Fit Food Bites: Seafood Diet...no I don't mean eat all you see!

So for the past 3+ months I've been having no other meat but seafood, hence 'Seafood Diet'. :) And while I never fancied this regular amount of seafood, especially on a pre-contest diet, I've somehow found the simplicity and uncomplicated nature of this piece of meat, refreshing.

A few basic rules when it comes to seafood, that I've found and not necessarily going by any culinary laws, especially fish fillets and shrimp, are:

1. It takes very little time to cook it, so cooking it more than 15-20 minutes is overkill.

2. It ain't chicken, so you don't need to rough it up. In other words be gentle with it given its delicate nature.

3. Start with fresh, use simple, fresh herbs and don't be afraid of a dash of lime juice/vinegar.

4. steaming (oven or cook-top), baking and poaching are the simplest ways, that I've found, of making a quick fish meal and still get all the great flavours in.

5. Pairings with fresh veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, string beans or the heartier pairings like sweet potato, yam and pumpkin transform any seafood into a mouthwatering restaurant worthy dish.

With these in mind, your trusty roasting pan, skillet or steamer you can cook up tasty meals for either yourself, friends or a nice family dinner. I have cooked up for the most part, myself, but my co-workers have surely complained on a daily basis about me torturing them with the heady smells of 'tasty food' that they refuse to believe is diet food!

1. Cut up veggies of choice and set aside.

2. bring to a boil water in steamer and steam pumpkin until flesh is soft and skin can be cut through easily with a fork.

3. Meanwhile, heat skillet, spray lightly with cooking spray and add fish. Brown on one side before turning over for 1 minute before covering with lid and let cook until fish cooks through (test with a fork it should barely flake away). Add okra last 2 mins before turning off heat.

4. For shrimp, heat skillet and spray with pam (or cooking spray of choice), add shrimp. let heat through 2-3 mins stirring occasionally until shrimp is completely cooked through. Add broccoli & carrots just before turning heat off and let it sit 2 mins more before removing from heat completely.

Cut veggies - broccoli, okra, red onions, pumpkin, and get steamer set up (bring water to boil)

Lightly season seafood (Snapper, Shrimp) with your favourite herbs (mrs dash, garlic, pepper etc)

Put pumpkin in steamer 1st, while fish & is placed in a lightly sprayed skillet, covered and left to cook until it turns opaque in colour; add okra last 2mins, and red onions just before turning off heat.