Tag Archives: healthy

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April 15, 2015

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Fish, Recipes

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Baked Honey Cod

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I have been trying to eat healthier recently.  More salads, fruit, and fish.  It is not really easy since i like meat so much, but it hasn’t been all bad either. I came across this recipe for a honey baked cod on Yahoo! Food that was taken from another blog and it seemed easy and delicious.  Turns out it is quite easy and tasty, but I couldn’t get the dark caramelization that they show in the picture. I am not convinced that you can get that by baking it. I think you have to broil it, but hey, I just followed the recipe on this one (kind of).

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup honey
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup sesame oil (seemed excessive but who knows)
  • ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1½ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tsp freshly chopped ginger
  • 4 to 6 oz cod fillets

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Directions

  • Combine all the ingredients in a bag and marinate the cod for 24 hours (my slight change was I marinated it for ~5hrs)
  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and bake for ~8 min
  • Enjoy a nice healthy meal

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September 19, 2014

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Fish, Recipes

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Pan Fried Cod Over Bok Choy

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My sister reminded me the other day that I needed to use our bok choy soon, otherwise it was going to go bad. Instead of being a normal person and using what I had in the fridge to make a meal, I went out and bought some fish in order to not waste $2 worth of bok choy lol. Anyways, I bought cod since that seemed easiest at the moment. This was a pretty fast meal that you can make in about the time it takes your pot of rice to cook, so everything will be ready at the same time, which is always a good feeling.

Ingredients:

  • Cod fillets
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • Dash of white pepper
  • Bok Choy, halved
  • Jasmine rice

Directions

  • Place the cod fillets, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and white powder and let marinate for 30 min
  • In a skillet, over med heat, fry the bok choy halves (turn sparingly) in 1 tbsp of oil
  • In a large frying pan, over med-high heat, heat the oil until smoking
  • Add the cod fillets and cook thoroughly and there’s a nice, crisp to the outside (~3 min on each side)
  • Place the fish and bok choy over a bed of rice and eat

All in all a quick, healthy, and flavorful Asian meal. Hope you enjoy it!

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September 15, 2014

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Appetizers, Recipes, Salads

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Picnic Broccoli Salad

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At the request of the ladies in my life to eat healthier, I have been making more salads than ever before. When they asked, my first thought was boring! Then I requested if mac salad, potato salad, and pasta salads count, but apparently they do not. Thus, today is a broccoli salad, complete with mayo, bacon, and cheese…yummm healthy….Actually, it’s not unhealthy and its pretty good too. I mean you can always make it unhealthy by adding as much crap as you want into it, but I kept it pretty simple.

Ingredients

  • 3 heads of broccoli, florets chopped into eatable pieces
  • 1 cup mayo
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • salt and pepper
  • 6+ strips of bacon (up to you)
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • Halved grape tomatoes
  • Shredded cheddar cheese (as much as you desire)
  • Chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
My bacon is happy

My bacon is happy

Directions

  • Blanch the broccoli florets in a pot of boiling water, drain and set aside
  • Mix the mayo, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar in a bowl
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Meanwhile, fry the bacon until crispy, dab with paper towel to get excess oil off
  • Chop the bacon
  • Add the bacon, onions, tomatoes, nuts, and cheese to the broccoli and mix well in a large bowl
  • Add the sauce and mix thoroughly (use enough to coat well, but you don’t need to use all of it)
  • Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 min
  • Serve and enjoy

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September 12, 2014

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Appetizers, Recipes, Salads

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Seared Tuna with Asian Vinaigrette Salad

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My uncle loves to go deep sea fishing, and recently went out for tuna. He caught some yellowtail and some yellowfin. Every time he goes I always ask for some, and this time, he delivered! Tuna is pretty expensive to buy, so getting it fresh for free is pretty awesome. I seared the tuna and served it over a salad with an asian vinaigrette. The salad was made from a spring mix and napa cabbage cut into strips like a slaw.

Ingredients

  • Tuna loin
  • Spring salad mix
  • Napa cabbage
  • Grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • Some chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

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Directions for tuna and salad

  • Rinse the tuna and pat dry with paper towels
  • Grind black peppercorns onto a plate and roll the tuna loin in the pepper
  • Pour a little canola oil into a pan on high heat
  • Sear the tuna for a few seconds on each side, place on a plate and put it in the freezer for a few minutes to stop the cooking process
  • Cut the napa cabbage into strips, halve the tomatoes, and thinly slice the red onion

Directions for vinaigrette

  • Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat, then mix the sugar in until it dissolves
  • Combine the oil, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, and cilantro
  • Pour in the vinegar and sugar mix
  • Mix the dressing and chill in the refrigerator for ~20 minutes

Slice the tuna into ~ 1/4 inch slices and serve over the salad. This was my first time making an asian vinaigrette, and I really liked it. I was getting tired of balsamic dressings, so this was a nice alternative. The napa also added a different flavor and textural element which was nice. Overall, the salad was really good and I used the leftover dressing again the next day. And then there’s the tuna, which is always delicious. Hope you enjoy!

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August 27, 2014

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Appetizers, Appetizers, Recipes, Veggies

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Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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The other day my sister randomly said she was going to make hummus. We all like hummus, but she has never made it before, and actually did not know that chick peas and garbanzo beans were the same thing until this whole process. She got the recipe from the Food Network and made one half a garlic hummus, with the other half being a roasted red pepper hummus.

Ingredients

  • 7 cups water
  • 1 lb dry chickpeas rinsed
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 1/4 cup EVOO

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Directions

  • Place the 7 cups water, chickpeas, and baking soda in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours
  • Drain the chickpeas
  • Add the chickpeas, garlic (or roasted red peppers), and kosher salt to a food processor and pulse for ~20 seconds
  • Scrape the sides of the bowl down and pulse again for another ~15-20 seconds
  • Add the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water and pulse for ~20 seconds
  • Add the tahini and pulse for another 20 seconds
  • Drizzle in the olive oil while the processor is running
  • Serve with some pita chips and enjoy

Overall, I liked the roasted red pepper hummus better because it had a stronger flavor. We actually went back and put more garlic in the other one to make a bolder flavor. Both were good though, and hummus is healthy right? If not, don’t tell me. Hope you enjoy too!

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July 30, 2014

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Appetizers, Salads, Sides, Veggies

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Strawberry Fields Salad

Strawberry Fields Salad

I haven’t been doing my part in our joint blog so Nate coerced me in writing this one or else he wasn’t going to post anymore. 😛 Nate and I threw an intimate dinner and game night about a week ago so I’m deciding to share a small piece of what chef Nate had prepared. Today, I will be presenting a super easy quick recipe that is perfect for summer. It’s a strawberry balsamic salad with feta cheese. I’ve actually been eating this salad for several days since it was so yummy (mostly because I can’t cook). It’s really great for lunch or as an addition to a main course.

Main Salad Ingredients

  • Spring Mix
  • Walnuts
  • Strawberries
  • Feta Cheese

Salad Dressing Ingredients

  • Lemon
  • 1/2 cup EVOO
  • 1 tbsp Strawberry Balsamic
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Dash of Pepper

Recipe

  • To make the salad dressing, mix all the ingredients listed above in a small bowl.
  • Cut the lemon and squeeze the juice into the dressing. Mix well.
  • Slice the strawberries thinly for the salad
  • Mix the spring mix, strawberries, and walnuts together
  • Now add the strawberry balsamic dressing to the salad
  • Add fresh feta cheese as desired

That was pretty easy right? I don’t even think I needed the steps for the recipe. The feta cheese wasn’t too overpowering since it was balanced well by the sweetness of the strawberries. Overall, it was an awesome start to the meal and was our only veggie for that night. Bon appetit! 🙂

 

 

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June 9, 2014

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Pasta & Noodles, Recipes, Salads

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Somen Salad

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Today was really hot, so I decided to make a salad for lunch. Now when I say salad, don’t think lettuce with this one. This is more of a “pasta salad” with somen noodles, a really thin Japanese noodle. I got this recipe from my mom because I loved it as a kid growing up. She always loathed making it because of all the cutting, but did it anyways because she knew how much I liked it. The recipe itself is super easy, its just slightly labor intensive when it comes to adding stuff, due to chopping and julienning. But if you have a peeler that juliennes like I do, then its pretty quick. I should get my mom one so that she can keep making this for me lol. Anyways, here it is.

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Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp Rice Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Dash of ground ginger
  • 5-8 slices of deli ham, chopped (or some other kind of meat)
  • 2 eggs, fried, chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1 Cucumber, julienned
  • ~1 lb of somen noodles (the package I bought was 14oz)

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Instructions

  • Mix the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and ginger in a bowl and refrigerate
  • Boil the somen noodles until cooked (be aware, they cook fast), and then rinse with cold water (you want the noodles to be fairly cold when you eat)
  • Fry the 2 eggs
  • Chop/julienne the cucumbers, eggs, green onions, and ham
  • Add them to the noodles, pour the sauce over it, mix, and enjoy!

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June 8, 2014

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Appetizers, Appetizers, Fish, Recipes

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Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

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Tonight I decided to make some shrimp lettuce wraps in order to use some left over vegetables from other meals.  I got the recipe from the Food Network and pretty much followed it all the way. This is a simple, tasty, and light dish, which makes for a good appetizer. I just wish they photographed better, but maybe the photography fail lies with me. Either way, here goes.

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Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 lb medium fresh shrimp, chopped and deveined
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 green onions, diced
  • 5 oz water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce, cored, cut in 1/2

Instructions

  • In a bowl, mix the lime juice, 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, ginger, and garlic
  • Add the shrimp and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 min (I ended up doing all of this in a ziploc bag. Less dishes)
  • In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over med-high heat and then add the bell peppers, green onions, and water chestnuts stirring occasionally
  • Add the shrimp and the marinade and cook thoroughly until the shrimp are pink (~3 min)
  • Stir in the last 1tbsp of soy sauce
  • Spoon into the lettuce leaves and enjoy (I used a slotted spoon because the mix can get very watery and messy)
Before Shrimp

Before Shrimp

With Shrimp

With Shrimp

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Overall, it was pretty good and I would definitely make it again. Hope you like it too!

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May 29, 2014

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Recipes, Salads

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Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Salad

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So with such heavy meals in the recent past, I opted to go for something on the lighter side – a salad. But, being me, I can’t eat lettuce and call it a day. I had to add some kind of protein, so for this salad, I went with shrimp. I made a cilantro-lime vinaigrette, so it seemed to make sense to also have cilantro-lime shrimp.

Vinaigrette Dressing (completely made up and based in no actual recipe):

  •  1/2 cup EVOO
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • Pinch of salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • Some finely chopped cilantro
  • Mix them all together in a bowl and viola

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Shrimp Marinade (also made up)

  • 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
  • Juice of 2-3 limes
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • 3 cloves of minced garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • Pinch of chili flakes
  • Finely chopped cilantro
Broiled over baking pan
up close

Instructions:

  • Mix the marinade and coat the shrimp evenly
  • Let the shrimp rest in the marinade for about 30 minutes
  • Skewer the shrimp and grill for a few minutes on each side (I don’t have a good grill for this, so I laid the skewers across a baking pan and put them in the broiler for about 8 minutes)

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Salad:

  • You can make your salad however you wish.  I used a spring mix and added grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, and avocados
  • Add some dressing and toss lightly (Don’t put in too much dressing at first because it can become oily)
  • Add the shrimp and enjoy
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May 26, 2014

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Fish, Food Discoveries, Recipes

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Halibut with Lemon Butter

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So like I said yesterday, I would also post the halibut I made for Jenn for our anniversary. It was a halibut filet on a bed of wilted spinach and tomatoes.  It was topped with lemon butter and surrounded with fried shallots.  I got the recipe from here.

Ingredients and instructions for Lemon Butter:

  • Mix 1/2 stick room temp butter with 1tbsp lemon juice
  • Add a little salt, pepper, and lemon zest

Ingredients for halibut:

  • 1/4 cup EVOO
  • 2 tbsp of lemon juice (I just squeezed a 1/2 lemon though)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic minced/smashed
  • Shallots cut into rings

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Instructions

  • Mix the EVOO, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic
  • Marinate and coat the halibut and let stand for 15 minutes
  • On med-high heat add EVOO to a saucepan and fry the shallots until crisp
  • In a skillet on med-high heat, take the halibut from the marinade and sear on both sides for ~3 minutes
  • Plate the halibut (I put it on a bed of spinach and tomatoes) and top with lemon butter
  • Surround with shallots and dig in!