Cafe Carumba serves up Fish Veracruz

Café Carumba is really no different than your home.

According to Chef Cynthia Walker, the staff is always looking for recipes they can prepare quickly and affordably that are also attractive and tasty. 

That sounds like a lot to ask, but not when you start with fresh ingredients.

Walker says when she creates dishes & writes recipes, she follows the FEAST guidelines.

FEAST stands for Fresh, Easy, Affordable, Stylish and Tasty.

Walker says you should always start with fresh ingredients because fresh ingredients will naturally impart flavor, color and texture into your meals without a lot of extra work.

Fresh does not mean expensive. Most of the specials she creates on a weekly basis are the result of mark downs.

Yes, just like you, she says she shops the specials her food purveyors provide every week.

For Fish Vera Cruz, Cafe Carumba uses an affordable farm raised white fish called basa, but she says you can use any white fish you find on sale.

Café Carumba's Fish Veracruz

Ingredients:
1 T. oil
1/4 C. yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 C. diced tomato
1/2 medium jalapeno, diced
1/2 C. white wine
2 oz. Green olives, cut into thin rounds
1/2 fresh lime, juiced

2 t freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 medium avocado, sliced
2 lemon wedges

1 T. butter
1 Piece of white fish
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until lightly colored, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato, jalapeno and white wine. Simmer until wine is reduced by 2/3, about 5 minutes.

While the sauce is reducing, lightly season the fish with salt & pepper. In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add the fish with the presentation side down. That's the side of the fish that will face up when served. Sauté the fish for about 5 minutes and flip to the other side for an additional 5 minutes.

While the second side is cooking, remove the sauce from heat, add the sliced olives, lime juice & stir lightly to combine. When the fish is ready, take your dinner plate and spoon about half the sauce onto the plate. Take your fish and place onto the sauce and cover the fish with the remaining sauce.

Garnish the top of the fish with chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocados & lemon wedges.

The vibrant colors of fresh ingredients will make your meals look great and remember, we eat with our eyes before our mouths. When you do, the flavors & textures of fresh ingredients will pop in your mouth without a lot of heavy seasoning.

Recipe courtesy: Chef Cynthia Walker, Cafe Carumba