Fitness Food and You

Thank you NY Times, for another AMAZING recipe. This boots tuna to an entirely different level. My suggestion is to use a high quality tuna. I used a brand called Tonnino, which was expensive but worth it!  This is the perfect summer dish–it’s light and fresh!

ingredients

½ cup rice-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

3 Persian cucumbers, peeled if skin is thick and waxy, sliced about ¼ -inch thick

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 limes, juiced, about ¼ cup

5 to 7 ounces olive-oil-packed tuna

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

½ teaspoon or more finishing salt, such as Maldon

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Handful basil leaves, washed and torn

Handful cilantro sprigs, washed and torn

Handful fresh mint leaves, washed and torn

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

directions

In a clean glass jar with a tightfitting lid, mix vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt with ½  cup hot water. Shake until sugar is dissolved. Bring a pot of water to the boil, and add the onions. Let it sit for just a few seconds in the hot water, then drain well and transfer onions to the jar with the vinegar. The pickled onions will be ready to use in an hour, or can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

In a large mixing bowl, dress the cucumber and spring onions with the remaining kosher salt and lime juice. It should be fairly wet. Pour into a deep serving plate or a wide bowl, along with any extra liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

Spoon tuna out of the oil, and use your hands to break it into bite-size pieces, directly into the now-empty mixing bowl. Add avocado, 3 tablespoons of pickled red onion and 1 tablespoon of pickling liquid from the jar, and mix gently with your hands to dress. Scatter over the cucumber mixture, and season with finishing salt and black pepper. Cover with torn herbs, and generously drizzle everything with olive oil. Eat right away, with spoons.

(recipe found on cooking.nytimes.com)

Zucchini is in season! If you are growing it in your garden and need a new recipe, here is one that is super simple and utterly delicious. The balsamic vinegar adds the perfect amount of sweetness!

ingredients

1 tbs. balsamic vinegar

2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. sea salt

Pinch red-pepper flakes

½ tsp. dried oregano

3 zucchini, cut lengthwise into four planks of roughly equal thickness

2 tbs. chopped fresh basil

directions

Preheat a grill to medium-low and lightly oil the grate.

In a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients for the marinade. Brush both sides of the zucchini with the marinade.

Cook the zucchini on one side for three to four minutes or until lightly brown. Turn and cook for three minutes more.

Transfer to a platter and drizzle with the remainder of the marinade. Garnish with the chopped basil and serve.

(recipe found in Experience Life, June, 2018)

If you are in the mood to change up the way you eat salmon, try this! You can also make this salad if you happen to have any leftover salmon.  Great blend of flavors and perfect for warm weather!

ingredients  

2 tbsp. soy sauce

piece ginger, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tbsp. green onions, plus more for garnish

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

¼ c. vegetable oil

3 tbsp. white vinegar

2 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. sesame oil, plus more for drizzling

4 wonton wrappers, cut into 1/2″ strips

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 salmon pieces (about 2 lb.)

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

10 oz. mixed greens, washed

1 c. shredded carrots

directions

Preheat oven to 475°. In the bowl of a mini food processor add soy sauce, ginger, garlic, green onions, sesame seeds, vegetable oil, vinegar, honey and sesame oil. Pulse and blend until smooth; keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

On a rimmed sheet pan, toss wonton strips with a drizzle of sesame oil, then season with salt and pepper. Spread wonton strips in an even layer across the sheet pan and bake until golden brown, 4 minutes.

Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat cast-iron skillet over high heat and add olive oil to pan. When the pan is hot,  carefully place salmon in pan skin-side up. Cook for 4 minutes on each side.

Toss mixed greens and carrots with sesame ginger dressing. Serve salmon on bed of greens, garnish with green onions and crispy wonton strips.

(Recipe found on delish.com)

I rarely post dessert recipes but given that it’s berry season, I just had to. If you’re craving something sweet, you should give this one a try! YYYYYUUUUUMMMMM!

ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

½ cup walnut pieces, toasted and chopped

1/3 cup maple syrup, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Scant ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

2 cups milk

1 large egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas, cut into ½-inch

1 ½ cups huckleberries, blueberries, or mixed berries

directions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve. Drizzle a bit more maple syrup if you want it a tad sweeter.

(Adapted from a recipe found on http://www.lottieanddoof.com)