What’s an easy way to lose weight? Stick to whole foods like fresh meats, fish, veggies, fruits and avoid processed and restaurant foods. It sounds pretty simple. But if you’ve been in a grocery store lately, you know supermarkets stock lots more processed junk, full of salt and sugar, than plain, simple, fresh foods. I can’t say how many friends have looked at me aghast and asked, horror ringing in their voices, “Will I have to cook it?”
😀 Americans have been socialized, thanks to vigorous advertising campaigns, to think cooking a meal is a complicated, time-consuming process.
It’s not. You can make a great meal — one that’s good to eat and good for you — in less time than it takes to drive to a restaurant, wait in line, and buy a bag of fast food. Your own “fast food” tastes better and costs less. Here’s what I had for dinner tonight. It went from fridge to dinner table in about 15 minutes. The secret weapon in this case: a propane barbecue.
Grilled Soy-Ginger Tuna with Quickie Veggies
I had on hand…
- A tuna steak that I’d cut into individual servings
- A bottle of soy sauce
- A bottle of minced ginger
- Corn on the cob
- An avocado
- A few Campari tomatoes
- A lemon
- A bottle of olive oil (nothing fancy: Costco stuff)
- Some blueberries
- Some pine nuts
- Some shredded Parmesan cheese
Pour a little soy sauce into a bowl just large enough to hold the tuna you plan to serve. Add some minced ginger, to taste. It doesn’t take much — a little ginger goes a long way. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice into the soy & ginger, mix together with a fork, and place the fish into the sauce. Turn it over to soak it on both sides; let it sit while you fire up the grill.
Place the corn on the grill and let it start cooking. Meanwhile, peel and slice the avocado. Arrange it on a dinner plate. Slice the tomatoes and arrange them on or near the avocado. Top with whatever you happen to have that appeals — I had a box of blueberries in the refrigerator, a bottle of shredded Parmesan, and a some pine nuts. But just about anything you please — or nothing — will do the trick.
After a few minutes, turn the corn over. Give it another couple of minutes to cook, and then place the soy-marinated tuna on the grill.
The fish will cook fairly quickly, so keep an eye on it. You’ll have time to sprinkle a little lemon juice over the avocado and tomatoes and top them with a few drops of olive oil. If desired, season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the corn again when you flip the fish over. Cook the fish until it’s done to your taste — some like it just seared; some prefer it firm and flakey. Try not to overcook.
Et voila! Dinner is served. Flavor the corn with some butter. IMHO a cold beer goes nicely with this meal.
Even with the high-sodium soy sauce, this quick meal contains less salt and far less sugar than anything you can buy at a fast-food restaurant. Tastes a lot better, too.
Check out 30 Pounds/4 Months for more mouth-watering, easy-to-fix recipes that will help you take the pounds off while you eat well and save money. It’s available as a Kindle book or in print from Plain & Simple Press.
DIY fast food image: Shutterstock © 2016 Jacek Chabraszewski