Fish Fillets with Summer Vegetable Medley

Click here to go to printable recipe: Fish Fillets with Summer Vegetable Medley

A great delight during the summer season, is taking advantage of fresh produce to enhance family meals, either from the backyard garden or the market. I had been collecting male zucchini flowers from my backyard plants, placing them in a glass with water:

Kept this way in the fridge, they may be saved for two to three days, until there is a bunch.

In addition to zucchini flowers, I had serrano peppers, zucchini squash, epazote herb, and tomatoes, and in the kitchen, some cooked paddle cactus strips (nopales), cremini mushrooms, and of course, onion and garlic:

Add some fresh or thawed fish fillets and a few kitchen staples, and there is an easy and delicious main course for dinner.

Fish Fillets with Summer Vegetable Medley

Printable Directions: How to clean and cook paddle cactus (nopales)

Printable recipe: Fish Fillets with Summer Vegetable Medley

Ingredients (for 4 portions)

4 fillets white fish, such as haddock, cod, sole, etc.
¼ cup corn starch, such as Maizena™
2 cups fresh paddle cactus (nopales); washed, cleaned, sliced and cooked (see printable directions above) OR from bottle; rinsed and drained
½ lb (1 large or 2 medium) zucchini; washed, ends removed, halved lengthwise, and sliced
2 cups mushrooms; wiped clean, and sliced
1 tomato; washed, stem spot removed and cut into quarters
1 bunch squash blossoms (if available); washed
2 tbsp epazote leaves (if available); washed, and chopped
½ onion; peeled and cut into two pieces
2 cloves garlic; peeled
1-2 serrano (or jalapeño) peppers (optional); washed, stems and seeds removed
3 limes; washed (one for juice, two cut into wedges as a side)
4 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place tomatoes, one piece of onion, garlic, hot peppers (if using), the juice of one lime, and half a teaspoon of salt in a blender jar (photo below, left). Process for a few seconds, to obtain about one cup of smooth sauce (photo below, right):

Reserve.

Chop the other piece of onion. Warm up two tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add chopped onion; sauté until translucent, then add sliced zucchini (photo below, left). Stir to incorporate, then add sliced mushrooms (photo below, right):

Cook, stirring occasionally, for two minutes, then add cooked cactus (photo below, left). Stir and cook until cactus strips are warm, then add reserved sauce (photo below, right):

Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then cover, reducing heat to low; allow to simmer for five minutes.

Meanwhile, remove and discard stems, sepals and central stamens from squash blossoms; separate the petals and base into sections:

Uncover pot, turn off heat, and stir in cleaned flowers and chopped epazote (if these ingredients are not available, omit).

Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, as needed. Cover pot, and keep warm until serving time.

Close to serving time, coat fish fillets with corn starch and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper (photo below, left). Warm up two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then place the fish on a single layer, to fry (photo below, right):

When edges start turning opaque, flip fillets and cook on the other side, until flaky and fully cooked.

Scoop a generous portion of vegetable medley on a dinner plate, then place a portion of fish on top, and garnish with a squash petal and a couple of zucchini slices. Serve with lime wedges and a bread basket on the side:

Other summer produce may be added or used instead, such as bell peppers, or cooked new potatoes. Green beans make a nice substitute for paddle cactus if not available, as homegrown nasturtium or calendula petals could be added instead of the squash blossoms.

If there are more zucchini available, my next post will offer a tasty idea for a sweet treat, featuring this summer squash.

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