Creativity and great taste are important ingredients for cooks seeking to make healthy meals. That’s the goal of Chef Stan Hodes, executive chef at Baptist Hospital.
His top tips for easy-to-make meals that are also healthy and tasty:
Chef Stan uses some of those cooking tips in the following recipe, which is a classic favorite with patients, employees and hospital visitors.
Aztec Fish Filet
Ingredients:
• 2 1/3 tablespoons of olive oil.
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder.
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin.
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Ground black pepper to taste.
• Cayenne pepper to taste.
• 4 5-ounce Florida wild caught white fish (mahi mahi, grouper, flounder, snapper or tilefish).
• 2 teaspoons of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped.
• 4 ounces of fire-roasted pepper and bean mix. (Details below.)
Directions:
1. Combine oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper for marinade. Mix until well-blended.
2. Dry rub the spice mixture onto the fish filet evenly. Refrigerate the filets at internal temperature of 40° F. or below for 1 to 2 hours to marinate. Do not drain. Place fish filets on sheet pans.
3. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes at 300° F or pan sear until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the fish is 145° F.
4. Sprinkle fish with equal parts of warm sautéed red and green peppers, black beans and niblet corn mix with chopped cilantro. Hold hot (140 degrees F. or above) for service.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving:
• Calories: 231
• Carbohydrates: 13 grams
• Protein: 29 grams
• Fat: 9 grams
About the Chef
Stan Hodes is the executive chef and operations manager of Dining Services at Baptist Hospital of Miami, a position he has held for 23 years. Chef Hodes has worked as an executive sous chef with Marriott Hotels, Orlando World Center and the Casa Magna Resort in Cancun, Mexico. He has been the executive chef at Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Pan American Airlines, Marriott Inflight division and Kings Bay Country Club. After graduating from high school in Mallorca, Spain, he received a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and hotel management from Bournemouth College in England. Chef Stan earned a “Premier’s Illuminating Excellence” Award, for Premier’s Food service program in 2008. In 2009, he was recognized by HealthLeaders magazine as one of the top 20 most innovative Food Service Executives in America. He is a member of Premier’s culinary committee, designing healthy food programs for hospitals, schools, colleges and universities.