The health benefits of a Mediterranean diet has been documented in clinical studies and shown to lead to longevity. I personally love a Mediterranean diet for the fantastic tasting food. I find that if you enjoy and savor food, you eat less and maintain a normal weight.

If you are not familiar with the fish, Hake, you are missing a wonderful mild white fish that is part of the cod family. I bought this Hake on sale at Whole Foods for $7.99 per pound. I’ve added colorful peppers, green olives, thyme and a lemon vinaigrette dressing to make this fish dish pop! And it is ready in thirty minutes!

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped plus a few sprigs

1 ½ pounds hake fillets

 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 large bell peppers, 1 red, 1 orange and 1 yellow, thinly sliced

4 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

¼ cup pitted, sliced green olives, I like Castelvetrano olives

Lemon Vinaigrette 

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, grated

1 cup loosely packed Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Season fish all over with a large pinch or two of salt and pepper and rub with chopped thyme leaves. Let rest at room temperature while you prepare peppers.

Toss peppers with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ black pepper and spread on a baking dish. Top peppers with the thyme sprigs. Roast, tossing occasionally until peppers are softened and golden at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Move peppers to the edges of the pan, making a space in the center. Lay fish out on that empty space and drizzle with oil. Scatter olives over the top of fish and peppers. Roast until fish turns opaque and is just cooked through, 6 – 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a vinaigrette by combining lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, then whisk in parsley. Serve fish and peppers drizzled with vinaigrette.

Enjoy!