Healthy Mediterranean Baked Fish is made with Succulent white fish poached in a bath of fresh tomato basil sauce, kalamata olives, capers and garnished with lemon slices.
Healthy Mediterranean Baked Fish has to be one of the best fish dishes I have ever prepared! You are going to love the flavors and textures and it makes you feel like you are eating something really special.
Do you like soaking in a nice hot bath to melt all your stress away? Just the thing your body needs after a hard day, don't you think? You feel relaxed, un-thawed from the cold and your skin feels soft. Well the same kind of feel good happens to your fish while it is poaching in a bath of fresh tomato basil sauce. I don't recommend you poach your body is a bathtub of tomato sauce but it sure does wonders for your fish.
The fish is delicate and tender. The basil tomato sauce is fresh and zesty with the addition of kalamata olives and capers that add a little savory note without adding extra salt. My favorite part is the little lemon zing that comes in at the very end that will have you wanting to go back for seconds of this delicious and healthy Mediterranean Baked Fish.
There is an explosion of flavor that comes from just a handful of ingredients and lucky for you that might be in your pantry right now just waiting to be used. Canned tomatoes, olives, capers, lemons, garlic and a little basil are all you really need to go along with your fresh fish. With just a total of 8 little ingredients you can have a delicious healthy gluten-free, diabetic-friendly, low carb meal on your table in less than 30 minutes.
Healthy Mediterranean Baked Fish is a great weeknight dish or even an elegant easy dish to entertain with. If you are completely pressed on time, you could even just use a low sodium jar of pre-made tomato basil spaghetti sauce and I won't tell a soul.
As for the fish of choice, it should be a mild whitefish. Fish types like sole, perch tilapia, cod, sea bass, flounder or other Asian varieties, that I do not know by name but only by sight, would work wonderfully in this dish. Really, any fish you like would be beautiful in this dish but salmon is a little too oily and strong flavored for this particular dish.
I know you must think I have gone beyond crazed as this is my third dish in less than 30 days with olives in it. I used kalamata olives in brine as this is what I had in my pantry and I love how the flavors combine with the simple fresh tomato sauce. However, you can use any kind of olives you desire or none at all.
The Mediterranean diet is a healthy one that has many benefits especially for cardiac diets. Eating plenty of fish, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, olive oil instead of butter, whole grain breads and using herbs and spices instead of salt makes this diet a good choice. If you are on a strict sodium restricted diet, you will need to pass on the olives and capers in this dish and add some extra lemons, basil and Mrs. Dash to this dish instead.
Another dish that you may be interested in is my Mediterranean Red Snapper Packets. These packets are delicious as the juice from the fish, lemons and fresh tomatoes helps steam the fish right inside the pocket. Please excuse the old photos but this is also a very simple, delicious and healthy dish that can get on your table in less than 30 minutes.
I served my healthy Mediterranean baked fish with a side of fresh stir fried green beans and a tossed salad. I hope your family enjoys this healthy low carb recipe and meal.
More Delicious Healthy Seafood Recipes
Fabulous Fish and Seafood Recipes
Kimchi Salmon and Rainbow Pickles
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Healthy Mediterranean Baked Fish
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
minced - 28 oz tomatoes
canned crushed - ¼ cup basil
chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried - salt and pepper
to taste ( or Mrs. Dash) - 16 oz white fish
fillets - 4 oz kalamata olives
(or your favorite kind of olives) - 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 lemons sliced thinly
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F)
- In a frying pan place your olive oil and fry your garlic until fragrant. Add your crushed tomatoes, basil and salt and pepper (Mrs. Dash) to taste. (If you have a pan you can take from stovetop to oven that would be fantastic, an iron skillet is a little bit too rugged for this dish- so pity for me I had to dirty 2 pans.)
- Place your fresh basil tomato sauce into an oven proof dish/pan. Lie the fish on top of the fresh basil tomato sauce. Place thin sliced lemons on top of fish fillets. Add the drained olives and capers on top of fish and tomatoes. Add a little drizzle of olive oil on top before baking, if you wish.
- Bake your healthy mediterranean fish uncovered for about 15-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. (Time in oven depends on size and thickness of your fish) Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Carla says
I am so looking forward to getting out doors again and having dishes like this. I also get inspired from travels and use food to stimulate my memories and relive those great times.
Cal says
This fish screams out for a nice Italian White wine, and some lovely bread!! I can imagine dipping some nice bread in that sauce.
Jake says
This look like a real winner for group dinner night. I winder if I should share your website with my friends, or keep it as my very own resource, Decisions Decisions... I guess I can selectively share ideas and increase the chance I get to eat what I like.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Jake. Sharing is always appreciated. Let us know how your group dinner goes tonight.
Aubry says
I like your baked fish recipe -- different flavors to keep from getting bored. My daughter is a piscatarian and her daughter is vegan, so it is always a challenge when the come for dinner.
Smitha says
Love this dish. Fish and those spices and the color and texture is really inviting. I would gulp those fish pieces with a bowl of steaming hot rice. I can visualize me with the bowl
Kmg says
Made twice, second time sautéed mushrooms with the garlic. So easy, quick and very tasty. A recipie you can play with.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you and so glad you like this recipe. Wishing you a super week.
Jim says
Bobbi,
Wow! Another great recipe. I made this tonight with Hake loins and I threw some frozen calamari in with it. The calamari was perfectly done when the fish was done. I keep looking at the recipe and I can't figure out where all of that great flavor came from. We had it over a mushroom risotto and the sauce was just plain dynamite on the risotto. Thanks so much for another blue ribbon recipe!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Jim, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe. I bet it was your amazing mushroom risotto that added that extra pizzaz to the dish. I am so glad that you could cook your fish and the calamari together, good to know. Don't you just love how easy this is to put together? Even my picky teenagers who are not too keen on anything that swims seems to love this flavourful dish. Wishing you a super week!
dutchgoesitalian says
Oh this looks and sounds so good Bobbi! Yum!! 🙂