Make Healthy Meals

Tuna may contain high levels of mercury so its best to eat only occasionally. Also choose an organic, wild tuna (not farmed) where possible.

4 good quality tuna steaks
1 ripe mango, peeled, stone removed and chopped into small pieces
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 handful of chopped fresh cilantro (also known as coriander)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 finely sliced spring onions

Place the mango pieces, lime juice, soy sauce, onion, cilantro and olive oil in a bowl and mix together. Set aside.

Preheat the grill to high. Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper and place under the hot grill for approximately 4 minutes on each side.

Serve tuna steaks topped with salsa and garnished with spring onions.

Tip: Serve with either a side of steamed asparagus with a little butter or a light noodle dish.

Salmon is packed with omega-3 fatty acids you know those good for you oils everyone is raving about. The downside to salmon is that farmed salmon can actually contain high amounts of mercury and toxins. For this reason, its always best to buy organic, wild salmon. Its pricey but well worth the money .

This recipe is impressive enough to serve for a dinner party but so easy to make.

2 salmon fillets, organic, wild salmon if possible.
1 tablespoon brown unrefined sugar
teaspoon dried chilli flakes
2 teaspoons of mustard seeds
1 tablespoon lime juice
teaspoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325F. Scrub and peel the baby new potatoes and cut in half. Place in boiling water and boil for approximately 4 minutes (do not overcook). Drain and place potatoes on a non-stick baking tray. Toss with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in hot oven for approximately 30 minutes until tender and browned on top.

Place the chilli flakes, sugar, lime and olive oil in a small bowl and combine. Place the salmon skin-side down in a non-stick baking tray and rub spice mixture fully onto the salmon. Top the salmon with the mustard seeds and place in oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, being careful not to overcook.

Note: Add salmon to oven during the last 15 minutes of the potatoes cooking.

Serve immediately and add a mixed leaf side salad to finish.

Polenta is a good alternative to the usual potatoes, rice and pasta. Its readily available in most supermarkets and easy to cook.

4 cups uncooked polenta
8 ounces of crab meat
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and pressed
1 can of plum tomatoes (in sauce)
teaspoon oregano
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
A handful of fresh basil to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

First prepare all ingredients. Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook over low heat for approximately 4 to 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, chilli, crab and oregano and cook a further 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes in sauce and mix through. Gently simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Meanwhile cook the polenta according to package instructions. Remove from heat and stir through a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, cover and set aside.

Time the cooking so that the polenta and crab mixture are ready approximately at the same time. Serve a little polenta in each bowl and top with the crab sauce mixture. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and serve.

This risotto is virtually fat free. Very comforting on cold winter days.

2 zucchinis, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and pressed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cups Arborio risotto rice
4 ounces of white wine (alternatively you can use dry cooking wine)
5 cups hot vegetable stock
8 ounces peeled and cooked shrimp
Handful of parsley for garnishing

In a large non-stick pan heat the oil and add the zucchinis, leek and onion. Sautee gently over low heat for approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir continuously until the rice is completely coated in the oil mixture. Now add the white wine and turn up the heat. Stir continuously until the alcohol evaporates.

Reduce the heat and slowly add the vegetable stock, one cupful at a time. After each addition stir the risotto gently until the stock is nearly evaporated. Continue this process until most of the stock has been added and the rice is tender yet not too soft. Approximately 20 minutes. You may need to add additional stock if necessary.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the shrimp and a cupful of stock. Keep stirring. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The rice should be creamy and al dente. Remove from heat and let stand for about 2 minutes then add the parsley and stir through. Serve immediately.

2 cups of peeled and cooked shrimp
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup of raisins
3 cups uncooked couscous
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
Dash of soy sauce
2 cups vegetable stock
Sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the carrots and shrimp. Cook gently for approximately 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook couscous according to package instructions but instead of using water as indicated replace the same amount of water with vegetable stock. Once the couscous is ready, fluff with a fork and place in a large bowl. Add the carrots, oil and shrimp to couscous and toss together. Add the raisins, honey, soy sauce and season. Toss together and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

4 trout fillets, skinless
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Lime wedges to garnish
16 new potatoes

Preheat the grill. Place oil, soy sauce and lime juice in a bowl and mix together. Set aside.

Scrub the potatoes and slice (dont peel). Place the potato slices in a pan of boiling water and cook for approximately 4 minutes, until slightly tender. Drain and place potatoes in a non-stick baking try. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sea salt. Place in a hot oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes.

Place the trout fillets on a baking tray and pour the oil mixture over. Grill for approximately 8 minutes. Then sprinkle the sesame seeds over the fillets and grill for another 2 to 4 minutes. Until the seeds are golden and trout is cooked through.

Serve with the potatoes and a green side salad or French green beans.

Risotto is great comfort food. An added plus is that because its naturally so creamy you dont really need much oil or fat for cooking. You can make a risotto meal out of virtually any ingredients you have on hand. This recipe combines shrimp, lemon and spring onions but you can experiment with fish and mushrooms too. Add a handful of chopped chillies if you like it hot!

onion, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 cup of risotto rice (known as Arborio rice)
cup white wine
5 cups of vegetable stock (homemade or powder form made into 5 cups of broth)
1 handful of spring onions, finely sliced
1 cup cooked, peeled shrimp
1 lemon, youll need a squeeze and a little bit of lemon zest
Salt and ground pepper to taste.
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a saucepan heat one tablespoon of olive oil and lightly fry the onion for approximately two minutes. Add the crush garlic and fry for another minute. Add the rice, turning frequently until coated on all sides. Now add the wine and continue to stir the rice until the wine is absorbed. Reduce the heat to very low and start adding the vegetable stock, one cupful at a time. Wait until each cupful is nearly absorbed before adding the next one. Gently stir continuously.

Continue cooking like this for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Add more stock if necessary. Once the rice feels firm but cooked (al dente) stir in the shrimp, spring onions, yogurt and a squeeze of lemon (start with one squeeze and add more if you like it tangy!). Now cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a few spring onions and a little bit of lemon zest. and serve immediately.

** Risotto is what slow food is all about. The trick to cooking a good risotto is to take your time and gently stir the rice throughout the cooking process. Take your time and think of it like therapy, without the big bills!

8 ounces of crab meat (fresh or canned)
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
Grated zest of one lime
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (also known as coriander)
1 ounces of whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 lime, cut into wedges for garnish

Place the crabmeat, spring onions, lime zest, coriander and chillies in a bowl. Mix well and add the breadcrumbs, mix again. Form four small patties out of the mixture and place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

*Tip: To make homemade breadcrumbs simple place a slice or two of whole wheat bread in a food processor or blender and whiz on high for one minute.

Now, heat tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Dip the patties in flour to coat thoroughly. Place the patties in the hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes. Now add the rest of the oil to the pan and turn the patties over. Fry for another 3 minutes. Serve immediately, with lime wedges on the side and a sprinkle of cilantro over patties.

Very nice served with a side salad and some warm crusty bread.

2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
basil to taste
oregano to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb salmon filet, cut into individual servings
salt and pepper to taste
Brush salmon filet with the lemon juice, butter, honey and mustard. Marinate salmon for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine bread crumbs, walnuts, oregano, basil and garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle filets with this mixture and place on cooking tray. Bake 12-15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.

Editor’s Note:

Other kinds of nuts work well too, and some prefer them more ground up than chopped. You can cut the butter out if you like too.

1 package pasta
2-3 tbsp butter
1 lb crab, shrimp, scallops or mixture
1 cup white wine
3 tbsp lemon
2 tbsp flour
dill to taste Read the rest of this entry »