Nuriche and The Shoestring Diet Series: Part 2
Hi again, it’s Thor and I just wanted to follow up last weeks’ article with a bit about how to save money and time while still managing to maintain a healthy diet. I have included below a loose recipe for one of my almost daily favorites, and also a brief overview of the receipt. I think it will be educational and fascinating, so please read on…..
I love short, quick little recipe’s that I can whip up in about 20 minutes or less. Most of these I can bust in out in about 10 or less but then I have working in or around a professional kitchen for more than 15 years now and so my slicing and dicing skills may be a little more proficient than others, and furthermore I am in no way saying that I am a master for I have much to learn and also have seen people with knife and kitchen skills that make me look like a baby with a fisher price baking set…ha!! Anyway, below is a favorite of mine and also I have had requests to post this one since it also seems to be gaining in popularity amongst some of my healthier friends. I have a great new friend and business partner who actually named this one, ‘The Rainbow Tuna Salad’ and can be prepared quickly and easily so even an on-the-go mom or business executive can put this together on a lunch break or limited time scenario, that is to say with only slightly more effort than is required to heat up a hot pocket or frozen burrito or even a so-called healthy soup or juice drink that is probably worse for you than the burrito!
“So here it is, without further ado….The Rainbow Tuna Salad!! TADA!!” [thunderous applause]
So you will want to start with a pretty big salad or mixing bowl and I like to get all my materials lined up before I get started so it’s nice and streamlined. There is a technical culinary term for this and it is known as Mise en Place, it is French in origin and means to have everything in place. I also clean as I go so when I am done I look around and realize that there really is no mess to clean up at all, just a few things to put away and wipe off/down. Now keep in mind that these are recipes for 1 so you will need to adjust the amounts accordingly of course to accommodate the number of persons you are feeding.
You will need:
- I can Albacore (or whatever is your preferred type, brand, animal) tuna, chicken, salmon or any other chunked protein can be used-(just a note, I tried Tofu and it really just gets mashed by all these other crunchy veggie’s so I use Tuna)
- 1 Green Onion
- 1 Garlic bud (not whole clove)
- Fresh Jalapeno and other Chilies-this is one that is according to individual taste and can be used or not used; I use a generous amount as I like it spicy, about ¼ of a whole pepper or so
- Fresh Ginger if desired, according to individual taste but a thumbnail size piece would be good for most-I love this stuff so I use a hefty chunk!!
- Green Zucchini-I can use a good size Zucchini about 5-7 times so for this recipe a small chunk is all you need
- Yellow squash -the same is true for the yellow squash, I just chop off about a 1-2″ chunk
- ¼ cup Red Cabbage
- ¼ cup Green Cabbage
- ¼ cup Red Bell Pepper
- ¼ cup Yellow Bell Pepper
- 5-10 sprigs of Cilantro
- Horseradish-this is obviously an ingredient that is based on individual taste, of course and can be used or not or substituted; I use about 1 Tablespoon
- Spicy Brown Mustard-same with the mustard, use(or not) according to individual taste
- I like Miracle Whip because I only use a small dallup, some use mayonnaise or olive or some other type of oil to give this mixture a little catalyst
- Salt, Pepper, Tarragon, Thyme, I love to use Curry Powder in this one and any other of your preferred spices
- A Sharp knife and a cutting board
Ok, so now let’s get started. You have your mise en place. The above amounts of things are approximate as it is a bit difficult to say how much a tiny slice off the side of a head of cabbage is but I guess about a ¼ cup or so. It is really very small because the idea is have a ton of things in the mix only all of them in small quantities and diced about the same size so that you get a burst of every ingredient flavor in every bite all the way through, you see? It is supposed to be a pleasure to consume what Nature has provided us and with just a little effort it can be so fun and rewarding for Your Body and Your Mind as well…just awesome!!
Ok, back to the salad. You want to chop everything in nice little chunks, almost as if you are making a Cole Slaw. Put all veggies and onions and things in first. Of course things like the fresh garlic ginger and jalapenos you may want to dice or press extra small so as to not give you or one of your guests an unpleasant and overpowering burning sensation. Throw it all in this mixing bowl and grab a nice wooden spoon or equivalent and really mix it all together well. I like to mix everything before I start adding spices and Mayo just so I can be sure we get a nice, thorough mixture.
Now that you have all veggies and peppers in the bowl you are ready to add the Tuna (or substitute) and the mayo (or substitute) and you’re almost ready to eat. Make sure you mix it all really well and then decide how you are going to eat this lovely dish. It should resemble a semi-creamy bowl of skittles, fruit loops, fruity pebbles and tuna fish. Except this treat could only be provided by Nature and for reasons uncertain would never be endorsed by multi-millionaire dollar media campaigns or pushed on our children and our society like all this other crap and garbage that is out there killing our country and our future.
I like to lightly toast some nice Squaw or Rye bread and eat this as a sandwich or just grab a big spoon and eat it right out of the bowl. Either way, I think you will enjoy it and I look forward to hearing how it turns out for all of you! Please comment and let me know, thank you!!
Now the best part about this (and I won’t go into too much detail as this has already gone a little long) is that I spent less than $10 for this meal, I can eat it twice and it is far more healthy than ANYTHING I can get out in the marketplace for the same amount of money. I spend about $10-15/week on produce and about $5-10/week on Protein. So you can do the math, I am spending between $50-75/month to Live. And I am healthy and active and working from dawn until faint everyday and I am still able to perform at my best or even better than when I was in (what I considered then)to be the peak of my health and performance.
Until next time, go out and Make today The Greatest Day of Your Life!!
THOR
