You guys are going to LOVE what we had for dinner Saturday! I made my fried fish and homemade pesto recipe only this time I baked the fish (find safe, healthy seafood here) and I used limes instead of lemons, because I wanted to make a cilantro lime brown rice to go with it. (I loooove the cilantro lime rice at Q-Doba and knew it couldn’t be that tricky.) Baking the fish was MUCH easier because you could throw it in the oven and let it bake without having to stand over it. These flavors made us feel like summer is here!
Baked Garlic Fish with Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
Ingredients
- Organic brown rice or germinated rice — use however much it says on the package for how many you're serving.
- Homemade chicken stock, optional (to use when cooking the rice)
- 2 Tablespoons butter, pastured butter is best.
- Juice from one lime
- 1/2 cup butter
- About 3-5 cloves garlic
- Tilapia or whatever fish you like, 1-2 pieces per person
- 3-4 more limes for extra juices — see instructions
- Sea salt to your taste
- Ingredients to make this pesto
- Extra cilantro, chopped, if desired
Instructions
Start the rice — I make mine in homemade chicken stock, but you can use water if that’s all you have (it’s not as nourishing though). Stir in the lime juice and butter. This has to simmer, covered, about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan. Mince fresh garlic into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Pour the butter over the top. Lay whatever fish you’d like in the bottom. We used Tilapia. (UPDATE: Please read the comments about whether or not to buy farm-raised Tilapia!) Drizzle more lime juice on top and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 35 minutes at 350*. (This should get done a little before the rice.)
While those are cooking, make the homemade pesto.
Also, chop fresh cilantro up small, I used about 2 big handfuls or so. (I threw some in the pesto, too.)
When the rice is done, add more fresh lime juice and sea salt to taste (I use a LOT: the juice from about 3-4 small limes, plus at least a teaspoon of sea salt), and then add the chopped cilantro and stir it all together.
When everything is done, here’s how to serve it:
Make a bed of rice on the plate, and place a piece of the fish on top. Using a spoon, drizzle the buttery juices from the bottom of the baking dish over the fish and rice. Add a dollop of pesto. Be ready to oooh and aaaahh. 🙂
We had it with fresh, local asparagus sautéed in ghee and sea salt just until crisp tender. YUM!
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Sabrina says
The recipe looks delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Jacquline Futch says
Love baking with little foil packets and especially with salmon. Copper River Salmon goes pretty quick as it’s season is gone before you can blink, but Costco usually carries it. This looks sensational. Thanks!
Melissa says
See this abc news video on imported seafood.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0F8x4i5GYE&feature=related
Annie says
Thanks for the video link, Melissa… I couldn’t tell if the research for the video piece was on imported farmed fish ONLY or also wild caught imported fish. I’d like to think wild caught wouldn’t be tainted with as much but who knows.
Trina says
This looks absolutely delicious!
We make a very similar dish in packets on the grill. (It’s already getting entirely too warm for the oven except in early mornings here.) I add slices of tomato and sprigs of cilantro (and quartered jalapenos for my husband’s) before closing up the packets.
KitchenKop says
That sounds awesome, but what do you mean by “packets”?? Great idea to do this on the grill!
Trina says
I use basic parchment paper that I fold into packets, and then I keep the packets away from the direct heat. I learned the technique from my mother-in-law, who actually uses banana leaves. No local (or relatively inexpensive) source for banana leaves here, so I improvise.
Musings of a Housewife says
We make that fish dish a lot. I can’t wait to try this one!
Ranee @ Arabian Knits says
Oh, and they steak and fillet for free.
Ranee @ Arabian Knits says
Anyone who lives near a Fred Meyer, they have wild caught halibut (half or whole) for $4.99/lb.
Carey says
Wow! Thanks for the recipe – it looks and sounds delicious. And thanks for the link on buying seafood. Great stuff!
Kimi @ The Nourishing Gourmet says
First, Kelly, you picture is really nice! Good job! 🙂 Second, this sounds delish.
Also, I had also research Tilapia because we were starting to buy it because we were following the same guidelines that Kristen was. But after reading more about it, I decided it wasn’t a good choice (I don’t think it has any of the advantages of seafood, and in fact could be just as bad as grain fed beef!).
Here are my thoughts. https://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/01/farmed-tilapia-good-for-the-environment-bad-for-you.html
KitchenKop says
OH NO! Thanks so much for telling us, Kimi. Going to read your post now…
I think I’ll also make a note in the post asking others to be sure and read these comments.
Kel
Martha says
This looks awesome! Garlic, lime and cilantro are three of my favorite ingredients.
KitchenKop says
Annie,
Read this good scoop from Kristen about farmed Tilapia: https://www.foodrenegade.com/healthy-seafood-what-to-buy/
Kate, yes I think that could be good, too! I’ll have to try the cilantro pesto when ours gets going good on the deck. 🙂
Kel
Annie says
Thanks for the link, Kelly. I just saw that post. Also just saw the video linked in a comment here today – will reply to that in a second. Interesting that Kristen sees farmed tilapia as an OK choice since they’re naturally vegetarian eaters… but I just have to wonder if that’s what they’re really fed? Not corn and soy? Thanks again – more to research, lol, but there’s hope for tilapia (US raised, anyway) and my husband will be happy with that 😉
Kate says
Sounds super yummy! Suppose we could use quinoa in place of rice? Believe it or not, we’re allergic to rice. Have you ever tried making pesto with ONLY cilantro? I hear that is good too! (Never tried though.)
Linda says
That sounds so good I can’t wait to try it!
Annie says
grrr… just accidently deleted my comment! Our only fish we’re eating right now is (supposedly) wild caught salmon, which is 8.50/lb or so at Costco (frozen). That’s a splurge protein for us. We used to buy farm-raised tilapia there (6.xx/lb or so, was still a splurge) but I want to avoid that now. What white fish are you using? Where do you find it? My husband would LOVE if I’d buy tilapia again, but I really think I researched farm-raised and concluded we wouldn’t. So are there good tilapia sources? Or other white fish? I’m sort of confused about fish! Love your blog, Kelly!
Karen says
Wow, Kelly…does this sound tasty or what??!!! It’s midnight and my mouth is watering. Great foto, too.
In Merida, the “green lime” is called a lemon, but it taste much like a lime and it’s used every day on seemingly everything, including the black bean [soup-like] mixture.
You are such a great chef…figuring out recipes!
Thank you for sharing this; can’t wait to try it.
Joy,
Karen
Rachel says
Kelly, this looks awesome! I will plan to put it on the menu for next week – thanks for sharing Hun! Oh and yes, the photo is awesome – you did great! 🙂
Janet (Pantry Bites) says
This looks fantastic. I love anything with garlic and butter.