Go Gourmet this Nutrition Month with these Healthy Next-Level Dishes

By virtue of Presidential Decree No. 491 signed by the former President Ferdinand Marcos, Nutrition Month is observed in the Philippines every July. Your condo living amenities make living a healthy lifestyle feasible, with the gym, walking paths, and zen gardens and pools conveniently located within the premises. Make sure you put them to good use. Moreover, it is high time you give your kitchen a good run. There’s nothing like healthy meals to keep you in tip-top shape. The following easy-to-do healthy gourmet food recipes should get you off to a good start.

Barbecue shrimp with lime and ginger

Photo courtesy of Chris Schlosser via Flickr

Ingredients:

1 pound large shrimp (16 to 20 count)
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh cilantro
2 limes, each cut into 4 wedges
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice

Directions:

1. Whisk the following ingredients in a large bowl: sesame oil, lime zest, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, olive oil, and lime juice. Set aside.
2. Devein and peel shrimp. Make sure you leave the tails intact. Marinate the shrimp in the concoction you just mixed together, tossing to coat thoroughly. Leave the bowl with a cover or store the content in a resealable plastic food bag. Keep refrigerated for at least one hour.
3. Preheat broiler or grill. Thread the lime wedges and shrimp onto 8 skewers.
4. Cook the shrimp over medium-hot fire for five minutes or until the shrimps have turned bright pink. Turn once while cooking. You can also cook the shrimp skewers under the broiler, about 3 to 4 inches from the source of heat.

Branzino with lemon, capers, and tomatoes

Photo courtesy of cookbookman17 via Flickr

Ingredients:

4 2-pound branzino, gutted, scaled, and fins trimmed
2 ounces Italian parsley, finely shredded
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups sweet tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup capers, rinsed
2 cups freshly-squeezed lemon juice
4 ounces fresh rosemary, chopped
1 16-ounce can of Pam nonstick spray

Directions:

1. Set outdoor grill to 425 degrees. Keep the door closed.
   Season the branzino with rosemary, salt and pepper.
2. Rub extra virgin olive oil on the fish.
3. Open the grill door and spray liberal amounts of Pam.
4. Cook fish on grill until it can be released from the grill without sticking.
5. Turn fish over and continue cooking the other side.
6. Prepare saute pan, turning heat to high.
7. Add capers and lemon juice, reducing by half.
8. Add tomatoes and parsley. Turn off heat.
9. Whisk in extra virgin olive oil.
10. Prepare fish on plates, and add sauce.

Sea Bass Ceviche

Photo courtesy of Dale Cruse via Flickr

Ingredients for the Aji Amarillo base:

1/2 tablespoon yuzu
2 1/2 tablespoons aji amarillo
1 tablespoon white soy sauce
1/4 cup honey, slightly warmed
1 1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lime juice
For the Garnish
1/2 cup small diced green apple
1/2 cup small diced cucumber
2 tablespoons shiso, finely shredded
1/4 red onion, julienned

Ingredients for the sea bass:

Lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 pound sea bass, cubed
Sea salt

Directions:

1. To make the base, slightly warm the honey and whisk the base together.
2. Season the sea bass with salt, and add lime juice.
3. Leave to marinate for 10 minutes, then strain.
4. Combine bass with base and vegetables.

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers

Photo courtesy of William Andrus via Flickr

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. freshly chopped chives
Ranch dressing, for drizzling
2 c. shredded gouda
1/2 c. hot sauce
3 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 tbsp. butter
Freshly-ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 bell peppers, seeds and cores removed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut bell peppers and place on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle all over with olive oil.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook for one minute more or until it’s fragrant.
3. Toss in shredded chicken and hot sauce. Simmer and remove from heat.
4. Fill the pepper halves with the chicken mixture. Top with gouda, and bake for 20 minutes or until the peppers are crisp-tender and the cheese melted.
5. Sprinkle each stuffed pepper with chives and drizzle with ranch.

Low-carb Chicken Crust Pizza

Photo courtesy of May_the_W via Flickr

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken
Ranch, for drizzling
2 tbsp. Sliced green onions
1/3 c. sliced red onion
1 c. shredded gouda
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
Freshly-ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Use parchment to line a baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix together ground chicken, garlic powder, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Spray your hands and the baking sheet with cooking spray. Form pizza crusts using the chicken mixture.
3. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until chicken is golden. Remove from the oven. Heat broiler.
4. Add a thin layer of barbeque sauce on the pizza crusts. Top with gouda and mozzarella, as well as green and red onions. Drizzle with barbecue sauce.
5. Broil for 3 minutes or until the cheese has melt. Drizzle with ranch.

Taco Stuffed Peppers

Photo courtesy of Jean L. via Flickr

Ingredients:

1 c. shredded lettuce
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack
1 c. shredded cheddar
3 bell peppers, halved (seeds removed)
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
Freshly-ground black pepper
Kosher salt
1 lb. ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Lime wedges, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving
Pico de gallo, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Apply cooking spray on a large baking dish.
2. Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add onion and cook for five minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute or until tender. Add ground beef and cook for five minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat.
4. Add paprika, ground cumin, and chili powder to beef mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Drizzle olive oil on bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Place the peppers on the baking dish, and add meat mixture into each halved bell pepper. Add cheese on the top and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and the pepper has become crisp-tender.
6. Top each baked pepper with lettuce. Serve with lime wedges, hot sauce, and pico de gallo.

Zucchini Enchiladas

Photo courtesy of Stacy Spensley via Flickr

Ingredients:

Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Sour cream, for drizzling
1 c. shredded cheddar
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack
4 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 1/3 c. red enchilada sauce, divided
3 c. shredded chicken
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and salt. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Stir until combined. Add chicken and enchilada sauce. Stir until saucy.
2. Make thin slices of zucchini using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler. Lay out three slices of zucchini, slightly overlapping. Then add a spoonful of the chicken mixture top of the slices. Roll them up and place on a baking dish.
3. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the zucchini enchiladas. Sprinkle the top with cheeses.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until melty.
5. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream.

There is no better time to get serious with your health regimen with these gourmet recipes this July.