This is such an easy recipe and the taste is amazing. To start, you have to purchase some good tuna steaks. Fresh tuna is very expensive right now, but there are certainly frozen varieties that are fine to use. I actually purchase my steaks from Market Street. They have a seafood freezer where they have a great selection of shrimp, scallops, and fish. The tuna is hidden in there :). You can purchase two steaks for roughly $12-$18 dollars.
You only need to partially thaw the tuna before you cook it. I usually let it thaw in cold water (still in its vacuum pack) for about 30 minutes. It should be sort of soft on the outside, but still very firm or partially frozen in the center. Get a large bowl of ice water ready and set aside. While the tuna is thawing, this is a good time to fix your rice. It can be cooking while you are preparing the dressing and the tuna.
For the Dressing:
4 Tbsp Soy sauce plus 2 tsp
2 Tbsp Rice wine vinegar plus 2 tsp
4 tsp Water
1 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Peanut oil plus 1 tsp
2 Tbsp Sesame oil plus 1 tsp
Combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, water and sugar and whisk well. Continue to whisk oils slowly into the soy sauce mixture. You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste preferences. Set aside until ready to use.
Cooking the tuna:
Remove partially thawed tuna from the packaging and place on a cutting board. Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides and then completely cover with fresh ground pepper on both sides.
Preheat a non-stick skillet to medium high and let it get really hot. Place the tuna in the skillet and let it cook just until the side that is facing down begins to turn solid gray, but only a few millimeters thick. Turn and cook the other side the exact same amount of time, or until the solid color is the same thickness as side one. This happens FAST. You should also begin to see solid juices running out and striations in the fish just start to appear. Take it from the heat and immediately place in ice bath. The ice bath stops the cooking and allows the center of the fish to thaw completely, while keeping it very cold.
Get your choice of greens ready to go in your salad bowl. I usually use mixed greens, but arugula works well,too. Note: arugula is spicy! You might want to mix it with another type of green lettuce.
Take the tuna from the ice bath and pat dry with paper towel. Put back on cleaned cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice the tuna into thin slices. Use the parts of the tuna that won’t slice as a topping for the middle of your salad. I call these “nuggets”.
Lay the tuna slices on top of the salad greens. Drizzle your dressing on top and serve with a side of rice. You can also top with cilantro. Enjoy!
This is a Rudog original recipe. This is a GREAT way to get some turmeric and cumin (superfoods!) into your diet!
I actually use frozen thighs, so my cooking time takes around 20 minutes. Obviously fresh or thawed chicken will cook more quickly. You can use breasts, but they aren’t as tender. No recipe is ever set in stone, so feel free to adapt it how you like it!
Check out this link to learn more benefits about turmeric!
6 chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
1 can diced tomatoes
1-2 cups chicken broth, could be more…..
1 can green peas
1-2 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp turmeric
In a large skillet, pour the chicken broth over the chicken thighs. It doesn’t have to completely cover them, but it should be deep enough to bathe them. Add the tomatoes, undrained, and as much of the canned peas as you like. You can actually save half the can to add to some rice later….your choice. Season with a little salt if you want, and then cumin and turmeric. Start with a tsp of each, and then add more if you decide you like it stronger.
Let simmer on low to medium heat until the chicken is completely cooked. Probably around 15 minutes. I like to cover this in the beginning, and then uncover it for the last few minutes of cooking to thicken up a little bit. The chicken will be tender and easy to cut when it is ready.
This is fantastic when it is served with basmati rice. Cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water for a little more flavor. Toss in some of those peas at the end (if you saved any) and serve!
This is a well balanced meal that has carbs, protein, and a little fat. Perfect.
Need a fast, high energy, nutritious breakfast? Think Breakfast Burrito. No, not fast food. You make this one yourself. SUPER SIMPLE.
3 Eggs
2 Flour tortillas
2 oz shredded cheese (Mexican blend works best)
Salsa, taco sauce, or picante sauce
Scramble the eggs, put in warmed tortillas, top with cheese and salsa. You can wrap these in plastic wrap to eat later if you want.
Suggestion: Make a lot of these ahead of time, wrap them in plastic and keep in the fridge. When you are ready to eat one, you can just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so.
This is the kind of thing that is so simple, but so smart. You’re getting protein, a little fat, and some carbs. A great kick-start to the day or an afternoon snack.
Ever had one? These are popular in Texas for sure, but anyone can make a great fish taco. These are particularly good because they can be very low in fat, high in carbs and protein and loaded with flavor.
Things you will need to have on hand:
Fish of your choice, but white fish works best. Look for swordfish, sea bass, or tilapia. Salmon also works well.
Green or Red Salsa (or a hot sauce that you like)
Limes sliced into wedges
Corn tortillas
Onions, chopped
Cilantro, fresh is best!
Avocado, optional, sliced
Tomatoes, chopped
Grill your fish of choice. Be sure to add flavor! Brush with olive oil, garlic, peppers, whatever you like! Grill it with the skin side UP first and cook about 2/3 through. You can tell how much it is cooking by looking at the color of the flesh. It will turn from clear to solid. Flip it and finish grilling. If you are feeling a bit gourmet, use banana leaves to flip the fish on to when on the grill. This will make it easier to remove from the grill. You can just flake the fish apart while still on the leaves and clean up is WAY easier.
To prep the tortillas, brush with a little olive oil and heat briefly on the grill. All you have to do now is assemble your taco! Make it any way you like. J Top with a squeezed lime wedge and you are ready to eat!
Tip: If you are one of the lucky ones who need to increase your calories to gain some weight, you can double up the tortillas on your taco.
4 boneless chicken breasts (4 ounces each), pounded to 1/2 inch thickness.
Nonstick cooking spray
Combine corn, beans, bell pepper, avocado, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Combine the black pepper, chili powder and remaining salt in small bowl. Sprinkle over chicken. Coat grill pan with spray and heat over medium heat. Cook chicken 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center. Serve each breast with 1/4 cup of the salsa.
We believe anybody can cook and that everybody should cook, at least a little! If you want to be healthy, then you will have to do some cooking. It doesn’t have to be on a Julia Child level, but it does need to involve more than the microwave.
The recipes included in this section are done so with the following in mind:
It should be pretty simple to make
It shouldn’t take a whole lot of time
It shouldn’t use a lot of weird foods ( maybe one or two)
It should be delicious
Saw a really cool idea about how to fix a large quantity of veggies really easily. It involves grilling and a lot of aluminum foil.
First, pick your veggies to grill. This can be ANYTHING. Let’s say you have broccoli, squash, carrots, and green beans. Make a BIG foil packet…..I mean big enough to cover a turkey or chicken. Put the veggies in the foil pack.
Add some butter, like 2 tbsps, or a little canola oil. Season how you like stuff. Salt and pepper? Cajun seasoning? Your choice.
Toss on the grill for about 15 to 20 minutes while you cook some meat or fish. All set!
In the spirit of full disclosure, this is not an original Rudog recipe at all. I found this in People Magazine. Sorry!
Ingredients:
Juice and zest of 3 lemons
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp honey
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove peeled garlic clove (or jarred garlic)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Grilled lemon wedges
Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, oregano, mustard, honey, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside ¼ cup for basting. Place chicken in the bowl, cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high. Lightly oil grill grate. Place chicken on the grill over indirect heat. Cook 6-8 minutes each side, until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the ¼ cup reserve marinade.
3. Serve, drizzle with a little honey and garnish with the lemon wedges.
Smoothies are definitely great additions to any diet or meal plan. When done correctly, they are a quick and concentrated way to add protein, carbs, and fat. There are lots of great smoothie shops out there, I am a personal fan of Smoothie Factory and Jamba Juice. The options will vary regionally, of course, and feel free to share your favorites with other Rudog members. The down side to the smoothie shops is that they can be really expensive, and lots of times provide way too many calories (along with a lot of other unnecessary stuff) than is needed.
Don’t be afraid to whip up your own at home. If you make a point to keep frozen fruit on hand, as well as fresh fruits that are compatible with smoothies, you will always be ready to make your own. Yogurt or milk is fine as a base.
This recipe is super simple, but may provide some inspiration for you to just make up your own. I would love to see any recipes you come up with posted on the rudog fanpage. http://facebook.com/rudognutrition
1 Large ripe banana, broken into chunks
1/2 cup lowfat milk or yogurt
1 4 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 cup pineapple sorbet (or flavor of your choice)
Cook the fish according to package instructions. Slice tomato and avocado and put on top of salad. Top with cooked fish. Dress with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste. This is also good with just plain old ranch dressing if you aren’t into balsamic.
Whisk together egg whites, eggs, water, salt and pepper in medium bowl. Spray nonstick spray in skillet and heat over medium heat. Add egg mixture and cook for 2 minutes or until eggs begin to set on the bottom. Gently lift edge of omelet to allow uncooked portion of eggs to flow to underneath. Cook until the center is set. Sprinkle cheese, tomato and basil over half of omelet. Fold omelet over the filling. Let cook until cheese melts. (you might even turn the heat down a little bit). Cut in half and serve. Makes 2 servings.
Place salmon in medium bowl and shred with fork. Add beans, bread crumbs, green onions, egg white, cilantro, lime juice, and red pepper to bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Gently stir to combine. Shape mixture into 3 patties about 1 1/4 inch thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to cook. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 2-3 minutes per side or until firm and brown.
Incorporating lots of salads into the daily eating plan is a great way to add some bulk, some vitamins, and some color, but it’s easy to get caught up in the same old salad bag routine which just becomes boring. Spice it up a little bit for some variety and interest. This little “recipe” is a super easy way to add some protein, fiber and flavor with VERY LITTLE fat.
Take a mixed green salad bag and add the following:
1 cup of canned black beans (you can warm these before adding)
1 cup of canned mexican style corn
Crunchy tortilla strips…I like blue ones….to sprinkle on top
Salsa or pico de gallo
Fresh Cilantro
Lime juice from a fresh lime
You could always top with grilled chicken breast or fish, but this is great as is. You could also top with sliced jicama for additional crunch, in place of the tortilla strips.
This can be made ahead of time and eaten over several days. The secret to this recipe is to sear the meat and THEN marinate it over night. This means that the left over “juices” from the marinade can be used as the dressing for the salad, later.
Ingredients:
1 Flank Steak
1 cup lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce or fish sauce
2 chopped green onions
1 lemon grass, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1-2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
Crispy Rice Noodles
Salad Greens, like spinach, arugula, or mixed greens
Instructions:
Take the flank steak and sear in a hot, cast iron skillet for about 2-3 minutes on each side. The meat should be medium rare. It will continue to “cook” while soaking in the marinade. Be careful NOT to OVERCOOK.
Combine the above ingredients and mix well or until sugar is dissolved. Adjust flavors for your preference.
Slice the flank steak into THIN strips, like 1/4 inch, and place into marinade to soak overnight. (or at least 4-6 hours)
Serve over salad greens of your choice…I like arugula for this dish.
Top with more cilantro and drizzle with left over marinade. Sprinkle with crispy rice noodles.
This salad is also AMAZING when served with a small side of basmati rice.
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We believe anybody can cook and that everybody should cook, at least a little! If you want to be healthy, then you will have to do some cooking. It doesn’t have to be on a Julia Child level, but it does need to involve more than the microwave.
Saw a really cool idea about how to fix a large quantity of veggies really easily. It involves grilling and a lot of aluminum foil.
