While the selfless love of a father is felt every day of the year, it is traditionally celebrated every third Sunday of June.
This year, we want to celebrate this day with a lot of heart while taking care of the heart as well.
We have curated a special three course meal that will make your father smile, in a healthy way.
We suggest you start the meal with a healthy dip and veggies, followed by fish which is blessed with riches of Omega 3 fatty acids and finally a perfect guilt free summer popsicle.
Course 1: Greek Dip with Assorted Veggies and Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt or hung curd
- 1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce or soya sauce
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper
- Crackers, for serving
- Bread, for serving
- Cut vegetables, for serving
Method
- Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- Top with more black pepper and serve with crackers, bread, and vegetables.
Course 2: Grilled Fish with Orange Salsa served with Parsley Rice
- 2 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 4 skinless Asian sea bass or salmon or cod or basa fillets
- 1 small grapefruit (can replace with more orange or sweet lime)
- 1 small orange
- 3 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander
- 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced white onion
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 C with oven rack in the middle tray.
- Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and paprika.
- Place fish on a baking sheet; rub with paprika mixture.
- Grill fish until it starts to brown and fish flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes. Keep warm.
- While your fish is in the oven, peel grapefruit and orange.
- Using a small knife, cut fruit into segments, and coarsely chop. Whisk together coriander, lime juice, garlic, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper; stir in onion and citrus segments.
- Spoon salsa over fish before serving
ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2.5 tbsp. butter
- 1.5 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/3 cup parsley
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
Method
- Warm together stock and water.
- In a saucepan heat oil. Stir in rice and stir fry for 2-3 minutes to coat the rice well with fat.
- Add warm water stock mixture to the pan, season with salt. Mix well.
- Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the flame, cover and let it cook on low heat.
- After 8-10 minutes, all the water would have evaporated.
- Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Using a fork loosen the rice grains.
- Keep the pan uncovered and let the rice cool down completely.
- Melt butter in a skillet. Once butter is hot but and before it starts to get brown add minced garlic.
- Stir fry garlic for 1-2 minutes until it is brown and crispy.
- Add parsley. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add cooled down rice, pepper, and salt if required.
- Toss the rice gently until it is evenly coated with butter, garlic, and herb.
- For extra garlic flavor sprinkle some crispy garlic chips on top while serving.
Course 3: Athenian Berry Popsicles
Ingredients
- 2 cups blueberries or strawberries or cherry or raspberries or blackberries or a mix of all berries
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt or any flavour
Method
- Blend the blueberries in a food processor or blender on high speed until nearly liquified into a smoothie-like consistency
- Pour the thick blueberry liquid into a large bowl.
- Stir in the honey.
- Add the yogurt and very gently mix everything together.
- Do not fully blend the yogurt and blueberries.
- You want those patches of white and blue.
- The mixture will be thick.
- Pour mixture evenly into each popsicle mold.
- If your popsicle mold has slots for sticks, you can insert them before freezing – if not, freeze for 2 hours, then put a wooden popsicle stick in the middle.
- Continue to freeze for an additional 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Run popsicle molds under warm water to easily remove.
(The author is a lawyer turned business intelligence consultant turned chef. He also designs weekly and monthly meal plans for clients and conducts baking and cooking workshops.)
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