Big fish in a little pond

With all the mix of chicken and beef sometimes it's nice to grub on some fresh seafood. One of my husband's favorites is fresh tuna steaks. Now you have to be cautious because tuna tend to be unusually high in mercury levels which in big doses can be toxic to our bodies. But if you shop for your seafood at a local market and they catch wild then you should be better off.

My favorite way to eat tuna steaks is rare, sashimi style with a wasabi-soy sauce drizzle but my husband likes his seared. So I decided to cook for my sweet husband that evening.

Tuna Steaks with Brussel Sprouts and Black Rice

1 tuna steak/person
1 package of brussel sprouts
1/2 yellow onion
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup black rice
olive oil
salt
pepper

This is a pretty simple meal, you want to save the tuna til last. If you want to flash marinate that is great or else keep cool in the fridge. I drizzled mine with olive oil to keep it moist and sprinkled salt and pepper on each side and set back in the fridge.

Next, I sliced up my onion and garlic and added that to a saute pan on medium heat. Once they were golden I added the brussel sprouts. I had chicken stock in a small sauce pan awaiting a boil, once the liquid starts to bubble drizzle in 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil and the black rice, stir occasionally.

When the brussel sprouts start to soften and sear turn the heat down to keep them toasty. Continue to stir the rice, adding more chicken stock if needed. Sprinkle salt and pepper into the rice for additional flavor. Black rice is extremely nutritious and adds a lil depth to your dish.

Once the rice is practically finished heat your saute pan or grill pan, drizzle with olive oil and place your tuna steaks on the pan. Depending on how "done" you prefer your tuna to be, you really should only cook each side for about a minute. Usually tuna is best served with a nice sear on the outside and rarity on the inside.

Plate your dish and serve. This meal is packed with protein, omega-3s, healthy carbohydrates and will give you a great kick start to your week or weekend.

Enjoy! xoxo Lo

Ahoy Matey! Come aboard for some Seafood Pasta!

Boy has it been crazy lately! My husband and I just started back to school as teachers and he as a football coach, so our lives are pretty hectic. Regardless of our schedules, we vow to slow down and eat healthy meals together. After I visited my brother up in Boston, I came back to an empty fridge with a lingering craving for seafood.

I decided to make a stop at our local market for some fresh squid and Cherry Stone clams. Once I got home I found some tomato sauce, onion, garlic, broccoli and whole wheat penne pasta. My menu had begun to form in my chef-tastic mind.

Seafood Pasta

1 lb squid (or shrimp/lobster/crab)
2 lbs cherry stone clams (or oysters or regular clams)
1 box whole wheat penne pasta
1 large 13 oz can of tomato sauce (plain)
1 small yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 head of broccoli
5 cups seafood stock
salt
pepper

First thing you want to do is put one cup of seafood stock and two cups of water into a pot to boil for the pasta. Next chop up your onion, crush your garlic and add that to a saute pan on medium high heat, with olive oil. Once the water is boiling, pour in the penne with a bit of olive oil. Stir it around so it won't stick. Stir your onion and garlic, once it's golden, add the tomato sauce- let simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pull out your squid and begin to cut up the body into inch size pieces. If you have tentacles, leave them as is. Put the squid back into the fride to keep cool before cooking.

When the pasta is done, pour in a colander and set aside. Stir the tomato sauce occasionally, add in salt and pepper to taste. Grab your clams from the fridge, throw them in a sauce pan, add some seafood stock and cook at medium heat, covered. Once the twenty minutes are up, add the clams (they should've popped open), cover the sauce and clams for five minutes. Add in the squid for two minutes and serve over penne pasta. Top with a bit of crushed red pepper and basil if you feel a bit festive!

This dish will satisfy any seafood craving, take a bite, close your eyes and pretend you're sitting seaside with waves crashing on the sand.
Enjoy! xo Lo

Dill Salmon with Quinoa, Cucumber Salad & Fresh Peas

In the heat of summer, seafood dishes are refreshing and exciting for the palate. Salmon is a common fish that most people prefer, dill is a beautiful herb to enlighten the flavors in any salmon dish. Recently, I've been digging into quinoa, one of the most amazing grains available. This is the one grain that is a protein versus a carbohydrate and can take on almost any flavor you pair it with. Cucumber salad is one of my personal favorites for summer, the coolness of the yogurt sauce and the spike of the dill is a gorgeous combination in hot temperatures. Peas are an easy veggie to chef up, I always add them into a saute pan with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.

For this recipe, I took a filet of salmon added olive oil, salt, pepper and dill then set aside to let the flavors merry. I grabbed the quinoa, added it to a saute pan with olive oil and let the quinoa get toasty, after a few minutes I add chicken stock, this will enhance the flavor of any grain or pasta dish. Next I created a yogurt sauce with one cup of plain Greek yogurt, dill, garlic, salt and pepper. I place this yogurt sauce into the fridge to let the flavors come together. Next I thinly slice the cucumber, sprinkle with salt in a colander and let sit to drain out the water.

Next, I check on the quinoa, give it a stir then I grab some yellow onions, dice them up and throw them in a saute pan with olive oil, these will go into the quinoa when it has absorbed the chicken stock. This dish has a lot of components that are time sensitive. It is important not to cook the salmon right away because it cooks so quickly that it'll be waiting for the other dishes to finish and get cold.

Once the quinoa is absorbed, scoop it into the saute pan that is holding the onions and stir. Rinse the cucumbers, add the dill-yogurt sauce and place back into the fridge to chill. Stir the peas, turn the heat lower (peas cook quickly). Finally, place your salmon onto the grill pan with olive oil. Salmon does not need a lot of time to cook, you want a crispy sear on the outside and a velvety medium-rare inside. Which means you only need to cook the salmon for 2 minutes on each side, unless you prefer well-done fish then you would cook it for about 4 minutes on each side.

Time to plate, place the salmon on the dish, the creamy onion quinoa, fresh garlicky peas and refreshing, cool cucumber salad. This dish will make you love summer nights!

xo Lo