Photo by Kelsey Walling

Start the year off right with this guilt-free dish

After the gluttony of the holidays and before the revelry of Mardi Gras, I like to use January as my month to restart.

To me, this means eating clean. I train with Le Bergin at Urban Fitness in Galveston. Bergin advises that portions should fit in the palm of your hand and that you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water a day.

Here’s a meal that I never feel guilty about eating. Be sure and use “first” cold-pressed olive oil when cooking — less processing is better for you.

“First pressed” means the olives were crushed and pressed only one time. The olive oil extracted from the first pressing is of the highest quality and purity.

So, here’s to a fresh start in 2018.

Seared Salmon

INGREDIENTS

Salmon fillets, skin off

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, pepper, tarragon

DIRECTIONS

Season salmon with salt, pepper and tarragon. Heat olive oil on medium high to high. Sear both sides of salmon. Cover pan and turn down to medium low for about 7 minutes. Serve hot.

Pan-seared Brussels Sprouts

INGREDIENTS

16 ounces Brussels sprouts,
cut in half

3 minced garlic cloves

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Balsamic vinegar

Red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

In a large frying pan, sauté the minced garlic in the olive oil on medium-low heat. Add Brussels sprouts and turn to medium-high to high heat. Stirring often, start browning the Brussels sprouts. Once they start to brown, add 2 tablespoons of water, cover pan and turn heat to medium low for 5 minutes. Remove lid, sprinkle with salt, red pepper flakes and balsamic vinegar. Toss over medium-high heat until coated. Serve hot.

Find more on Facebook: Stephanie Vasut Cooks and Eats.