It’s 2015, and so, like just about everyone else out there, I’m on a diet. Well…maybe not a diet, exactly. I’m not counting anything…points, carbs, calories, or steps…none of that. And I’m not cutting any giant groups of foods from my diet, or insisting that they be served in a “juice” variety.
I’m just going simple with this and trying to enforce a few rules I know I like. They are:
- Meats, vegetables, and whole grains are better than starches, sugars, and fats.
- I’d rather eat real butter, sugar, and cream than vegetable oil, aspartame, and soy milk.
- Unless it’s a social occasion, I should keep the alcohol intake to under 2 servings a night. Red wine, vodka-soda, or scotch on the rocks are the drinks I’ll choose, when I do.
So that’s about it. Tonight marks “night 1” of this new plan, and it only took me about 15 minutes to make our dinner: broiled Gulf snapper with sauteed balsamic green beans.
The fish was so simple it’s not even really a “recipe” – I had the fishmonger scale, debone, and cut it into filets for me. When I got home, I brushed the meaty side with olive oil, then sprinkled with salt, pepper, an old seafood spice mix we had lying around, and garam masala (an Indian spice mix you can find at your regular store.) Then they went in the oven (skin side down) for about 18 minutes at 400 degrees.
The beans, meanwhile, started out with 1.5 tbsp butter in a saute pan. Add salt, pepper, and minced garlic, and let cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 tomato, chopped, and then about 1 tbsp of a good balsamic vinaigrette. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until they reach your desired done-ness.
Super delicious! The filets we got were so big and filling, we both had about 1/3 leftover that I’ll put on salads for lunch tomorrow. A tangerine for dessert and this new “meal plan” is off to a pretty good start.
Check in tomorrow for the next dinner in the series!
