Pasta with Shrimp & Spinach
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Yields: 4 people
Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked string pasta like angel hair or linguine
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or red onion
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
2 tablespoons capers
Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper.
3. Add shallots or onion and sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp; sauté 3 minutes. Remove shrimp mixture from pan.
4. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
5. Add cooked pasta, shrimp, spinach, and capers, and heat 1 minute or until spinach wilts, stirring frequently.
Notes: Capers add little bursts of flavor to this light but filling dish.
Tuna Steaks with Cucumber Dill Sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Yields: 4 people
Ingredients
Half of a large cucumber – cut length wise
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 cup purple kale, finely chopped3 tablespoons olive oil
4 4-6-ounces tuna steaks
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Sea salt and black pepper
Directions
To make Cucumber Dill Salsa:
1. Scoop out the seeds of the cucumber and dice.
2. Mix cucumber with the dill and kale.
To make the fish:
1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Rub oil on tuna steaks and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
3. Place tuna steaks on plates and top with cucumber salsa.
4. Keep skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Let sauce sizzle for a few seconds and then drizzle over fish with salsa.
6. Serve immediately.
Notes: Time of cooking tuna will vary due to thickness and preference. Most enjoy tuna medium-rare, leaving it a bit pink in the middle.Substitute fennel for cucumber or bok choy for kale for a different twist.
Tin Foil Snapper
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Yields: 2 people
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilSea salt and pepper
2 4-6 ounce snapper fillets
2 navel oranges, cross section circle sliced
1 cup loosely packed chopped dill
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
3. Rub mixture over fish.
4. Tear two 10-12 inch pieces of tin foil.
5. Lay down a few slices of orange on each piece of tin foil and place fillets over oranges.
6. Sprinkle with dill and cover with remaining oranges.
7. Fold over tin foil and close all around the edges. Place in oven for 15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve.
Sea Bass with Citrus Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes Prep Notes: Make salsa ahead to give flavors a chance to blend.
Cooking Time: 15 minutes Yields: 4 people
Ingredients
1 large navel orange, peel and pith removed, flesh cut into segments and halved
1 pink grapefruit, peel and pith removed, flesh cut into segments and chopped
1 medium lemon, peel and pith removed, flesh cut into segments and chopped
1/2 small shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 red habanero chili, stem, seeds, and ribs removed, finely chopped (wear protective gloves; about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Zest of 1/2 lime, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey or agave
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 sea bass fillets, skinned (each 4 ounces)
8 ounces baby spinach (about 8 cups)
Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Toss orange, grapefruit, lemon, shallot, chili, cilantro, lime zest and juice, oil, honey, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes, gently stirring occasionally.
3. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
4. Season fish using remaining salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet. Cover lightly with foil, and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Place spinach in steamer basket over boiling water. Steam until bright green and just wilted, about 3 minutes.
6. Turn oven to broil. Remove foil, turn fish and broil for 5-7 minutes more.
7. Divide spinach among 4 plates. Top each with fish and 1/2 cup salsa. Serve remaining salsa on the side.
Notes: Get a vitamin C blast -- along with iron and Omega-3 fatty acids in this simple fruity and spicy dish. Go low-carb or serve with brown rice or quinoa made with chicken broth.Sea bass can be pricey! Less-expensive alternatives include other mild, white, firm-but-flaky fish like striped bass, cod, halibut and grouper.
Salmon Cakes
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Yields: 2 people
Ingredients
4 ounces cooked salmon
6 rice crackers
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Dash of black pepper
Dash of coriander
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
1. Break salmon into small pieces with fork.
2. Place rice crackers in a zip-lock bag and with a rolling pin make rice crackers into crumbs.
3.In a large bowl combine salmon, crackers, onion, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and coriander.
4. Make 4 patties and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a skillet, heat olive oil on high heat.
5. Fry both sides of each patty for 3-4 minutes.
Notes: Serve with brown rice and lemon slices.
Red Snapper with Basil
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Yields: 4 people
Ingredients
8 ounces silken tofu
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup tightly packed basil leaves
Sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 4-ounce red snapper fillets
8-10 kale leaves, sliced thin
Directions
1. Steam tofu and garlic in steamer basket over boiling water for 5 minutes.
2. Transfer to a blender, add basil and salt and puree until smooth.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet and fry fish for 3 minutes on each side.
4. Transfer fish to a plate.
5. Wipe out the skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat again.
6. Add kale and a pinch of sea salt, stirring for 2-3 minutes, until kale is limp and bright green.
7. Layer greens on a plate and place fish on top.
8. Spoon sauce over fish.
Pan Fried Cod
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Yields: 2 people
Ingredients
2 8-ounce cod fillets
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh sage (optional)
1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin
1 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 stalks scallions, sliced small
Directions
1. Rinse fish and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a skillet, heat oil and sage and cook fish 2-3 minutes on each side or until fish is cooked through.
3. Remove fish from pan.
4. Add shiitake mushrooms to pan and cook for 2 or 3 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and place mushrooms over fillets.
6. Sprinkle with lemon peel.
7. Garnish with scallions.
Miso Glazed Cod
Prep Time: 10 minutes Prep Notes: Add 1 day for marinating Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Yields: 8 people
Ingredients
1 cup miso paste white (see notes)
1 cup mirin or sherry wine (see notes)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/4 cup green onion
1/4 teaspoon pepper 8 6-ounce pieces of cod (or other meaty fish)
Directions
1. Mix miso paste, wine, honey, sugar, ginger, onion and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Pour miso mixture to cover bottom of large glass or plastic storage bowl. Add layers of fish and top each with miso mixture. Seal bowl and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a large, shallow baking pan.
4. Place fish on pan. Spoon a bit of sauce over each piece.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, until fish is flaky.
6. Turn oven to broil and broil another 5 minutes until lightly brown.
Notes: You can find miso paste and mirin (Japanese cooking wine) at your local Asian market, or in many whole food stores. In a pinch, you can substitute sherry or even white wine for mirin. This marinade draws the moisture out of the fish. When storing, pack fish tightly in a sealable dish. Serve with stir-fried veggies, or simple greens and grain. This one is worth the 24-hour wait!
Credit: Adapted from Paul Somerset, executive chef, Goddard College Vt. campus
Lime Mahi Mahi
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes Yields: 2 people
Ingredients
2 6-8 ounces, mahi mahi fillets
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 limes, juiced
3 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
2 inches fresh grated ginger root grated, 1 1/2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon olive oil
Lemon, cut into 4 slices
Directions
1. Rinse fish, season with sea salt and pepper, and place in a shallow baking dish.
2. Combine the lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, and olive oil in a small bowl and pour over fish.
3. Turn over the mahi mahi in the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
4. Preheat skillet on medium-high heat.
5. Cook fish with marinade for 6-7 minutes per side or until fish is firm and opaque.
6. Garnish with a slice of lemon.
Ideal Dill Fish
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Yields: 4 people
Ingredients
4 4-ounce cod fillets
Dash of sea salt
Dash of black pepper
1/2 cup fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
1. Rinse fish.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Finely chop dill.
4. Fill a skillet with about 1/2 inch of water and lemon juice and heat till steaming.
5. Drop in fish, cover top with dill and cook until fish is cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.
