Pan Seared Sea Bass with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Some dear friends had us over for an AMAZING dinner the other night, completely detox friendly. I felt like I was at a gourmet restaurant!!! Here is what she made:

Sea Bass:

Preheat oven to 450. Dry off all pieces completely with paper towels. Get your skillet hot over medium high heat. Cover pan with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place the sea bass fillets in the skillet, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Once browned, turn and brown on the other side. Place on cookie sheet lined with foil, and in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the meat flakes easily - don't over cook. You can always let it rest  by covering it with foil and it will cook a little more. So if anything, undercook.

Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, capers, and garlic, and when you serve the fish, spoon some of this mixture on top! Delish!!!

Asparagus:

Ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus spears (thick spears are best for roasting)
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly grated black pepper
• Lemon juice

Method

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse clean the asparagus. Break the tough ends off of the asparagus and discard.

2 Lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer in a baking dish or a foil-covered roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the spears, roll the asparagus back and forth until they are all covered with a thin layer of olive oil. (Alternatively you can put the asparagus and oil in a plastic bag, and rub the bag so that the oil gets evenly distributed.) Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub over the asparagus so that they are evenly distributed.

3 Place pan in oven and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice before serving.

 

Roasted Mushrooms

Get more of the ingredients that you sprinkled the asparagus with, and the olive oil, mix those together. Cut up your mushrooms, and drizzle with that dressing. Roast at 400 with the asparagus for the same amount of time. Enjoy!

 

 

Cuban Halibut with Black Bean Quinoa

This dish is full of flavor. Sometimes you can get caught in a boring funk with cooking, try this exotic meal to stir things up a bit!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 4-oz halibut fillets, skin and bones removed

Marinade:

1 tsp orange zest

1 tsp lime zest

Juice 1/2 lime

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

QUINOA

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 bunch or bag spinach (9 oz), roughly chopped
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 orange, sectioned with juice
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Set oven to broil. Place halibut in a large bowl.
2. Prepare marinade: In a small bowl, mix together orange and lime zests, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour marinade over halibut and set aside.
3. Prepare quinoa: In a large sauté pan, heat oil on medium. Add onion, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, until spices release their aroma and onion begins to soften. If onion starts becoming too brown, add 1/4 cup water. In batches, add spinach and cook, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly wilted. Add quinoa and 2 cups water. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Add beans and cook for 5 more minutes. Then gently mix in orange sections and juice, orange zest and cilantro. Heat through for 1 more minute.
4. Meanwhile, place halibut and marinade on a baking sheet and broil in oven for about 8 minutes. Serve halibut over quinoa mixture.

Roasted Turkey with Mushroom Sauce

For those days when you want a homey, warm, comfort food meal, this is perfect! I would pair this with baked sweet potato, or some boiled new potatoes with olive oil, rosemary and parsley on top.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
• 1 10- to 12-lb turkey (thawed if frozen), neck and giblets removed
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided, plus additional if needed
• 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms, cut or torn into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
• Sea salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, combine rosemary, oil, garlic powder, onion powder and 1 tsp pepper. Place turkey on work surface, gently slip your fingers under the skin and work in herb mixture, distributing evenly over meat. Set turkey aside for an hour at room temperature, or if preparing in advance, overnight in the refrigerator. (NOTE: If turkey is marinating in the refrigerator, remove from fridge about an hour before continuing to Step Two.)
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan. Tie legs together (if they aren’t already) and tuck in wings. Add about 2 cups broth to roasting pan, enough to fill pan 1/4-inch deep. Loosely cover turkey with foil and roast for 1 hour.
3. Remove foil and baste turkey with pan juices. Continue roasting uncovered, basting every 20 to 30 minutes, until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone) registers 165°F, about 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours total cooking time. (NOTE: If pan gets dry, add water or additional broth to maintain about 1/4 inch of liquid. If any part of the turkey gets too brown, cover it loosely with foil.)
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan on medium-high, combine remaining 1 cup broth with mushrooms and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover; set aside.
5. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest, loosely covered with foil, for 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, carefully pour pan drippings from roasting pan into a measuring cup and set aside to let fat separate. Add porcini mixture to roasting pan and place pan on medium heat, straddled over two burners if necessary. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits in the pan with a spoon. Skim and discard fat from pan drippings, add remaining liquid to the roasting pan and return to a boil. Whisk in arrowroot mixture and cook until sauce thickens, 30 to 60 seconds. Add salt and additional pepper and transfer sauce to a gravy boat.
7. Remove skin and carve turkey. Serve sauce on the side.