So, you're used to taking careful time making dinner, perhaps pulling out all the stops to create something that is delicious and healthy. Nevertheless, those days come up where there just is not enough time to spend more than hour in the kitchen prepping and cooking a health-conscious, extravagant meal. If you are unsure what to do, know that you do not have to sacrifice your healthy eating in order to cook an easy, quick dinner. There are a number of different dishes you can make that will not eat up too much of your time while also still being good for you and your family. Here are just a couple of ideas to get you going.
Oven Baked Salmon
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
This oven baked salmon takes less than half an hour to complete, and all the while, it tastes incredible. Best of all, it’s good for you. Spruce up the salmon with a light almond parsley salad and you have gotten yourself a full healthy meal in less time than it takes to watch a TV show.
Ingredients
- 12 ounce salmon fillet | 4-piece cut
- Salt
- Ground pepper
- Toasted almond parsley salad
- (Optional) Baked squash to serve
Toasted Almond Parsley Salad
- 1 small shallot
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons rinsed capers
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup toasted almonds
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
You first want to preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. As that heats up, prepare the salmon. Season it with only salt and pepper. For cooking, you will want to use a non-stick baking sheet or a non-stick pan that’s oven safe.When cooking, make sure the skin side of the salmon is facing down. You’ll want to bake this up for about 12-15 minutes so that the salmon is cooked all the way. Once it’s done, you can eat just the salmon or serve it alongside the squash and the toasted almond parsley salad.
When making the salad, you will want to mince the shallot in a small bowl. Add in some salt and vinegar, allowing it to sit for 30 minutes as it all soaks in. Roughly chop up the remaining ingredients: almonds, capers, and parsley. All of this should be added to the bowl with the shallot. Lastly, drizzle in olive oil. You can add more seasoning or oil to taste as you go.
Seared Tilapia with Watercress-Mango Salad
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Far too often, tilapia gets a bad rep. Many say it lacks any sort of excitement to it. Not to worry though. This seared tilapia will ignite your taste buds in the best way. The watercress-mango salad is a wonderful touch to top everything off.
Ingredients
- 4 tilapia fillets halved lengthwise
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 6 cups of watercress, having removed stems
- 1 mango, cut small
- ½ medium red onion, sliced thin
Instructions
Begin by heating up 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Be sure it’s on medium heat and also large enough to hold two of the tilapia fillets at a time. Meanwhile, season the tilapia with just salt and pepper. Once the skillet is heated, add two fillets and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer them to a plate once finished. In the heated skillet, if needed, pour in another teaspoon of olive oil. Cook up the remaining two tilapia fillets the same way, leaving each side on for 1-2 minutes. The finished fish should all look opaque.
For the rest of the dish, grab a bowl and put in the crushed red pepper, lime juice, honey, ¼ olive oil, and some salt and pepper to finish it all off. Whisk all of the ingredients together to create the dressing. On the finished plate, place the fish, onion, watercress, and mango on. Using the previously made dressing, drizzle it across everything and enjoy.