Skinny Whole Grain Mustard Crusted Salmon with Brussels Sprouts Sautéed with Chorizo

One great excuse (which I have used countless times) that a lot of people use to justify eating take-out and fast food on a regular basis is "working late/not having time to make dinner." It's not a great excuse, there are so many meals ready in under 30 minutes, and this recipe can be made in just 10 minutes. If you can find a restaurant that can deliver a delicious, healthy meal like this in 10 minutes, then go for it. Otherwise, take advantage of this speedy gourmet dish...you won't regret it.

Skinny Whole Grain Mustard Crusted Salmon

Adapted from Food and Wine

Serving Size: 1 Salmon Filet

WW PointsPlus Value: 4

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

4 4 oz salmon filets

Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine mustard, olive oil, and chives then spread mixture evenly on each salmon filet.
• Season salmon with salt and pepper, then place on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Then broil 6 inches from broiler for 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

Skinny Brussels Sprouts Sautéed with Chorizo

Serving Size: 1/4th recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 2

Fresh Brussels sprouts

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 fully cooked chorizo sausage, diced

Salt to taste

Directions:

• Peel the outer layers from the Brussels sprouts, cut off the bottoms, and discard. Then chop sprouts until they're shredded.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Sauté garlic, sprouts, and chorizo until nice and browned. Season well with salt.
• Serve warm with the salmon, and curse whoever wrote the recipe (that all the moms in the world seem to know) stating that boiling Brussels sprouts is the preferred method of cooking them, when they're oh-so-delicous sauteéd with garlic. Even the pickiest eaters in your house will enjoy these. If only I'd known about this when I was a Brussels sprout-hating kid. Oh well...at least my mom used to put cheese on them. Yeah that's right, my moms knows what's up.

Skinny Patatas Bravas con Chorizo

The Spanish have the right idea about so many things. Siesta. Sangria. Tapas. They've just got it all figured out. A couple years ago (after many mojitos) I stumbled into this restaurant in Barcelona and had a plate of life-changing patatas bravas. The potatoes were perfectly fried, the brava sauce was tangy and spicy, and it was served with a cool, garlicky aioli. I had dreams about these potatoes, they were that good. About a year later, I went to the same restaurant, eager to eat the delicious patatas. They had changed their menu, and no longer offered the dish I'd eaten the year before. The new patatas bravas was served "con chorizo." For those of you who don't speak Spanish, con chorizo translates to "with delicious, delicious sausage." It. Was. Amazing.

Unfortunately, fried potatoes with fatty meat and a mayonnaise-y sauce don't really fit under the "skinny eating" category, so I've come up with a (somewhat) lighter version that would be great as the star of a tapas themed dinner.

Skinny Patatas Bravas con Chorizo

Serving Size: 1/4 Recipe

WW PointsPlus Value: 6

The Main Bit:

1 large potato

1 fully cooked chorizo sausage

1 Tablespoon olive oil

The Brava Sauce:

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Pinch of each of the following: onion powder, cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, oregano

Red pepper flakes to taste

Dash of hot sauce

The Aioli:

1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon mayo

Directions:

• Parboil the potato in vinegar spiked water, then remove and let cool.
• Combine all ingredients for the brava sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• While the brava sauce is cooking, combine all ingredients for the aioli in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• When the potato is cool enough to handle, cut into cubes.
• Heat olive oil over high heat in a frying pan, then throw the potato cubes in and mix them around, coating them evenly with the oil. Cook until nice and crispy on the outside, then add the chorizo until heated through.
• Put the potato/chorizo mix into a serving platter, and top with warm brava sauce and cool aioli.
• Enjoy with a selection of tapas and a nice glass of red wine. Or a cold beer. Or some sangria...Honestly, these taste good with anything.