Dinner in Minutes

Dinner in minutes

Mexican fish dish delivers sweet heat

 
 

Snapper Veracruz with quick rice
Snapper Veracruz with quick rice
Peter Andrew Bosch / Miami Herald staff

Main Dish

Snapper Veracruz

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided use

3/4 pound snapper fillets

1 1/2-cups sliced onion

3/4 cup sliced green bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup sliced black or green olives

1 tablespoon capers

1 large tomato, cut into cubes (about 1 1/2-cups)

1/4 cup sliced banana peppers in vinegar (or other pickled peppers)

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat one teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and sauté 2 minutes, turn and sauté 2 minutes for a 1/2 inch fillet. Remove fish to a plate and add the second teaspoon oil to the skillet. Add the onion and sauté 2 minutes. Add the green bell pepper, garlic, olives, capers, tomato and banana pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar from the banana peppers. Sauté for 5 minutes. Return fish to skillet and sauté another minute. Serve fish with vegetables spooned on top. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 315 calories (30 percent from fat), 10.6 g fat (1.7 g saturated, 6.3 g monounsaturated), 60 mg cholesterol, 38.0 g protein, 18.1 g carbohydrates, 5.2 g fiber, 639 mg sodium.


linda@dinnerinminutes.com

Olives, capers, peppers and cinnamon add a sweet touch and some heat to this typical dish from Veracruz, Mexico. I recently tasted this dish at a Mexican food fiesta at the Doral Intercontinental Hotel. Chefs Darren Lee and Deivid Rojas shared their recipe with me. I’ve adapted it for this quick and easy taste of Mexico.

Snapper is the most popular fish in Veracruz, but any type of white fish fillet can be used.

The recipe calls for banana peppers (chiles gueros) in vinegar. These are long yellow/white peppers. You can substitute any type of pickled chile. The heat is up to you. Or, you can use diced jalapeño peppers.

Complete the meal with a quick side dish made by preparing microwavable rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 1/2 cups and set aside the rest for another use. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, and fluff with a fork.

This meal contains 535 calories with 30 percent from fat.

Helpful hints

• Flounder, tilapia. catfish or other white fish fillet can be used in this recipe. If using a thicker fish fillet, increase the cooking time counting 8 minutes per inch of thickness.

Countdown

• Sauté fish remove from skillet.

• Sauté vegetables.

• Microwave the rice.

Shopping list

To buy: 3/4 pound snapper fillets, 1 green bell pepper, 1 container sliced black or green olives, 1 bottle capers, 1 jar banana peppers in vinegar (or other pickled peppers), 1 large tomato.

Staples: Olive oil, onion, minced garlic, ground cinnamon, salt, black peppercorns.

Linda Gassenheimer’s latest book is “The Flavors of the Florida Keys.” Her website is dinnerinminutes.com. Follow her on Twitter @lgassenheimer.

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