Grouper Veracruz

After a week in Vail Colorado, we are back home and ready to get back to work at our volunteer jobs and of course putting some new recipes on Grandpa Cooks. 

When we were living in South Carolina, one of the local favorites was Grouper.  It was readily available in the area and is easy to cook and delicious. If you have a good seafood vendor in your area you should be able to get Grouper.  This recipe came from a neighbor in South Carolina who was in our gourmet group.  I am not sure where they got the recipe originally, so I can't give credit to the original author. I have had the recipe since about 2002 and have made it a number of times and really like the way the fish comes out.  The Spanish inspired sauce keeps the fish nice and moist and tastes delicious.  By the way, for you calorie counters, a serving of this fish is only about 260 calories.  I hope you will give it a try.  If you are not so calorie conscious then serve the fish over rice to capture every bit of the flavorful sauce. 

Ingredients: (Serves four)

4 - 6 Oz. grouper fillets, about 3/4" thick
Cooking spray
1 TBSP olive oil
2 Cups chopped onion
1 tsps. ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
3 TBSP fresh orange juice
2 TBSP chopped pitted green olives
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 TBSP capers, drained
2 TBSP tomato paste
1 10 Oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies, un-drained

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with the cooking spray and lay the fish into the baking dish and set aside.  Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for three minutes.  Add cumin and garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.  Add water and all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about three minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Pour sauce over the fish in the baking dish and place in the 400 degree oven.  Bake for about twenty minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.