pan-roasted fish with avocado-pineapple salsa

One of my favorite things about fish dishes is how fast they can come together. Take this meal, for example. Cutting board to dinner plate = about 30 minutes. You can't beat that for a homemade meal.

Nor can you beat the taste of this dish. When one of my favorite food bloggers posted the recipe this past winter, I knew I had to try it. Now I'm wondering what took me so long to actually do it. Light and fresh and full of tropical flavor thanks to the salsa, this meal is perfect for these ridiculously warm summer nights when the last thing you want to do is stand over a hot stove for hours. As a bonus, any leftover salsa would be fabulous with a big bowl of chips...though I wouldn't count on having any leftovers...

Pan-Roasted Fish with Avocado-Pineapple Salsa

2  avocados, diced small
2 cups finely diced pineapple
1/2 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 2 limes*
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 white fish fillets (5-6 oz each)
1 Tbs olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425°F. (Note: Depending on the thickness of your fish, you may not need to bake it at all. Mine cooked all the way through in the time it took to brown each side.)

In a medium bowl, gently toss together the pineapple, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion, and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large oven-safe pan until very hot, but not smoking.  Carefully place the fish in a single layer in the pan.  Allow to cook, without moving them, for 1-2 minutes, or until they are very light golden-brown. Very carefully flip the fish with a spatula.

Remove the pan from heat and transfer it to the oven.  Cook 5-7 minutes, or until the fish is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork.  The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the fish, so start checking it around 4-5 minutes.

To serve, top each piece of fish with salsa.

*I used a heavy splash of red wine vinegar rather than lime juice. After all, limes are first cousins to lemons...