Green Girl Goodies: A Guide to Happy Healthy Eats: Herb Marinated Swai baked with Heirloom Tomatoes served on a bed of Baby Spinach

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Herb Marinated Swai baked with Heirloom Tomatoes served on a bed of Baby Spinach

Green Girl Goodies, July 2012

Heirloom tomatoes are another one of my favorite summer offerings. They are so full of flavor and I usually prefer them raw to really savor the natural essence of the tomato. Unfortunately, this time on our way back from the River Market one of our heirlooms somehow got a tiny puncture. We didn’t notice right away and it began to lose some juice. As soon as I saw this, I began looking around the refrigerator and freezer for something to pair with the partially deflated tomato and came across the Swai. Swai is a farmed river cat fish from Asia. It is a delicate white fish, similar to U.S. catfish that is slightly more buttery but with a less earthy, more mild taste. It does have a low mercury content but if eaten no more than once a week it is not harmful and is considered a “Good Alternative” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. If you cannot find Swai, look for Basa (another name for this Asian catfish) or just plain old catfish. I wanted a light meal so I served the simple herb-marinated fish over a bed of spinach. It would also be delicious with roasted potatoes, pasta, grilled vegetables…you name it!

Garlic and Herb Fish Marinade

Yield approximately ½ c or enough for 8 – 10 oz of fish

4 ea Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed

¼ ea Yellow Onion (small), roughly chopped

3 tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¾ tb Oregano leaves, dried

1 tsp Thyme, dried and ground

1 ¼ tsp Kosher Salt

20 turns Freshly Ground Black Pepper

- Place the garlic cloves and onion into a food processor and blend until minced.

- Add the oil and seasonings and blend well.

- Pour the marinade over the fish and use your hands to cover all sides of the fish.

- Let the fish sit in the marinade for at least 2 hours and up to a day.

Tomato Topping:

1 ea Heirloom Tomato (medium), large dice

¼ ea Yellow Onion (small), large dice

7 turns Freshly Ground Black Pepper

- Preheat the oven to 350. Place the marinated fish into a baking dish and top with the tomatoes, onions and pepper.

- Place the pan in the oven and cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fish), rotating the pan halfway thru the cooking process. The fish will be done when firm to the touch.