Blackened Tuna Caesar Salad

Perhaps not nearly as complicated as many of my other dishes, but this one still hits the spot. Fresh tuna (from my fish market!) is grilled with a homemade blackening blend and served over a bed of caesar salad. And this isn't just any caesar salad, but a homemade, healthy version of the classic. It skips the anchovies and raw egg, so no worries if you also shy away from such things, and the homemade dressing mimics the classic taste without the huge volume of salt, fat, and calories.

Speaking of salt... I made my own blackening rub that is listed below. I'm a big fan of mixing up my own spice mixtures so I can play with taste and emphasize (or de-emphasize) certain spices. Aside from the fun and authenticity, though, is salt content. Most pre-made spice blends are stuffed solid with salt that not only overwhelms the other flavors and leaves you quite thirsty, but also wreaks havoc with your body. Most likely you're already getting far more salt than you should, so go my route, mix up your own, and skip the salt altogether. Trust me, it's really not needed. This blackening rub already includes a lot of flavor! And if you want a bit more, just add some more chili powder. Mine is light on it since I prefer milder (but still flavorful) blends, but you can certain spice yours up some more.

Finally, I served this with some fresh, homemade cheesy garlic bread.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 40 minutes
Cost: $19.50



Blackened Tuna Caesar Salad
Ingredients:
1/4 c plain fat free yogurt
1/4 c low-fat grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp Worcestshire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp green pepper (sub black if you do not have it)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb Tuna steak
1 bag romaine lettuce

Note: the blackening mix above makes 2 tsp which is enough for this meal. You can easily scale it up if you want to mix extra. Just store it in an air-tight container and it will keep for a long time.

Put several layers of paper towels on a counter or other flat, waterproof surface. Pour the yogurt onto the paper towels and spread out so its about the thickness of one finger, or half an inch. Put a few more paper towels on top and let the yogurt sit, so excess moisture drains out.

Take a rubber spatula and scrape up all of the yogurt, making sure to get all of it, and put it into a food processor. Add the Parmesan cheese, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, Worcestshire sauce, and garlic cloves. Blend until it's smooth.

Scrape the dressing into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.

While the dressing is sitting, you can prepare the fish. In a small bowl, mix together the dried basil, thyme, garlic powder, green pepper, black pepper, chili powder, onion powder, and paprika until well combined.

When you're ready to cook the fish, heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is hot, rub half the spice mixture onto one side of the tuna, and put the tuna on the grill pan, spice-side down. Rub the rest of the spice onto the side facing up. Cook for 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked to your desired degree.

Put the lettuce in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss until evenly combined. Serve the tuna over the lettuce, either as a piece of Tuna steak or in bite-sized chunks.