Day 22 - Back to real food

I've spent the last couple of posts talking about a lot of gluten free products I've found.  I was excited to find these, not so that I can use them everyday, but for when I feel myself having a craving for some wheat filled product.  I am sure you are all very well aware of this, but I feel like I should put it out there anyways.  A gluten free cookie, is still a cookie.  A processed food, is still a processed food, even if it doesn't contain gluten.  Real food is always better, it is always healthier.  I wish I had the time and discipline to only eat real food all of the time, but I haven't figured that out quite yet.  I will keep trying, but every once and a while, I find myself slipping into poor habits and need to rededicate myself back to that goal.  So, with that being said.  Today's post will focus again on real foods!

And, to honor a sweet and dear friend's request, I tried to keep these recipes fairly simple.  I'm going to include the recipes for a complete meal, the meal we had for dinner.  We had sweet and spicy mahi mahi, pesto smashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus.

Sweet and Spicy Mahi-Mahi
For the sweet and spicy mahi mahi, you'll only need three ingredients.  Colorado spice mixture for sweet and spicy salmon rub, 4 mahi mahi fillets, and a lemon.  I used frozen fish, you can find some high quality frozen fish that is almost as good as fresh, but a lot cheaper.  If you buy frozen, look for individually wrapped fillets.  I got mine at Costco.  You can use salmon, or another firm flesh fish for this recipe also.

Rub the spice mixture on both sides of your fish.  If your fish still has skin, only place the spice mixture on the top of the portion.

 After you rub the fish with spice, place the fillets in a gallon sized ziploc bag and place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.  (While the fish is sitting, I began working on the potatoes and asparagus. Those recipes are below)

Start warming up your grill to med-high heat, or preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

After the fish has set for around thirty minutes, spray both sides of the fish with Pam, or brush with  olive oil.  And place them all on the grill.  I always face them the same direction so that I can make those pretty hash marks.  Let cook for about 2 minutes.

If you want pretty hash marks, turn the fish 90 degrees and cook for another two minutes.  A total of 4 minutes on each side. 

Then flip the fish over and repeat, turning after 2 minutes.  The fish should reach an internal temperature of about 145.

Once the fish is finished, remove from the grill and tent with foil.  Try to serve immediately. 

Pesto Smashed Potatoes

For the pesto potatoes, you'l need about a pound of potatoes.  I like to use the golden potatoes, because I'm lazy and I don't like to peel potatoes, but you can use any variety.  You will also need a bunch of basil, two cloves of garlic, a small handful of nuts, (I used pecan, but you can use pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, etc), olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, and salt.  

Wash the potatoes and place them in a large sauce pot, cover with cold water.  It is important that the water not be hot, so that the potatoes cook evenly.

Begin simmering the potatoes, simmering is when the water reaches around 180 degrees, and you can see a small bubble surfacing every once in a while, it is NOT boiling.  Boiling can create uneven cooking and destroy the tender flesh of the potato. 

While the potatoes are simmering, you can create the pesto.   Put the basil, nuts, garlic cloves, and a couple tablespoons of olive oil into a food processor and chop until you get a semi-smooth puree like the picture below.  If the mixture looks too dry, you can add extra oil. 

The potatoes should simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until you can poke a butter knife or fork through the potato without any resistance. Drain the potatoes, mash them, then add two large spoonfuls of the pesto to the potatoes, you can also add a little butter and milk if desired.  I used about a tablespoon of smart balance with flax oil (dairy free), and almond milk.  Mix them all together and season to taste with salt and white pepper.  

Grilled Asparagus

For this recipe, you only need asparagus, pam or olive oil, and garlic salt. 

Some people like to cut the bottoms off their asparagus, but since each stalk is a little different from the other, I've found the best way to get rid of the really coarse ends is to simply snap the bottoms off.  They will generally break, exactly where you need them to. 

Spray the asparagus with pam, or brush with olive oil and place on the grill, when the fish is cooked about halfway through. 

Let grill for about 1-2 minutes, turn the asparagus over and grill the other side for about 1-2 minutes or until the asparagus is still slightly crisp to the bite.   Remove from the grill and sprinkle with garlic salt.

Arrange your finished dishes on your plate and serve!  I included a slice of lemon to squeeze on the fish. Everyone loved these potatoes and my kids ate everything on their plate!