Newlywed Theresa Lokuta Focuses on Healthy, Creative Cooking

When she was growing up in Wyandotte, Theresa Lokuta’s dad used to watch cooking shows on TV. She thought he was nuts.

But six or seven years ago, she caught the cooking bug, too, and she hasn’t looked back.

“I love to cook,” Theresa said. “It’s therapeutic. I try new recipes and make a lot of different stuff. I like to feed people.”

The person she most likes to cook for is her husband, Miguel. The couple was married in June, and he helps out in the kitchen of their Wyandotte home—when she lets him, Theresa said with a laugh.

She is a self-taught cook, and believes anyone can learn their way around the kitchen.

“If you can read, you can cook,” she said.            

The Lokutas’ menu is almost always very healthy and low-carb, which presents extra challenges when it comes to preparing good food.

“With healthy cooking, you have to be creative or it can be boring,” Theresa said.

Theresa and Miguel make an entrée of fresh seafood, usually purchased at in Wyandotte, about three times a week, and serve it with fresh veggies and salads.

“We’ve been grilling swordfish lately,” Theresa said. “He grills the swordfish; I grill the steaks.”

She shared her preparation of one of her favorite simple meals—fresh cod filets—brushing the fish with olive oil and sprinkling it liberally with a new, spicy favorite, Pike Place Fish Seasoning, purchased at Weyand’s.

“Then you bake it at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes,” Theresa said.

While the fish was in the oven, Miguel took fresh asparagus, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with kosher salt and garlic powder, and grilled it quickly at high heat. Theresa also made a Greek salad of spring mix greens, feta cheese, sliced tomatoes, sliced red onion and Kalamata black olives. Their favorite salad dressing of late is a Greek vinaigrette made by Fatoush brand.

The newlywed Lokutas shop together for food at and , both in Wyandotte; and also at Trentwood Farm Market and Meijer, both in Southgate; and at Eastern Market in Detroit.

They had plans for the evening, but still took time to share a meal at home.

“We try to eat together as much as we can,” Miguel said.

“We’ll open a bottle of wine,” Theresa said.

She tries to make their meals an occasion whenever she can, despite their busy schedules, and she enjoys making breakfast for Miguel, too.

He said he’s never been much of a breakfast eater, but Theresa had convinced him that it’s healthier to eat in the morning. She’ll often cook him an egg and serve it with toast made of multi-grain Ezekiel Bread, which she buys at Total Health Foods and keeps frozen.

“It’s excellent,” Miguel said.

They focus on healthy food, but once every two weeks, they give themselves a “cheat day”—usually a date night at a restaurant, where they indulge in whatever they want to eat, including desserts.

Theresa loves to entertain, but keeps gatherings small to suit her cozy home, although in the summer, the Lokutas invite more friends over and host them outdoors in their yard, where Miguel puts the barbecue grill to work.

Theresa is sharing with Patch readers a simple—and delicious—recipe she created herself recently.

“We were just sitting around and we wanted some snacks,” she said.

Using what she had on hand in a creative way, she came up with her Stuffed Mushrooms, which are savory, creamy and very satisfying—and also healthy and low-carb. She’s sharing the easy recipe with Patch readers.

THERESA’S STUFFED MUSHROOMS

12 baby Portabella mushrooms

Olive oil

Kosher salt

6 wedges Light French Onion Laughing Cow cheese

Remove the mushroom stems and drizzle each cap with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Stuff each cap with a half wedge of the cheese.

Place the stuffed caps on a broiler-safe pan greased with olive oil. Broil for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned on top.