Unleashing The Beast :: FitBob

I’ve eaten so much tuna from the can over the years it’s gotten to the point that I can’t stand to think of it. The new way of packaging it in foil is definitely more convenient and healthier (less mercury content, among other reasons) but it does nothing to change my acquired tuna aversion.

Then I saw Alton Brown make tuna croquettes on Food Network one night. They looked so good I actually made a batch that midnight. Although I couldn’t get the boy to try them, they were quickly devoured by my mom and her husband. They’re a great way to get more fish and protein in your diet without adding a ton of calories.

Here’s the original clip, and my tweaks to the recipe are below:

Ingredients:
1 (7-ounce) pouch albacore tuna, drained and hand shredded
1 cup dried, chopped onion flakes
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup egg whites
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs (panko would probably be better)
Olive oil (for sauteing)

Directions:
Put 1/2 cup of bread crumbs on a plate.
Combine everything else (except olive oil) in a medium mixing bowl.
Use an ice cream scoop to make 8-10 individual balls of the mixture and drop onto baking sheet or cutting board.
Let rest for 15 minutes to firm up, otherwise they’ll fall apart.
After resting, gently form into discs and coat each in the bread crumbs.

Heat up a 12″ skillet with just enough olive oil in it to cover the bottom. Add the croquettes and cook about 3-5 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Place on a cooling rack lined with paper towels for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Seared black-pepper sashimi tuna over mixed greens with soy ginger dressing – one of my fave meals!

I liked my local sushi place’s so much, I decided to reproduce it. The only trick to this one is getting sashimi-grade tuna – higher-end food stores such as Whole Foods or your local butcher generally carry tuna steaks.

Lightly coat a nonstick skillet with olive oil and heat until hot, sprinkle tuna steak with black pepper to taste, sear tuna 10-15 seconds each side, remove from heat, slice into 1/4″ thick slices, drape over your favorite greens and slather with soy-ginger dressing (I like Newman’s Own) and enjoy!

Fast, healthy, nutritious.

High protein and fiber, takes about one minute to prepare.