Healthy Recipes #35 Healthy Sautéed Seafood

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced medium thick
1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth
1 TBS minced fresh ginger
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups fresh sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 bunch thin asparagus, cut in 2" lengths (discard bottom fourth)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 TBS soy sauce)
2 TBS mirin wine
pinch red pepper flakes
3/4 lb cod fillet cut into 1 inch pieces
8 large scallops
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in quarters
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and white pepper to taste


Directions:
Slice onion and chop garlic and let sit for 5-10 minutes to enhance its health-promoting benefits.
Heat 1 TBS broth in a stainless steel wok or 12 inch skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium high heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add ginger, garlic, mushrooms and asparagus. Continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add lemon juice, soy sauce, mirin, red pepper flakes, cod, scallops, and shrimp and stir to mix well. Cover and simmer for just about 5 minutes stirring occasionally on medium heat.
Toss in tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper. Serve.

Healthy Recipes #34 Halibut with Ginger

Ingredients:
3/4 lb halibut cut into 2 pieces
1/4 cups light vegetable broth
1/4 cup mirin rice wine*
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS minced fresh ginger
2 cups fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup coarsely chopped scallion
salt and white pepper to taste



*mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine without the alcohol content; you can find it in many of your local health food stores or in the Japanese section of your local grocery store.


Directions:
Chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to enhance their health-promoting properties.
Bring the broth and mirin wine to a simmer on medium-high heat in a 10-inch skillet.
Add garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger, scallions, and mushrooms.
Place halibut steaks on top, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, depending on thickness (5 minutes for every 1/2" of thickness). Season with salt and pepper. Remove steaks and place on a plate. Spoon scallions and mushroom broth over fish and serve.

Healthy Recipes #33 Braised Salmon

Ingredients:
2 medium leeks, cut lengthwise
4 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1 TBS + 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 TBS + 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS fresh chopped tarragon
1-1/2 lbs salmon fillet, cut into 8 pieces, skin and bones removed
salt and white pepper to taste


Directions:
Cut off green tops of leeks and remove outer tough leaves. Cut off root and cut leeks in half lengthwise. Fan out the leeks and rinse well under running water, leaving them intact. Cut leeks into 2-inch lengths. Now, holding the leek sections cut side up, cut lengthwise so that you end up with thin strips, known as chiffonade cut. Make sure slices are cut very thin.
Let leeks and garlic sit for at least 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
Heat 1 TBS broth in 10-12 inch stainless steel skillet. Healthy Sauté leeks over medium heat in broth for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add 1/2 cup broth and lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.
Rub salmon with 1 TBS fresh lemon juice, salt and white pepper.
Stir fresh tarragon, salt, and pepper into leeks, and place salmon on top of leeks. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes, covered, or until salmon is pink inside. Time may vary a little depending on thickness of salmon. Serve leeks topped with salmon and drizzle with juice.

Healthy Recipes #32 Braised Cod

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced thick
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups celery, cut diagonally about 1 inch long
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup green olives cut in fourths
1 TBS + 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 lbs cod, cut into 2 inch pieces
pinch red chili flakes
salt and black pepper to taste
2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro


Directions:
Slice onion and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to enhance its health-promoting benefits.
Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-12 inch skillet. Healthy Sauté chopped onion in broth over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent.
Add garlic and celery and sauté for another minute. Add drained diced tomatoes, green olives and remaining broth. Stir, cover, and simmer on medium-low for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until celery is tender.
Place cod, lemon, salt, pepper, and chili flakes on top of celery and continue to simmer covered for another 5 minutes, or until fish is cooked. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.


Healthy Cooking Tips:

When cutting and cooking cod for dishes such as this it is best to buy filets that are cut thick. Do not use thin pieces because they will fall apart. Make sure the celery is not cut too small. It is a dominant vegetable in this recipe and should be cut into 1-inch pieces for best flavor. Depending on the temperature of your stove, you may want to simmer on medium-low or low. This should be a strong bubbling of sauce without boiling. This will intensify the flavor without cooking the sauce away. If it looks like it's getting dry, reduce the heat. You want a finished dish that has sauce.

Healthy Recipes #31 Baked Halibut

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs halibut steak or fillet, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 TBS lemon juice
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed
2 TBS capers
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1 TBS chopped fresh tarragon
1 TBS chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
Press garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to enhance its health-promoting benefits.
Place the fish in a baking dish just large enough to hold it, and add remaining ingredients. Cover, and bake until done, about 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook it. Serve at once, pouring the pan juices over the fish.

Healthy Recipes #30 Seafood Gazpacho

Ingredients:
1/2 lb bay scallops, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup diced cucumber
1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium tomato, chopped, seeds and excess pulp removed
1/2 medium onion, finely minced
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed
4 oz can diced green chili
3 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb small cooked shrimp, rinsed and patted dry
3 cups tomato juice
salt and cracked black pepper to taste


Directions:
Rinse and dry scallops. Put into lemon juice.
Mince onion and press garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties
Prepare rest of ingredients and mix in a bowl with onion and garlic
Add scallops and lemon juice at end. Letting the scallops sit in the lemon juice while preparing rest of ingredients allows them to marinate. If you can prepare this soup ahead of time and place in refrigerator for an hour or more, the taste improves.

Serves 4

Healthy Cooking Tips:

The bay scallops are actually added raw to this soup. Marinating in the lemon juice cooks them slightly. If you prefer having them cooked more, steam for about 1 minute (watch the clock as cooking for much longer will overcook them and make them tough). You may want to salt just as you are serving this soup. The salt will draw out the water from the cucumber and dilute the flavor. Also, this soup looks and tastes best if the peppers and cucumbers are cut about the same size as the scallops. By cutting them small, the flavors of the different ingredients blend together better.

Healthy Recipes #29 Red Kidney Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth
3 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS ground cumin
2 TBS red chili powder
1 TBS dried oregano
2 cups or 1 15 oz can organic red kidney beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste



Lime yogurt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 TBS lime juice
1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro


Directions:
Chop onions and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
Chop carrots and celery.
Heat 1 TBS broth in medium-sized soup pot. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and continue to sauté for another minute.
Add broth, tomato paste, kidney beans, and spices. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Let cool for a few minutes while making lime yogurt.
Make lime yogurt by combining yogurt, lime juice, and cilantro in separate small bowl.
Blend soup. Be careful to start blender on low speed so hot soup does not erupt and burn you. And make sure you don't fill blender more than half full.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat, and pour into serving bowls, top with a spoonful of lime yogurt, and serve.