Clairemont’s Healthy Recipe Picks

After a classic champagne toast, we rang in the New Year, plopped into bed and woke up — like the rest of America — with New Year’s resolutions on the brain.

Many of our restaurant clients are launching programs to support healthy lifestyle goals. Applebee’s, for example, is offering a new menu featuring bar and grill favorites made  with wholesome, satisfying ingredients. And did you know that Triangle Dairy Queen’s “fan food” menu includes fresh garden salads?

Whether dining out or staying in for the night, we love healthy recipes, especially those that are easy to make on the fly. So we dug around the Clairemont Kitchen and curated some of our agency favorites from chefs around the country (and a few local ones, too). Enjoy our easy weeknight dinner menu that packs a healthy punch!

Clairemont’s Easy Weeknight Menu

– Asian Grilled Salmon from Barefoot Contessa
– Roasted Vegetable Medley from our own Tracy Lathan
– No-Bake Energy Balls (snack or dessert) from Gimme Some Oven

Asian Grilled Salmon

This is a great recipe for people who don’t like the fishy taste of salmon but are seeking the health benefits. This marinade gives it a really mild flavor.

Ingredients:
3 pounds fresh salmon, boned but skin on (serves 4-6)
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

Directions:
While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin-side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into four equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin-side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for four to five minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another four to five minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don’t worry; it will keep cooking as it sits.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin-side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

*In the summer this recipe is great on the grill, but during colder months you can also bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Roasted Vegetable Medley

Ingredients:
1 onion
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 butternut squash cubed
2 green pepper sliced

*We love the flexibility of this particular side because it gives you the opportunity to use whatever veggies you have on hand. Other options to include carrots and potatoes with rosemary.

Directions:
Drizzle with olive oil and add a dash of salt, pepper and fresh thyme to taste. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes until vegetables are soft but not squishy. Avoid squishy vegetables.

No-Bake Energy Balls

Looking for a cereal or energy bar without all the processed ingredients? This healthy recipe is always a win with both children and adults.

Ingredients:
1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup chocolate chips or cacao nibs (optional)
1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Have a favorite recipe you would recommend that we try? Tweet ’em to us!

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