Monday, September 15, 2014

Healthy DINNERS made simple and tasting great!!

I know it's 'easier' to put something pre-packaged in the microwave or just order a pizza but cooking healthy and whole can really be rewarding (and actually VERY simple!)  I have a couple recipes from this weekend below and they look fantastic but are actually very easy to accomplish!

Ginger Marinated Ahi Tuna with Roasted Broccolini and Summer Squash with Sage:


First off I found a great Japanese Marinade by Martha Stewart that was just screaming to be put on my beautiful Ahi Tuna steaks from Whole Foods.  My steaks ran a decent amount - nothing too crazy considering it was high quality fish but you're gunna throw down a bit of cash on good sized fresh ahi tuna.  Don't be alarmed.  The veggies are low in cost and the energy level from good quality pieces of fish will cure any empty wallet.  You'll spend more on shit food out - I promise. 

So after putting the Japanese Marinade by Martha Stewart in a Ziploc bag and my fish into the fridge to marinate (about 30 - 45 minutes) I coated my broccolini and summer squash pieces in olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted the veggies at 400 for about 25 minutes - flipping once and making sure the broccoli tips are crispy. 

with about 10 minutes left on the veggies, place the ahi tuna steaks in a HOT pan with olive oil. 

*A good test is to sprinkle some water from your finger tips in the pan to check out the sizzle!

Once the pan is hot - cook the tuna steaks for 5 minutes on each side (which will cook the outside, but lightly cook the inside, keeping it nice and pink).

Plate nicely and serve!!

Yakatori Chicken, Roasted Asparagus and Baby Roasted Potatoes:

Chicken is the easiest thing to cook in the oven and the best part is - you can pre-cook a LOT of it and it's great throughout the week!

When I cook chicken in the oven I feel it's best to cook it at a very HIGH temp and for a lower amount of time.  It will cook the chicken perfectly.

The sweet spot I've seen is:

425 on the oven...10-12 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the chicken.

This entire meal above was made with olive oil and an oven...no pans, limited mess and no butter.. Mmmmmm!  Again, healthy made easy.

Potatoes, in the oven for about an hour...about 10-15 minutes before they were done, the chicken went in...potatoes came out - asparagus went in for about 15 minutes and dinner was served!

The oven (roasting veggies) is one of the most simple, most clean way to cook up your veggies.  You'll have guaranteed cooked vegetables and it's so simple, anyone can do it!  All you need is a baking sheet and tin foil and you're ready to go!


Again - REMEMBER plating is necessary.  When I was at Whole Foods the gentleman at the seafood counter said "I've been cooking for 15 years and I know, if it doesn't look great - I'm not going to be interested in it.  It's gotta look amazing as well as taste amazing"