Coconut Baked Fish

Talk about a dish you can make in a snap! This recipe, from "A Little Hawaiian Cookbook" we bought while on vacation there, took only about 15 minutes to prep before it went into the oven. But, just because it's simple, don't think it isn't delicious.

Frankly, I'm a sucker for almost anything cooked with coconut milk, but this dish is one of my new favorites. I recommend keeping the veggies chunky, which also helps shorten the prep time. I bet some peas would be a nice addition... We ate it with some brown rice so that we'd be able to enjoy the luscious sauce. I'd happily serve this recipe to dinner guests any time! Hopefully, you'll agree.

Here's how I made it:

Oil

4 white fish filets (we used cod)
1 onion, cut into wedges and separated
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced into chunks
1 red cherry (or other chili) pepper, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
1 can (13.5 oz) light coconut milk
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the fish filets in a single layer in a baking dish. Then, heat the oil in a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions till they soften a little before adding the remaining ingredients. Continue to sauté for about 5 minutes more so the flavors can begin to blend. Pour the sauce over the fish, cover the baking dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes till the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Cook's Note: I cut slits in the foil I used to cover the baking dish so that the steam could escape; I didn't want the sauce to become diluted. Still, the sauce is fairly thin, so you could always coat the veggies with flour while they're sautéing in the oil (to make a roux) or add a spoonful of cornstarch while they simmer in the coconut milk if you'd like it to be a little thicker. Or, if you're not as concerned about calories, you can use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream instead.