Baked Fish

This is a recipe that I developed after studying the recipes of the Frugal Gourmet! How many remember Jeff Smith and his show on ETV back in the '80s? I loved his show and the way he cooked. I still refer to the two cookbooks I have... The Frugal Gourmet and The Frugal Gourmet Cooks With Wine. I was intrigued by the intro to his recipe Baked Fish in Vinegar Sauce. "This is actually fish in salad dressing, and it will startle the children in your house who claim that they don't like fish." Ok... I like fish, but I like it more for the sauce it's in or whatever concoction I've come up with to dip it in or slather on. After trying his recipe, which involves sauteing, chopping and mixing, I came up with short cut recipe that works great. It's simple and you don't have to go buy a bunch of spices that you might not keep in the pantry. It's a quick recipe to put together, leaving time for family and friends while it bakes... and it smells heavenly! You don't have to worry about the smell of fish filling your house!

2 or 3 pounds of your favorite fish fillets
Talapia, Bass, Catfish or Whitefish (all white meat fish will work)

Flour
Salt
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 Lemons, sliced thin
1 bottle Zesty Italian or Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour and salt and dredge the fish. Place them in a shallow baking dish so they fit snug. Place lemon slices on the fish, then sprinkle with onions. Pour dressing over the fish (use 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of dressing). You can add your favorite spice such as dill, basil or garlic to the dressing if you like... just taste it and adjust the flavor. The flour will bake with the dressing and thicken into a wonderful sauce! Bake fish uncovered for about 45 minutes or until fish is firm and flaky.