INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp fig vinegar
• ¼ cup steeped green tea, cooled to room temperature
• ½ tsp minced ginger
• ½ tsp honey
• ½ tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 oz cod fillet (about ¾” thick), cut into 4 uniform cubes
• 1/3 cup cooked or canned lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cup baby spinach
• 2 tsp dried currants
• 1 bamboo skewer, 8” long

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, tea, ginger, honey, oil, mustard, and 2 tablespoons of the shallots in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade to use as a dressing, and set aside.
3. Place the fish in the bowl with the remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
4. While the fish marinates, soak the bamboo skewer in water.
5. Lightly mist a grill pan or medium nonstick skillet with canola oil cooking spray and place it over medium heat.
6. Thread the fish onto the skewer. Cook for 5 minutes or until the fish is opaque, using a spatula to carefully flip the skewer halfway through.
7. Toss the lentils, spinach, currants, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of shallots with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Place the skewer on top of the salad and drizzle the remaining dressing on top of the fish. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving.

Why we love this recipe:

Not everyone likes to guzzle green tea like we do, and if you relate to this, using green tea as a marinade can be a great way to incorporate this antioxidant-packed super food into your diet. The lemon in this recipe gives you a splash of vitamin C while the ginger offers its anti-inflammatory properties. Honey, even in small quantity here, has some unique properties. As a natural humectant, it keeps all the water you’re drinking in the right places while providing antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Some of the bigger players here are the lentils, providing lean protein, and fiber helps you stay… full! Add to this the heart healthy omega 3’s of cod and the green goodness of spinach and you have a dish so good and so good for you, you might even be tempted to eat the bamboo skewers.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp fig vinegar
• ¼ cup steeped green tea, cooled to room temperature
• ½ tsp minced ginger
• ½ tsp honey
• ½ tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 oz cod fillet (about ¾” thick), cut into 4 uniform cubes
• 1/3 cup cooked or canned lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cup baby spinach
• 2 tsp dried currants
• 1 bamboo skewer, 8” long

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, tea, ginger, honey, oil, mustard, and 2 tablespoons of the shallots in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the marinade to use as a dressing, and set aside.
3. Place the fish in the bowl with the remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes.
4. While the fish marinates, soak the bamboo skewer in water.
5. Lightly mist a grill pan or medium nonstick skillet with canola oil cooking spray and place it over medium heat.
6. Thread the fish onto the skewer. Cook for 5 minutes or until the fish is opaque, using a spatula to carefully flip the skewer halfway through.
7. Toss the lentils, spinach, currants, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of shallots with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Place the skewer on top of the salad and drizzle the remaining dressing on top of the fish. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 serving.

Why we love this recipe:

Not everyone likes to guzzle green tea like we do, and if you relate to this, using green tea as a marinade can be a great way to incorporate this antioxidant-packed super food into your diet. The lemon in this recipe gives you a splash of vitamin C while the ginger offers its anti-inflammatory properties. Honey, even in small quantity here, has some unique properties. As a natural humectant, it keeps all the water you’re drinking in the right places while providing antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Some of the bigger players here are the lentils, providing lean protein, and fiber helps you stay… full! Add to this the heart healthy omega 3’s of cod and the green goodness of spinach and you have a dish so good and so good for you, you might even be tempted to eat the bamboo skewers.

9 weeks until Memorial Day weekend… The unofficial start of summer!

Nutritious Life is all about eating – eating EMPOWERED! Although we should be eating this way all year, this is the time of year when many of us make it a greater priority – again. Whether you are in the bikini mindset or not yet out of your winter couch potato mode, hopefully, these tips will inspire you. We asked our NL team for their favorite ways to eat empowered. Here are ten! Try to incorporate one each week (plus one as a bonus!) from now until the unofficial start of summer.

Yulia: Pack a fork

I always bring my own fork with me during the workweek. I don’t like to use wasteful plastic utensils and I’m more likely to buy something healthy for lunch that requires a fork like a big salad, rather than a sandwich. Plus, a fork doesn’t require an extra bag or its own container.

Stephanie: Say yes to vinegar

I love olive oil in small amounts for sautéing and dressings because of its high amount of mono and polyunsaturated fats – it really does help satisfy. But I watch how much I drizzle—and instead use vinegars to flavor all sorts of dishes. Fig, cherry, or even sundried apricot vinegars can be added to everything from salads to fruit!

Karen: Make friends with the people behind the seafood counter

For someone who loves to eat but hates to cook (like me!), fish is quick, simple, and healthy… especially when I have an expert to tell me EXACTLY how to prepare it!

Anna: Enjoy the benefits of fermented foods and beverages

I like to get a little help from my friends – fermented foods – to renew the healthy bacteria in my GI system. Some of my favorites are pickles, Korean kimchi, and tempeh – all of which are full of healthy bacteria that will maximize the nutritional benefits of food – as well as the beverages, kefir and kombucha.

Katie: Beat the bloat

There is nothing worse than feeling bloated and puffy as you try on last year’s bikinis! This time of year especially, I steer clear of carbonated beverages, packaged and processed foods, gum and hard candy with sugar alcohols. I try to add celery and fennel to my meals instead, since these tasty, crunchy veggies act as diuretics.

Amanda: Have a plan for lunch

I walk to lunch – at least 5 blocks away! Instead of ordering in – and not moving from my desk – I know where I am going and what I am going to order. It makes choosing an extra healthy place a fun challenge. I get some fresh air, a ten block walk and a super healthy dish from somewhere I have been wanting to try OR safe healthy dish I have had before.

Laura: The hanger trick

Yes I really do this! I hang a bikini near the fridge! Keeping my goal in mind keeps my mind off bad choices.

Lara: Break the habit of eating in front of the tube

I never eat in front of the tv! I eat at the table and set the table completely whether with friends or family – or even alone. Focusing on the food and enjoying each bite helps me be less prone to overconsuming.

Ayelet: Befriend your blender

Nothing in the fridge? When that happens to me, I make it a mini meal with my blender. Be it frozen fruit, yogurt with a teaspoon of nut butter or fresh veggies with a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds for a quick soup, the blender is truly, one of my best friends. I’ll even throw in the bananas that have been sitting out too long! Almost anything goes!

Keri: Start the day off right with hot, lemon water

There is something so simple yet so powerful about starting your day with a large hot water with lemon. Yes, there are the hydration and vitamin C benefits but the psychological component can be even greater. When you begin your day with hot water with lemon you are forced to slow down because you must sip hot beverages. When you know that you have started your day off doing something positive and good for your health, it is sometimes enough to kick start an entire day of being good to you and eating well.

Ingredients:
4 new or red bliss potatoes, rinsed and scrubbed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (5 oz) cod fillets
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium tomato, sliced into ¼”-thick rounds
1 small golden or green zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow onion or shallot, thinly sliced
4 lemon wedges

Directions:
1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Cook the potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool. Cut into ¼”-thick slices.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Coat baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
4. Lay the fillets, skin side down, in baking dish. Evenly rub surface of fillets with garlic and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Divide and place potato slices in two rows on top of each cod fillet, overlapping to fit, leaving space for tomato and zucchini in between.
6. Divide and place tomato slices in the middle of each fillet, alternating with zucchini.
7. Scatter the onion on top and drizzle with remaining olive oil.
8. Bake until the fish is opaque throughout, about 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil or parsley, if desired.
9. Serve with steamed broccoli and a lemon wedge on the side.

Why we love this recipe:
For starters, not only does this delish recipe pack in tons of taste, it’s loaded with antioxidant-rich, heart healthy ingredients as well!

Besides being an excellent low-calorie source of protein, cod contains a variety of very important nutrients that benefit different health conditions. As a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, cod promotes cardiovascular health and lowers your risk of heart disease.

And the benefits don’t end there! Red potatoes are a rich source of anthocyanins, to help reduce oxidative damage, and slow down the aging process, while garlic, onions, thyme, and olive oil provide an additional antioxidant kick. Plus, the lycopene-packed tomatoes helps protect against a growing list of cancers, and wide range of chronic illnesses.

It will be quite a while before we understand the full impact of the Gulf oil spill.  Until then, eating seafood from sustainable sources is something we can all do right now. Sustainable seafood is better for your health, and the health of the oceans. Download this handy pocket guide from The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, or check out the sushi selector from the Environmental Defense Fund to find out the best choices in your area. Hungry for more? The Blue Ocean Institute has a wealth of information as well. Check them out right here!

NLT: Over here at NL Wild Alaskan Salmon is one of our favorites! Our other top choices include mussels and tilapia. We’re a bit wary of Farmed or Atlantic salmon, swordfish, Chilean sea bass and orange roughy.