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A light lunch for your New Year’s resolutions

Lunch menu:

– Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Bisque
– Grilled Tuna Lettuce Wraps with Avocado and Grapefruit Salsa


ROASTED GARLIC AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE

To go along with the tuna wrap, we have made a quick, healthy, low-fat bisque. Roasting everything before preparing helps to bring out the natural sweetness in the squash and gives it a silky, buttery texture. It’s so creamy, you could easily mistake this for a cream-based soup, but it is actually all blended with a little vegetable broth. It is a great complement to the tuna wrap and will keep warm in a thermos. This bisque is also elegant enough to serve as a main course topped with a little lump crabmeat.

YIELDS: 1 quart

6 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, toss the garlic and butternut squash together with the olive oil, salt and seasonings.
2. Place everything in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast for 10-15 minutes or until the squash and garlic cloves are golden and tender.
3. Carefully remove the hot squash and garlic, and place them into the bowl of a food processor.
4. Puree until everything is just coming together.
5. With the motor running, slowly add in the broth and puree until smooth.
6. Place the bisque into a pot over medium heat until heated through and serve. This may be made a couple of days in advance.


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GRILLED TUNA LETTUCE WRAPS WITH AVOCADO AND GRAPEFRUIT SALSA

Tuna is a meaty fish that is very versatile and a great source of lean protein. This quick marinade is an easy and delicious way to prepare it and can be made the night before, leaving you enough time in the morning to pack it up and take it with you for a great workday lunch. We have turned this into a lettuce wrap and topped it with an avocado and grapefruit salsa that is flavorful and satisfying.

SERVINGS: 2

For the tuna:

2 4-6-ounce tuna steaks
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh lime zest
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 leaves of washed butter or bib lettuce

1. Rinse the tuna steaks and pat them dry. Place them into a shallow dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the other ingredients (minus the lettuce), and pour the marinade over the tuna. Marinate for 10 minutes while you prepare the grill.
3. Heat the grill to 375 degrees and grill the tuna for 3-4 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the fish and how rare you like it.
4. Remove the tuna and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
5. Slice the tuna and place half onto 2 pieces of the butter lettuce. Top with a little of the avocado and grapefruit salsa, and serve.

For the salsa:

¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
1 pink grapefruit, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon toasted pecans
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, lime juice, mustard and olive oil together.
2. Add the avocado, grapefruit and pecans and toss to coat. Serve as a condiment in the tuna lettuce wrap.


Don’t miss the rest of the menu! Check out the balanced breakfast and skinny supper recipes to keep your New Year’s resolution going strong.


This article was originally published in the January 2017 issue of 225 Magazine.