need to cook them for a minute or two more. Remove from the heat and allow to rest while you prepare the spinach and chickpeas.

Add the butter to a large heavy-bottom pan and cook the spinach for a couple of minutes until it starts to wilt, then add the chickpeas and lemon juice.

Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for a minute more or until the chickpeas have warmed through and some of the liquid has evaporated.

To serve, sit the cod fillets on top of the spinach and chickpeas and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.