The 15 Minute Dinner...Seriously!

 

Happy New Year, friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!  We spent our second Christmas here in Hawaii, which was much smaller and quieter than usual, but a special time for just the three of us.

I have to admit, I get a little bummed out during the inevitable lull after New Year's.  Everyone goes back to work and schedules return to normal, and there isn't a whole lot going on for a while.  And of course we all start hitting those New Year's resolutions hard for about 30 minutes, so if you're still going after yours, (and if they involve"spend less, save more," "eat healthier," and "have more quality family time") then I'm going to help you out here.  You can thank me later... I accept payment in the form of good wine and chocolate anything.

Here's a meal I made this week that I wanted to share because it was super quick, fresh and very tasty.  The original recipe was for mahi (or ono), which is really easy to buy fresh here on the island.  However, I always have frozen tilapia fillets in the freezer so I just used those and they worked well.  Basically, a flaky white fish will work fine, with the advantage being toward a thicker, firmer fillet.

To sum it up, you put the fish in to broil in the oven, make the sauce while the fish is cooking (this will cut time off the original recipe), throw some french bread in bottom rack of the oven to toast up, and put a steamer bag of veggies in the microwave all at the same time.  Trust me, it's simple and dinner will be ready in 15.  You know I'm a stickler for family dinners, so this is a perfect way to make a nutritious meal to enjoy together, and it won't take up a lot of your time in the kitchen.  Enjoy!


Broiled Mahi-Mahi with Parsleyed Tomatoes (adapted SL, 2005)

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 6 (6- to 8-ounce) mahi-mahi fillets (Or other white fish) 
• 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese

Preparation

1. Place fish in a single layer on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
2. Broil 5 inches from heat 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.
3. Sauté sliced onions in hot olive oil over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until tender. Add chopped tomatoes, next 4 ingredients, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes until heated through.
4. Spoon onion-and-tomato mixture evenly onto a platter; top with fish fillets. Sprinkle evenly with crumbled feta cheese, and garnish, if desired.