PEOPLE FOOD WHILE TOMATOES ARE ABUNDANT

[Richard Crowe]

Living close to the border with Mexico, some of our cuisine is influenced by Hispanic ties. One of our favorites is Snapper Vera Cruz.  This is a very easy dish to prepare and you can prepare the sauce and freeze it while tomatoes are abundant in your garden or very inexpensive in the grocery stores.  The recipe is not rocket science and I NEVER MEASURE. I usually cook this two batches at a time and freeze them laying flat in 1-gallon freezer bags.  Freezing them flat not only saves space in my freezer but, when I want to prepare my fish I can just open the bag, pop the frozen sauce into a pan and begin heating.  Although the dish is prepared in Mexico using snapper, any mild, firm fleshed white fish (fresh or frozen) will do.  We usually freeze at least a dozen packages of the sauce and use it throughout the year for a quick, healthy and tasty meal.

 

It can be prepared into quite a spicy meal or you can cut back on the chile and cumin to make a more mild version. I would judge that I prpare this in a medium spicy version.  You can taste the spices but it doesn't burn your mouth.

 

INGREDIENTS

20 Roma tomatoes or equivalent amount of any other type of tomatoes - diced

4 medium onions diced

garlic to taste

1-seven ounce can of diced chiles or 2-four ounce cans (I told you it wasn’t rocket science)

1-ten ounce jar of stuffed olives (the cut up variety is cheaper and easier to use)

chile powder to taste

Cumin (or cominos) powder to taste

Olive oil to cover bottom of pan

 

PREPARATION

Cover bottom of large pan with olive oil

Saute onions and garlic over a medium-high heat until cooked but not browned

Add cumin and chile powder

Add diced chiles

Add olives

Cook over a low head five to ten minutes or so

Add diced tomatoes and bring to boil

Reduce heat and simmer for 15-minutes

Now the sauce is completed.  I usually let this cool and split it into two portions, each of which fits nicely into a 1-gallon zip top freezer bag.  Lag bags flat on cookie sheet and freeze.

 

PREPARING THE FISH…

About two pounds of any firm and mild white fish, snapper, cod or just about anything you can find. If the fish is frozen, defrost it.  Cut it into bite sized chunks and dribble lemon or lime juice over it.  I use whatever there is on my citrus trees at the moment.  I used limes for the last batch but have been equally as happy with lemon juice.  Store the citrus covered fish in the refrigerator while you are preparing the sauce.

Remove sauce from bag into pan, defrost over medium heat and cook over medium to high heat until boiling.  Add the fish, reduce the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or so.  Serve over a bed of white rice.

It is delicious, quick and easy to prepare and quite healthy.

 

 

 

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Sounds like it will work right into my Satisfaction Diet plan.

Thanks Richard  yum!

[F, Calla & Luca]

This sounds really good and healthful.

[Kyoko]

Sounds great!! Local farmer's market has been selling tomatoes really cheap, and I have been getting them. But I was runningout of idea to what to do. This will be perfect!! Thanks for sharing.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

This sounds great. You might want to also post it in the What's Cookin'? Group here on DK.

 

 

 

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

This sounds delicious.  DH and I love Mexican food and will definitely try your recipe.  Thanks for sharing.