Baked Fish with Warm Tomato Compote

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Baked Fish with Warm Tomato Compote...I thought to share a recipe of a meal that I love to cook when I am pressed for time and want something on the lighter side. It's quick, delicious and quite healthy. You really don't need a ton of ingredients to make something taste good and healthy. I think this meal comes together in about 30 minutes(+/-) and can be quite impressive even for dinner guests. I love to use my toaster oven when baking the fish...for some reason it just gives the fish an incredible color, not to mention that I don't have to heat up the whole oven. I don't even pre-heat the toaster oven( whereas I would if using the regular big oven). I just love to saute cherry or grape tomatoes for a quick side dish. It's healthy as well as tasty. Any type of fish will work, so feel free to use your favorite. The tomato compote can be adapted to your preference, feel free to saute some bell pepper, or skip the onion and add some shallots or even leeks. It's fun to change the herbs from time to time...to vary it up a bit. A simple dish with lots of flavor. Hope you enjoy...

Tip: If you don't have fish on hand, try substituting the fish with chicken breast. If you want to make the tomato compote "greek style", try adding some kalamata olives and finishing it off heat with some feta cheese.

You will need:

Baked Fish:

2 fish fillets

drizzle(or two) of olive oil

1 large garlic, grated

salt and pepper, to taste

chile flakes, optional

squeeze of lemon juice, optional

Grape Tomato Compote:

1 TBS olive oil

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

8 oz grape tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of sugar

1 TBS chopped fresh basil( I used 1-2 tsps dried basil)

*you can easily add some chopped bell pepper with the onion and finish it off with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar/lime or lemon juice. Feel free to change the herbs... instead of basil, use some parsley or even some cilantro.

**instead of onion, add some chopped shallots or even leeks

Directions:

Bake fish:

1. Quickly rinse the fish fillet, pat dry and season with salt, pepper, chile flakes, and grated garlic....making sure to season both sides of the fish.

2. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and spread it on both sides. Let it sit at room temp for about 20 minutes.

3. Pre-heat oven to 450 and bake fish for 10-15 minutes...or until almost cooked through. Broil for a couple or so minutes or until it gets some golden color.

*Remember that the fish will continue to cook as it sits and the baking time depends on the thickness of the fish fillet.

Make the tomato compote:

1. While the fish bakes, prepare the tomato compote.

2. Add oil to skillet and heat on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook on med-low until soft.

3. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Season with a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.

4. Cook and turn tomatoes every so often until they start to swell and burst open a bit.

5. Add fresh basil or favorite herb. Toss to coat and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve straightaway.