Fish with Thyme and Vegetables--Mediterranean Diet to Fix the Heart

Ever since I started this blog there has not been a longer break between posts than just few days. Until now. For the first time ever food and cooking became completely unimportant to me for almost two weeks. A dramatic health event, which affected my family member, made me unable to cook and even enjoy food. But at the end it came back to food again. The whole experience has proved one more time, what I often stress in my posts on this blog, that food and diet together with a lifestyle defines our health and also the way we look.

But although I believe in benefits of a healthy diet, I was surprised to learn that, even in this modern medicine times, before reaching for medication, doctors would prescribe diet to correct a problem. So again, food became very important to me, more than ever.

Today, staying in that healthy mood and convinced even more about its benefits, I made fish for dinner. I prepare this dish very often. It is a light and easy dinner, in the Mediterranean diet tradition. It works great with such delicate fish as sole or trout when no much seasoning is required. Thyme, lemon, olive oil, and vegetables do the trick leaving the delicacy of the fish intact. When you open the foil in which the fish is baked you can smell the aroma of fresh thyme evaporating from the fish. I usually serve this fish with boiled baby potatoes or brown rice.

Fish with Thyme and Vegetables
(Serves four)

Ingredients:
1 lb (6 fillets) of sole or 2-3 trouts,
1 yellow or orange bell pepper,
6 baby or 2 regular zucchini,
3-4 Roma tomatoes,
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
1/2 bunch of fresh thyme (about 12 branches),
1/2 lemon.
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cut out 6 pieces about 12 by 12 inches,of aluminium foil.
3. Cut tomatoes in slices and put 2-3 pieces on each of the foil.
4. Place one fillet of fish on each foil, on top of tomatoes. Season fish with salt and pepper.
5. Cut the bell pepper in half, remove seeds, and cut into thin slices. Place a few on each fillet.
6. Cut each zucchini in four and put on fish (if you use regular zucchini take the seedy core out).
7. Remove leaves from half of thyme brunches and sprinkle over the fish and put the remaining thyme brunches on top of each portion.

8. Sprinkle each fillet with olive oil and lemon juice. Close the foil first alongside and then on both ends.

9. Place each piece on the oven rack and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Let fish cool in the foil for about 5 minutes. Remove from the foil and serve.