Lemon pepper recipes

With my recipes, I use my Paula Dean skillets almost every night and sometimes all three sizes. If you don't have a good set I highly recommend investing in some great pans because it can determine how your food turns out. 🍳 Most of my recipes take about 25 minutes for preparation and cooking time total which is great because my husband doesn't eat the same thing. I usually cook two separate meals every night.
Lemon pepper is a very common seasoning for many types of food like wings, fish, chicken, etc...the only problem, it's very high in sodium. For people with hypertension, this is a problem! Also, if you are trying to lose weight too much sodium in your diet makes you retain fluid which, in turn makes the scale read higher 👎. My recipes using lemon pepper are modified for people trying to lower blood pressure, lose the water weight, and still be able to have that yummy lemon pepper flavored food! 🍋
First, decide what type of protein you want, my personal favorite is tilapia but I also use chicken, salmon, and flounder sometimes. Use all natural extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of the pan with the protein, some lemon juice, and fresh ground pepper to taste. If you want to still use the delicious lemon pepper seasoning, use only a pinch and sprinkle on each size of the protein...very lightly though. I also put garlic powder or fresh garlic on top along with fresh basil, from my garden, and parsley flakes. I usually cook the protein on medium heat and let it get a nice golden brown color on each side. Just because you can't have sodium doesn't mean your food has to be flavorless!
While the protein is cooking, I start my veggies. My usual vegetable choice consist of zucchini and squash but if I have asparagus, snap peas, okra, bell peppers, etc...I throw all of it in there with the all natural extra virgin olive oil again. Remember, the more color on your plate the better it is for you! To add some extra flavor I also use garlic, sweet Vidalia onion, basil, parsley, lemon juice, and fresh ground pepper. I let my veggies sauté until they are tender and starting to brown. You can also use this same recipe but add a lid and a little water to the pan. This will steam the veggies rather than sauté them. If I have cherry or grape tomatoes, when the vegetables are almost done, I throw a few in the pan and roll them around to get the great flavor on them but don't leave them in as long. They get a nice roasted flavor without making them soggy or tomato paste.
Lastly, presentation is key. Humans eat with their eyes first and decide before the first bite if they will like it or not. My food pictures turn out great because I take time to arrange the food in a way the person eating it can't wait to dig in. The last step before serving the dish, I top it with a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and voila! Dinner is served. Enjoy 🍴