Imagination: Tilapia alla Veracruzana
Now that the holidays are behind us, we’re all wondering what the new year will bring. We wish for better things, for growth and progress, and do what we can to make them real, regardless of the uncertainty that threatens to crowd out our optimism.
Our imagination–our ability to see things that aren’t there, or familiar things as if we had never encountered them before—is key to moving forward. It brings delight to little things, and comfort in possibility and hope. Imagination resides in our 6th Chakra, the site of our vision and conceptual energies.
Watching my 10-year-old son’s imagination at work is inspiring—not only when he storms about the house, wielding his Star Wars ‘blaster’ and battling nameless foes, but even when he’s making himself a grilled cheese sandwich. He has his own technique and timing, and seems now to intuit when it will be just perfect. And his attention is unbreakable; there’s no chance he will mess up or burn himself. The fulfillment he finds when it’s done, when the crust is nicely brown and the cheese perfectly melted, gives him a bit of strength and no little satisfaction. I like to think that he’s followed an image of what could be to something that is real.
That’s what the kitchen has always been about for me—a place of imagining and fulfillment. I like to imagine there, and at times will try to make a full meal made only with what’s on-hand.
Try it sometime: open the fridge and the pantry, and go. You’ll usually find most of what you need close at hand, even in the sparest of kitchens. All it takes is a little imagination.
The following was whipped up the other night out of a few things on hand. I confess the Tilapia was purchased that day (my wife is a big fan), but I had to idea what I would do with it when I brought it home. Nutritionally, it is a great 1st Chakra dish, but the key here, as with most cooking really, is to follow an inspiration to its natural end. You’ll be surprised at what gets unleashed, within and without.
The sauce is Mexican-inspired, but the actual ingredients can vary according to your taste and what’s available. The point is to bring together tastes and textures in an interesting and surprising way, using only what’s in front of you.
TILAPIA ALLA VERACRUZANA
4 tilapia filets, about 1 pound
juice of 2 limes
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large or 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup oven roasted tomatoes
a pinch of red pepper flakes
½ cup good olive cured olives, pitted and chopped
2 tbs capers, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano, or 1-2 Tbs fresh, chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine
2 pinches cinammon
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Wash and dry the filets, and drizzle with the lime juice. Refrigerate while preparing the sauce.
In a large skillet, sauté the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add the tomatoes, pepper flakes, olives, capers herbs and wine, lower the heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Add more liquid if the sauce seems too dry; it should be the consistency of a rich spaghetti sauce. Keep warm.
Lay the filets on a shallow baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon half the sauce over the filets, coating nicely. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the fish flakes easily but is not dry.
Spoon the remaining sauce over the fish when serving.
Note: you can substitute canned tomatoes for the oven-roasted. Just break them up well before adding to the skillet, along with the juice, and add ¼ cup wine.
Tags: chakra cooking, chakras, Craig Kinzer, healthy cooking, mexican cooking, tilapia, veracruzana
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