Tag: Fish

One Pan Wonder

Last night, dinner came together quickly, received a big stamp of approval, and involved an easy clean-up thanks to one pan and a few local ingredients. This one pan wonder will quickly become a staple, packed with flavor and ready to eat in a flash. I used fluke, but feel free to experiment with other fish, chicken, beef, or even tempeh. The possibilities are endless!

IMG_2492Here’s how it’s done: (serves 2)

In a large pan, sauté diced garlic (3-6 cloves) in olive oil. Add scallions (use the whole leaf, both green and white parts, discarding the very tops and bottoms) and continue to sauté for another minute before adding chopped zucchini. When garlic and scallions start to brown, add fish, another drizzle of olive oil, juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper. Once cooked thru, remove, plate, and enjoy. Note that chicken, beef, and thicker cut fish will take longer to cook, so add them to pan at the beginning instead of waiting for the garlic to brown. For a heartier meal, mix with brown rice for a stir fry or whole grain pasta. Voilà, it doesn’t get much easier (or healthier) than that!

One Healthy Breakdown: now that’s what I call fast food!

Mustard is a Must

Leave a comment

Today is not just another Saturday. Nope. Today is National Mustard Day, and that, my friends calls for a celebration. Happy National Mustard Day!

organic yellow mustard

Seriously, though, mustard is one of the only condiments that packs as many health benefits as it does taste. If you want to get healthier, substitute mustard for mayo from today on. Here’s why:

Mustard adds flavor, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and omega-3’s. It’s made from combining ground mustard seeds with water, vinegar, and spices – three good for you things. The mustard plant is a cruciferous vegetable, in the same family as cabbage, broccoli, and brussel sprouts. Health benefits of the mustard seed include preventing cellular damage, which, in turn, prevents cancer growth, increasing healthy brain tissue, reducing the risk of heart disease, lowering blood pressure, and even reducing the severity of asthma and migraines.

Mustard can be used as a condiment, ingredient in a sauce, salad dressing, marinade, and more. Just remember to read the label and choose natural mustard without added sugar, sodium, or other unnecessary junk. Here are three simple and delicious mustard recipes:

1. The easiest dip ever: combine equal parts non-fat plain Greek yogurt with your favorite type of mustard. Add spices of choice. Skip other heavy dressings and use this as a thick, tasty salad dressing or dip for crudite! This couldn’t be easier to make and it adds some protein too – double good!

2. Light dressing: combine one part Dijon mustard with equal parts olive oil and whisk the two. Add one part red wine vinegar, a pinch of garlic powder, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and continue to whisk. Once mixed, use as salad dressing or a light sauce for steamed vegetables. This makes a great dip for steamed artichokes too!

3. Mustard marinade: mix equal parts Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, and honey. Add salt, pepper, and favorite herbs. Marinate chicken, fish, meat, or veggies for at least an hour and cook to your liking.

One Healthy Breakdown: mustard rocks, it’s a must condiment!

All in One at Dockside

Leave a comment

One of the many (many, many) reasons I consider myself lucky to live in Sag Harbor is the quick trip to Dockside Bar & Grille, an all-American favorite (appropriately located in the American Legion building on 26 Bay Street.) Dockside has great food and service, and a low-key, no pressure feel that’s a nice escape from the Hamptons ‘scene.’ Dockside welcomes anyone and everyone, it’s family and kid-friendly, and has a great all-in-one kind of flare. Looking for fresh seafood? Beer and wings? Organic mesclun? Long Island duck? a good old burger? Dockside’s the place to go for all of the above and more, including and a full bar.

dockside

The few times that I’ve been to Dockside, I’ve sat outside, which brings a fun summer ambiance to the meal. The front patio seating is super popular, as it provides a great view of the boats in the harbor as well as everything going on on Bay Street. If the weather’s nice and you want to dine outside, get there a bit early and have a drink (you’re not alone and may have a short wait.)

Dockside’s menu truly has something for everyone, even those healthy folks following the Wellness Challenge. I wouldn’t label Dockside a healthy restaurant necessarily because the menu is packed with comfort food, but the variety definitely offers options to those seeking something light…as well as not so much.

I went for the Spicy Lulu Salad (a favorite creation – one we’ve tried to recreate at home many times) with a side of the shaved brussel sprouts, which are some of the best sprouts I’ve had. The Lulu Salad is a satisfying, well-balanced meal in itself, with chicken, brown rice, and veggies all in one. The brussel sprouts made quite the impression on me last year, I was so sad when I saw that they had taken them off of the ‘sides’ menu, but luckily they met my special request! I think I could live off of these babies.

My accompaniment (Nick and his mom) both opted for the fish tacos (following a cup of chowder and a steamed artichoke, both of which were also well-received.) I have to say that the steamed artichoke caught my eye and is definitely on my list for my next trip to Dockside. And I’m pretty sure that will be very, very soon.

In addition to the great food and atmosphere, I have to reiterate the warm and friendly service. Start to finish at Dockside, the hostess, servers, and bartender, everyone is kind and helpful. It’s hard not to get a good family vibe when eating at Dockside. All in all, if you’re looking for a fun meal, whatever that may be to you, Dockside has you covered.

One Healthy Breakdown: Dockside is Hamptons one-of-a-kind all in one!

The Bell & Anchor: Love at First Sight

Leave a comment

I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but before I even stepped foot inside, I just knew The Bell & Anchor, Noyac Road in Sag Harbor, was going to get a permanent spot on my favorites list. I was head over heels with the place when I saw the huge anchor outside of the building – what says ‘fresh fish, fun atmosphere’ better than a gigantic anchor?!  It gets better! The food is flipping fantastic.

photo(17)

The restaurant, set on Mill Creek Marina, is very spacious, so you won’t be squished up against the next table – I hate that!  The water view is absolutely beautiful, but the atmosphere is just feel good throughout, so any table in the place is a good one.

The menu looked great, each and every option enticing.  From chicken to steak to a burger, and a pork chop, there’s definitely something for everyone, even the non fish-loving (not I.)  To start things off right, I had a large glass of Pinot Noir and shared the Lobster Cobb Salad and the Tuna Bowl with my mom. Both were fresh and tasty. The only struggle was enjoying the apps without filling up too much before the main course. Ugh, talk about life’s hardships, #hamptonsproblems!

My entree choice was easy when our waitress mentioned the whole branzino special…and it was everything I wanted in a fish and more. Cooked to perfection, a perfect combination of light white fish drizzled with a rich and savory sauce.  The whole fam was happy with their meals and we walked out of there a satisfied bunch. From hostess, to waitress, to the chef that booked my reservation over the phone, all were super nice, welcoming, and personable. Our waitress, Tina, showed a genuine interest in us and making sure we enjoyed our meal as much as possible, mission accomplished. In addition to the meal and atmosphere, positive personal interactions with the staff always makes an impact on me and the whole dining experience.  Start to finish, The Bell & Anchor was a hit, hence this post and my return a few weeks later.

Round two was equally note-worthy, delicious, and enjoyable. Only thing better than an impromptu Wednesday night out was seeing lobster on the pre-fix – score! Bell and Anchor is sitting comfortably on my list of favorites, and I have yet to try their famous raw bar or Sunday brunch, which means I’ll be back again very soon!

One Healthy Breakdown: The Bell and The Anchor, this place is the whole shebang.

photo(16)