Celebrated Chef Corner

Dine Out
for Your Health

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."
—La Rochefoucauld

This May, five Seattle restaurants are making dining out healthier by combining healthful nutrition and the creative art of fine dining. Local chefs have teamed up with the Washington Health Foundation to create an entree that meets national nutritional guidelines. By choosing one of these entrees, you can indulge in a great meal that is good for your health.

Bike, walk or bus to one of these restaurants in May and log your miles and nutrition activity at HealthiestState.org. Enjoy healthy cooking tips and recipes from participating chefs, such as this delicious dish from Jeremy Anderson, Executive Chef at Elliott's Oyster House:

Macadamia Nut Crusted Red Snapper
with Papaya Cous Cous Salad and Sweet Plum Chili Sauce

Yield 4 servings

4 each    Macadamia Nut Crusted Red Snapper Prep (sub recipe below)
2 cups    Papaya & Walla Walla Onion Cous Cous Salad (sub recipe below)
½ cup     Broken Citrus Chili Vinaigrette (sub recipe below)
½ cup     Mango Pineapple Salsa (sub recipe below)

Instructions:

To cook, place canola oil in a sauté pan and heat over medium. Place the fish in the oil when hot and cook both sides to golden. The fish should cook to an internal temperature of 130 degrees. Place on a paper towel after cooking to remove excess oil.

To Plate, place ½ cup of the chilled cous cous salad on the center of a serving plate. Ladle the vinaigrette around the salad. Place the cooked snapper on top of the salad and top with the Mango pineapple salsa. Garnish with extreme bias cut green onions and serve.

Macadamia Nut Crusted Red Snapper Prep

Yield 4 servings

4 each    Red snapper filet, boneless skinless filet (4 ounce weight)
4 cups    Macadamia nut crust (sub recipe below)
1-cup      Egg wash (sub recipe below)
1-cup      Flour

Instructions:

1. To bread fish you will want to lightly season and flour the fish and then dust off excess.
2. Dip the floured fish into an egg wash (1 egg mixed with ½ cup of milk) then bread it in the macadamia nut bread crumbs. Reserve for cooking.

Macadamia Nut Crust

Yield 4 cups

3 cups Macadamia nuts toasted and crushed
1 cup Panko Japanese bread crumbs

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Broken Citrus Chili Vinaigrette

Yield 4 cups

¼ tsp.    Crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp.    Ginger (fresh peeled and minced)
½ tsp.    Garlic (fresh peeled and minced)
1 tbsp    Sugar
¼ cup    Rice wine vinegar
¼ cup    Lime juice
¼ cup    Fish sauce
¼ tsp.    Black pepper
½ cup    Salad oil
¼ cup    Blood orange puree or fresh squeezed

Instructions:

1. Combine and blend together all the ingredients, except the oil, in a kitchen aid mixer on medium high speed with a whip attachment.
2. Add in the oil and continue to mix until oil is incorporated.
3. Stir the dressing before placing into a squeeze bottle and shake before plating.

Papaya & Walla Walla Onion Cous Cous Salad

Yield 2 ¼ cups

2 cups    Cooked whole grain cous cous
1 each    Papaya peeled seeded and diced
3 oz.       Walla Walla or Sweet onion grilled and diced
½ tsp      Garlic minced
1 tbsp     Limejuice fresh squeezed
½ tsp      Crushed red chili pepper flakes
1 tsp       Kosher salt and pepper

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Let rest for at least 1 hour to combine flavors.