This week we continue the “Recipes to Die for” series with two brand new dishes! At this stage, I hope you’ve enjoyed last week’s recipe of Grilled Chicken, Lemongrass Bulgur Wheat and Pear. Our first recipe was a meat dish, so this week, top Sous Chef Kevin Burke from Jun Tanaka’s The Ninth restaurant in London is back, as we turn our attention to a fish and vegetarian option.
Eating well can be a struggle for many reasons. Mostly time and imagination are our biggest barriers, but expense and convenience also has a role to play when deciding on food and meals for ourselves and our family.
As you’ll see from these recipes, the ingredients are not expensive and can be found in your local supermarket, which immediately gets rid of excuses such as expense and lack of convenience.
Preparation is fast and realistic, with each dish taking just twenty-five minutes to prepare, so no problems there! Finally, with another two healthy and tasty recipes this week, the “Recipes to Die for” series will stock up your meal ideas for weeks on end.
With all boxes ticked, let’s get cooking!
First up is a vegetarian recipe that’s bursting with health. The Avocado and Quinoa Bowl is packed with so much good stuff that your insides will be glowing!
Avocado is abundant in healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fibre. This combination fills you up nicely and therefore regulates appetite. Avocados do not contain any cholesterol or sodium, are low in saturated fat, and are a great source of potassium!
When we add Quinoa to the mix, then we really have a special dish. Quinoa is gluten free, high in protein, and is one of the few plant foods that contains all nine essential amino acids. It’s also high in fibre, vitamins and minerals.
And if that wasn’t enough, we’re going to throw in a Spinach salad too! This dish will really nourish your body and is perfect for when you need to give yourself a little bit more care after a tough or stressful day, if you’re lacking sleep, or are feeling run down.
Avocado & Quinoa Bowl
Preparation time: 25 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
250g Quinoa (Ready Cooked)
1 Avocado
1 Cucumber
1 Red Onion
1 Tomato
Bunch of Spring Onion
200ml Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons of Honey
2 Handfuls of Spinach
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Handful of Chopped Mint & Basil
Olive Oil
Method:
- Firstly, start off by making your quick pickle. Add the vinegar and honey to a saucepan. Bring to the boil and remove. Voila! Done!
- Now cut the cucumber and onion in half, and thinly slice. Quarter the tomato, deseed and dice.
- Place all in a bowl with the chopped mint and basil. Cover with the pickle and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, warm the ready-cooked quinoa in the microwave for 1 minute. Afterwards, mix with the spring onion, balsamic vinegar and a touch of olive oil.
- After 10 minutes, toss the spinach, cucumber, red onion, and tomato pickle together.
- Cut your avocado in half. Remove the stone and slice.
- Season with salt & pepper to taste, and combine together in a bowl. Serve with a wedge of lime, and enjoy!
Variations:
- Some slices of smoked salmon could be a wonderful addition.
Top Tip:
- By making the tomato, cucumber, and red onion pickle the night before, you can save time and boost flavour!
Now that you’ve got your high protein vegetarian dish ready to go, let’s focus on another recipe that’s overflowing with nutrition and taste.
Grilled Salmon with Spinach, Pomegranate and Chive is up next!
If you like fish, then the high quality protein sources available to you really open up, and you are not stuck deciding between the usual chicken or beef for every meal!
Salmon is high in omega 3 fatty acids, which can help stiffness and joint pain, and can lower blood fat (triglyceride) levels. It’s also high in protein and minerals such as Selenium, which is good for your heart health.
Pomegranates are loaded with nutrients, and contain punicalagins, which are extremely powerful antioxidants. They also have potent anti-inflammatory properties which can help fight diseases such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and even obesity.
Spinach and Chive finish things off nicely as they bring even more fibre, vitamins and minerals to this already extremely nutritious dish.
Turn on the grill and let’s cook!
Grilled Salmon with Spinach, Pomegranate & Chive
Preparation Time: 25 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 Salmon Fillets
1 Pomegranate deseeded
1 Easy peel Clementine
1 Red Onion Thinly Sliced
10 Chestnut Mushrooms Quartered
150ml Rice Wine Vinegar
Tablespoon of Honey
Bunch of Chives
1 Lemon
Method:
- Season the salmon with salt and pepper, place under the grill, skin side up. Cook for approx 10 minutes, checking regularly.
- Meanwhile, slice the red onion and mushrooms thinly. Add to a hot frying pan with a teaspoon of oil. Cook for 5 minutes until everything is softened. Add the vinegar and honey. Cook out until most of the liquid has gone.
- In a bowl, mix together the clementine segments, pomegranate, chives, and spinach with the red onion and mushroom pickle. Finish with some olive oil and salt & pepper.
- Serve, enjoy and relax.
Variations:
- Most types of fish will work well.
Top tip:
- To deseed the pomegranate, cut it in half and use a wooden spoon to bang the back of the pomegranate, until all of the seeds gently drop out.
So now you have two brand new recipes to try! Tweak them to your own taste if needed, and enjoy the process of making both yourself, and your family, that little bit healthier.
With two more recipes on the way next week, we are building your knowledge of what to eat to get the most out of your body, your training, and your life.
With a little bit of guidance and know-how, things can be drastically different this year, and you can start to build real momentum and make progress. Your day’s should be all about making that little bit of progress.
By attempting, and nailing one of these dishes, you let yourself know that things don’t have to stay the same, and there’s an improved version of you bursting to come to the fore.
By eating well, you will feel better, and there’s not a person in this world who doesn’t want that.
Enjoy the dishes and be sure to let me know how they go!