Easy dinner recipes: Keep it light with three low-calorie fish ideas

Looking for something on the lighter side? Oh, and you want it fast too? These tempting fish recipes clock in at 400 calories or less:

Swordfish with tomatoes and fennel: Dinner doesn’t get much easier -- or better -- than swordfish steaks. Cook a couple of swordfish steaks in garlic and fennel for a few minutes on each side, then add a little white wine and whole cherry tomatoes and let the dish simmer away until the steaks are done. Remove the steaks and cook down the liquid with a little slivered fresh basil until it’s nicely thickened (yes, the aroma is amazing!). Pour the sauce over the swordfish and you’re good to go. The dish takes only 40 minutes from start to finish.

Albacore ceviche salad: Albacore is quickly marinated in lime and tangerine juices, then mixed with a confetti of diced cilantro, cucumber, radish and corn and served mounded on greens in this bright salad, full of color and texture.

Canele’s pan-seared snapper: At Canele in Atwater Village, chef Corina Weibel serves a perfectly-seared snapper fillet perched atop a striking, delicious pile of vegetables and house-made croutons -- a bread salad of sorts. Each fillet is seasoned with fresh herbs and lemon and orange zest. The “salad” is a vibrant display of grilled sweet Italian peppers tossed with cracked Picholine olives, cherry tomatoes, parsley, shallots and those crispy croutons, finished with a drizzle of good olive oil and red wine vinegar. You can find the recipe below.

CANELE’S PAN-SEARED SNAPPER

Total time: 50 minutes, plus marinating time | Serves 2

Note: Adapted from a recipe by Canele chef Corina Weibel. Picholine olives can be found at well-stocked markets. To make croutons, slice half-inch cubes from the inside of a baguette and saute in a pan with just enough oil to lightly coat the croutons for several minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden and crisp.

2 (5-ounce) fillets snapper, preferably barramundi
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus 1/4 cup whole parsley leaves, divided
Grated zest of 1 lemon, plus lemon juice for drizzling over the cooked fish
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 1/2 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6 fresh sweet Italian peppers
14 cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
8 Picholine olives, cracked and pitted
1/2 cup croutons (see Note)
2 shallots, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1. Combine the fish, thyme, chopped parsley, lemon and orange zests in a shallow nonreactive pan and rub the seasonings over the fish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

2. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saute pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil and saute the peppers over medium heat until tender, 8 to 10 minutes, shaking occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Remove the fish from the refrigerator; do not bother to shake off the marinade. Season each fillet with one-eighth teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper, or to taste.

4. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over high heat until hot and add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Sear the fish skin-side down for 2 to 3 minutes until the skin is crispy, then flip each fillet over and place the pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through.

5. While the fish is cooking, combine in a medium bowl the cooled peppers, tomatoes, olives, croutons, parsley leaves and shallots. Drizzle in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and toss together as a salad. Season to taste with salt.

6. Distribute the salad evenly in a small mound on each plate. Place 1 filet on top of each mound, and drizzle each filet with a squeeze of lemon juice and a light drizzle of best-quality olive oil. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 311 calories; 33 grams protein; 27 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 50 mg. cholesterol; 538 mg. sodium.
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