Ah(i) Tuna!

Sushi Grade Tuna Summer Salad

With summer here, people tend to eat lighter, but you still want to get some good protein and nutrition into you during these hot days. Try this more adventurous raw salad sometime. When you are purchasing fish, especially when you are going to eat it raw, make sure you go to a reputable fishmonger and ensure it is sushi grade. This way, you know the correct steps were taken to eat this fish raw.

 

Tuna & Mango Salad (makes about 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 Avocado, seeded and cut into chunks
2 Mangoes, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1lb Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna, cut into chunks
1 Tsp Black Sesame Seeds, or Toasted White Sesame Seeds
1 Green Onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp Tamari
4 Tsp Sesame Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Sriracha Sauce (optional)

1. When cutting your avocado, mango, and tuna, make sure they are all cut into similar bite size chunks.
2. In a bowl, combine the avocado, mango, tuna, Tamari, sesame oil, and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
3. Divide the salad into 4 bowls, and garnish with the sesame seeds and green onions. Top with Sriracha sauce if you want to spice things up!

Green Paddy's Day Chicken

It's St. Paddy's Day so why not mix things up and make some ... Green Chicken? It's not as bad as it sounds, it's just a different way of having chicken salad with some yummy greens mixed in - give it a whirl. This is great on its own or paired with some salad greens - or even in a wrap!



Ingredients:

2 x 4oz Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless, cooked, chilled and cut into chunks
1/2 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, washed and stems removed
1 Large Ripe Avocado, flesh scooped out into a bowl
Juice of a lime (just in case you need more or less)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Place the chicken chunks in a large bowl for easy mixing.
2. In your food processor, place the basil, avocado, about 2 tbsps of the Olive Oil, a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground pepper. If you wish, you can add a bit of lime juice to keep the avocado from browning, plus it gives it a little tang. Blend until smooth.
3. Coat the chicken with the avocado dressing and toss thoroughly; taste it and see if you need to add a bit more salt or pepper.
4. Eat right away with some salad greens or chill in the fridge for a bit. I would not recommend holding it for more than a day as the avocado will start browning.

Eat Your Greens ... On the Go!

Wrap It Up!

Here's a healthier way of making a wrap to take on the go! Collard greens are full of vitamins, so why not use it to wrap up a whole bunch of goodness? This is a "Clubhouse"-style version, but you can make a wrap of anything you want - try filling it with different proteins, maybe some quinoa, different veggies, the ideas are endless - get creative



Ingredients:

4oz Cooked Turkey Breast, sliced thinly or into strips
2 Strips Cooked Bacon
Roma Tomato, thinly sliced
Red Onion, thinly sliced
Avocado, thinly sliced
Homemade Mayo
Dijon Mustard
Collard Green Leaf - one large big leaf, ensure hard stems are removed.
Sea Salt & Pepper to Taste

1. Ensure your collard green leaf is thoroughly washed and patted dry.
2. Spread on the mayo and mustard directly on the leaf, and thinly.
3. Place the turkey first and build the ingredients on top. Season with sea salt and pepper if you wish.
4. Roll the leaf into a wrap form - if you put some mustard or mayo near the edges it will help seal the wrap a bit. 
5. Cut in half and eat up!

Chili Season Ahead!

Ch-ch-chili!

Well it's that time of year again...the season is changing to one of the most colourful times of the year, but that also means, it's going to get chilly again! That's okay though, the fall and winter season is full of comforting and yummy foods. Try this hearty chili to warm you and your family up on a one of the many cool days we have in store! If you canned your own tomatoes this season, use them in this recipe - I did!



Ingredients:

2lb Ground Beef, browned (Use Bison meat if you want a super lean chili)
2 Cups Sweet Potato, cut into small chunks
1 Cup Carrots, diced small
1 Cup Red Onions, diced small
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Fresh Jalapeno, seeded, and minced
1 Can Whole Tomatoes (Homemade Canned Tomatoes work)
1 Can Crushed Tomatoes
2-3 Cups Beef Stock (Depending how thick you want your chili)
3 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Cayenne (optional if you want to spice it up more)
Avocado and Bacon for Garnish

Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste 

1. In a large pot, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat; add the ground beef to brown.
2. Add in the garlic, onions, carrots, sweet potato and continue to cook until meat is browned through and vegetables are just tender. Drain any excess fat if needed.
3. Add in the spices and mix thoroughly; add in the tomatoes and continue to stir. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring the chili to a boil and cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes for flavours to infuse.
5. Remove from heat and top with crisped bacon and avocado chunks when ready to serve!

Portable Salad

Portable Salad

So lately it seems that everyone is on the 'Mason Jar' salad trend, I blame it on Pinterest :) It is a great way to build nutrition in a jar! Mason Jar's are great because they seal shut very well, so you don't get the spills that can happen with other tupperware or ziploc containers. Here's one of my favourite Salads in a Jar recipes - Deconstructed Clubhouse - with the dressing that I got from our own Iron Anne! Don't forget that you can do many other salads 'to go' such as Greek, Tomato Bocconcini, and more!

Ingredients

Baby Gem Lettuce (this is a great type of lettuce to use because it maintains the crispiness that you want in a salad leaf, but you can substitute for another lettuce green if unavailable)
2 Strips of Cooked Bacon, chopped (the good stuff!)
1/2 Chicken Breast, sliced (poached or grilled)
5 Cherry Tomatoes
1 Avocado (optional - but this is kept separate until eating time!)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Olive Oil
Maple Syrup
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Wash your baby gem lettuce thoroughly and pat dry.
2. Slice your chicken breast into bite size pieces, same goes for the bacon.
3. For the dressing, combine equal parts Apple Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil, and Maple Syrup, season with salt and pepper.
4. To build your salad, start with the dressing in the bottom, then lettuce and tomato, and finally top off with your bacon and chicken.
5. Close the jar and off you go!
6. When ready to eat, give the jar a good shake to coat your salad, cut your avocado and pop it in to enjoy a compact, but filling meal!

Baked Egg-vocados

BAKED AVOCADO?!

As they say, Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this baked egg and avocado meal is FILLING! It's filled with good fatty acids, protein, fiber and flavour - plus it's quick!

Ingredients

4 Free-Range Eggs (if you can get them from a farmer, even better!)
2 Ripe Avocados (larger ones are better to hold the egg)

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

Fresh Chopped Herbs to garnish (chives are best)
Crisp Bacon (Optional to crumble on top!)

Method 

1. Before prepping, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Half the avocado as normal and remove the pit. On the outside, rounded part of the avocado, cut off straight the rounded part of the avocado so it can sit flat, but don't cut too deep into the avocado that you break through to the centre. 
3. Place the avocados in a baking dish, they shouldn't roll around with the rounded part cut off.
4. Crack an egg into the centre of each avocado, ensuring that the yolk is in the centre of the hole. It is okay if the egg white is spills slightly out of the hole.
5. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until you see the egg whites set.
6. Remove and season with the salt and pepper, then garnish with the herbs and sprinkle the bacon on top if you choose!
7. Eat up!