By: Lauren McRae

“Food has always been powerful medicine,” says Geeta Maker-Clark, MD, a Family and Integrative Medicine physician who speaks across the country on using food as a healing force.

Dr. Maker-Clark started the first Midwestern CME (Continuing Medical Education) symposium at NorthShore for doctors and patients that is dedicated to emerging nutritional science, and she runs a Food is Power program for middle school students on Chicago’s south side Englewood neighborhood.

“We are giving them the knowledge and skills to be powerful change agents in their own lives,” she said of the program.
One of the recipes the kids like to dive into is this Red Cabbage Salad, which Dr. Maker-Clark suggests adding to wraps, sandwiches or our Baked Baja Fish tacos. See recipes below.

Baja Fish Tacos with Baja Sauce
Ingredients:

• 4 to 5 tilapia fillets, cut into 1-inch strips (fresh or frozen that have been thawed)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 or 2 limes
• ½ cup cilantro, fresh, chopped
• 4 or 5 flour tortillas

Seasoning (mix together in a bowl):

• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Baja Sauce (mix together in a bowl):

• 1 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt, with a squirt of lime juice
• 1 chipotle chile, canned
• ¼ cup low-salt tomato puree

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place fillets on a baking sheet, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Brush the tops of fillets with olive oil.
4. Season with seasoning mixture, then squeeze lime juice over tops of fillets.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until fish flakes with a fork.
6. Warm tortillas on a hot pan, not in a microwave.
7. Place 1 to 2 strips of tilapia on each tortilla.
8. Add as much Red Cabbage Slaw as you’d like!
9. Top with Baja Sauce and cilantro

*Adapted from Familia Kitchen