Mediteranean Delight

[Leo Nguyen]

It's of the Mediterranean area, but can easily be adapted to various freshwater fishes. I love it for thick fillets style cooking. I suggest leaving the skin on, but just descale. The thicker the fillets, the better.

Ingredients for each 2 to 3 lbs of fillets:

• 1 large onion, largely chopped. More if like you onion.
• 2 cloves garlic, diced into small pieces. More if you're a garlic lover.
• 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, with seeds removed, and sliced into 1/8 pieces.
• 1 large carrot, or more if  you like, and slice largely, but thinly.
• 2 tomatoes, chunky chopped. More tomatoes if you like.
• 4 black olives, or green, your choice.
• A small can of garbanzo beans, about 12 to 16oz, fully drained.
• 1/8 cup of fresh parsley, largely chopped. You can add more if you like to enhance the flavor.
• 3 tbsp of smoke paprika. If none available, use regular.
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper OR smoke mixed pepper flakes.
• 2 tbsp chicken bouillon granules. Add more if you like a chicken stock taste.
• Place a side some kosher salt for added tasting.

Cooking:

Use a large skillet, add the oil, heat up the oil at high, and when the oil is ready, turn the fire to medium.Add the onion and garlic, and make sure to stir to prevent overbrowning. Once the onion becomes a bit soft after a few minutes, add the bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, olives, and garbanzo beans. Cook until the texture you like is achieved. I like mine a bit crunchy still. Wife likes it soft. We compromised at slightly crunchy, yet, soft enough to not notice the crunch of the bell peppers and carrots. Normally within a minute, since you have to cook the fish soon. If you like your carrots and bell peppers to be crunchy, add in 5 minutes before the fish is done around the edges. You'll know when the fillets are nearly done by the look of fillets become whiter, firmer, and close to easily separating with a fork.

Spread the paprika, parsley, red peppers, chicken bouillon, and cumin over the skillet equally, and gently stir to get the spices into the veggies. Add salt into the veggies if you think it needs a bit more depth to the taste. Add the fish fillets top of the veggies bed. Add just a cup to 3 cups of water to finalize the vegetables with steam, and give the fish fillets a chance to cook. Reduce the heat to low. Cover everything and cook until fish fillets flakes easily, which is about 15 to 20 minutes. If you're in higher elevation, it will be a bit longer.

[carl hendrix]

SOUNDS LIKE ANOTHER GOOD ONE LEO !  YEP;; WRITING THIS ONE DOWN TO !  QUESTION IS;; SOMEWHERE; YOU SAID THIS WOULD WORK ON;; SQUID; AND OCTUPUS;;; HMMM  IM NOT EXACTLY INTO EATING THINGS;; THAT CLING TO A PLATE !  LOLOLOLOL

[Leo Nguyen]

LOL now now carl. The good stuff is from the seas as well as the lakes and streams.

[carl hendrix]

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT LEO;; I LOVE ; SHRIMP;;  CRAB; ALL KINDS OF FISH;; JUST NEVER TRIED; SQUID;; OR OCTUPUSSY;;