Red Snapper Veracruz

I have declared this the Summer of Mexico (as opposed to last year’s summer of salad). Here’s Red Snapper Veracruz, also adapted from my Sunset Mexico book.

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ small green bell pepper, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
juice of half a lime
¼ cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
2 tablespoons diced green chiles
2 large tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 snapper or rockfish fillets (about 1 pound)
½ tablespoon of capers, rinsed

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add bell pepper, onion, and garlic and cook until soft (about 7 minutes). Add pepper, cinnamon, lime juice, olives, and chiles; cook for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. (Note: I added a little water to the mixture. Check the seasoning before adding the sauce to the fish; we found that it needed salt).

Place fillets in a lightly greased baking dish just large enough to hold them. Pour sauce over fish and bake in a 350 degree oven until fish is just slightly translucent or wet inside when cut in thickest part (10 to 15 minutes). Stir in capers just before serving. (Note: I don’t like capers, so I left them out).

We had this with white rice. It got the Gabe stamp of approval.