The science is clear: fish-eating populations have less heart disease and tend to live longer lives. Perhaps it’s because fish is leaner (lower in artery-clogging saturated fat) than other types of animal protein. Also, fatty fish contains the super-heart-healthy omega-3 fats: EPA and DHA. Aim to get in this type of fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, halibut, herring, mackerel) at least twice a week. For an extraordinarily low-calorie protein source…eat the “light white” varieties often too!

Red Snapper with tomatoes and Capers

This is one of my favorite fish dishes because it is so easy to make and really tastes great. You can use any other type of mild, firm, white-fleshed fish (such as grouper or halibut) as a substitute for the snapper.

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 438 grams or ¼ of the snapper plus ~ 1 cup sauce)

4 (6-ounce) red snapper fillets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, cut in half and sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons drained capers
8 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
Juice from ½ a lemon
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (I use ¼ teaspoon)

Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent and slightly brown. Add in tomatoes, capers, olives, lemon juice and spices and stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook an additional 5 minutes. In the meantime, spray a large baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Add fish to baking dish. Top fish with tomato mixture and bake uncovered for approximately 10 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of the recipe):
Calories: 281, Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 63 mg, Sodium: 921 mg,
Carbohydrate: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 8 g, Protein: 38 g

Recipe excerpt from Cholesterol Down.