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Monday, July 21, 2014

Healthy - Part 1



Tuna, vegetables, mung bean noodles, Asian style sauce
Shame on me for posting so many unhealthy recipes, no?  Sure, I’ve posted some that are good for our health, but very few.  Truthfully, though - I’ve been taking steps to eat healthier lately, and the results have been very good - I found myself in a bit of a health rut and started eating better and exercising more, and so far I feel great!  My energy levels are back up to where I wanted them, my body feels and looks good, my hair and nails feel healthier, and I’m sleeping better at night.

Sure, I still dabble in my less than healthy recipes, but some of them I change out a few ingredients to make it a little less caloric and better for me, but rarely, since I don’t believe in messing around with recipes that have worked for so many years.  A restaurateur once told me in his native Italian, “sempre un po” - “always a little” - yes, we can have things that seem fattening, if we do it only in moderation instead of piling it onto our plates.  We can enjoy food and wine, butter, cheese, meats, etc., and stay healthy, if we just take less of it.  There’s no reason to deprive ourselves of what we love.  Right?

Pinot Blanc
So, I’m big into fish of all kinds, cooked and served all different ways.  Fish is generally really healthy, with lots of nutrients, natural oils, and often fairly low in calories (at least that’s what I like to believe).  I try to eat fish as often as I can, served and prepared lots of ways.  I’ve already told you quite a bit about how I like to prepare salmon many ways, and shellfish too.

What I’ve also told you on more than one occasion is that I like cooking Italian and French style, and lately I’ve been experimenting with Hungarian cooking as well.  Challenges for me include Spanish and German.  Another big challenge for me is Asian cooking.  But I do love Asian cooking methods and flavors.

Pinot Blanc
So a short time ago, I needed something fairly quick and easy, and healthy if possible.  I chose sushi grade tuna at the local fish monger (expensive, yes, but totally worth it if you love good fish) - and I seasoned it with sea salt, black pepper, and coated it in sesame seeds.  I pan seared it (barely) and sliced it into small pieces.

I love beans.  I love foods made with beans.  So I chose mung bean noodles, the clear and fun ones in the Asian section of the food market.  I boiled them for a moment until they were softened (which doesn’t take very long at all).  And I julienned carrots, scallions, cilantro, and thinly sliced avocados.  I then made a sauce of soy sauce, wildflower honey, sesame seeds, fresh lime juice, ginger, mirin, and wasabi.  I whisked it together and poured it over the noodles, added the vegetables, and topped it with the tuna - and WOW was it delicious, and very healthy!

I chose an Alsatian (fairly) dry style Pinot Blanc to pair with it, with orchard and tropical fruit notes and floral characteristics with a white stony minerality and bright acidity with a long finish.  I don’t usually go for Pinot Blanc but not only was this one delicious, it was a perfect pairing.

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