Fennel & Bulgur Salad with Tuna Steak

Food
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This nutri-dense salad is bursting with flavors with the mild, licorice-like sweet flavor of the fennel, the crisp peppery celery, mildly bitter arugula, the heat of the chili peppers and citrusy lemon mint dressing topped with crushed hazelnuts- makes this salad so fragrant and delicious.

The star of this dish is the Fennel, Both the flavorful, crunchy bulb and aromatic seeds of the fennel plant are highly nutritious with vitamin C, calcium, fiber magnesium, potassium, and manganese, rich in powerful antioxidants - all this is essential for good health. Adding fennel to your diet may improve heart health, reduce inflammation, suppress appetite and even provide anticancer effects.

Another interesting ingredient is the Red Spinach which I used for the first time!

They say the brighter your food color is, the better it is for your health. Red spinach tops the charts when it comes to offering health benefits. It is full of iron to prevent anaemic conditions. Loaded with Vitamin C and other natural anti-oxidants, it can strengthen your immune system, promotes digestion, low in calories and is high in Potassium. Along with your common leafy greens, adding red spinach can help in protecting your body against a number of diseases.

This salad will keep in the fridge for a few days - a great healthy snack or lunch to have on hand with a side of protein like grilled tuna steak or chicken.

Salad Ingredients:

  • 1 cup bulgur cooked

  • 3 fennel bulbs chopped

  • 4 celery sticks chopped

  • 4 green chili peppers chopped

  • Handful of red spinach leaves chopped

  • Handful of Arugula leaves (jir jir) chopped

  • Tuna steak

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil or sesame oil

  • Crushed hazelnuts for garnish (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

  • Juice of one lemon (add more if you like it’s great with this recipe)

  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • Sprinkle of Himalayan salt

  • Sprinkle of crushed black pepper

  • Crushed dried mint as per liking

  • 1 tbsp inca inchi oil from Changing Habits or olive oil

Inca Inchi Oil is derived from a plant native to the Peruvian Amazon region. This versatile oil provides Omega 3 (ALA), 6 and 9 and is ideal as a salad dressing, in smoothies or taken on its own as a food supplement.

Method:

1. Cook the bulgur, use 1/2 cup bulgur with 1 cup water. Combine bulgur and water in a pot. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and fluff bulgur with a fork. Leave it to cool down

2. Chop the fennel, celery, chili, spinach and arugula.

3. Cook the tuna steak on a hot pan drizzled with the coconut or sesame oil. Sear it on each side for about 3 minutes to be crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside make sure not to overcook it. Let it rest for a few minutes then slice.

4. In a bowl, mix the chopped up veggies with the bulgur once it’s cooled down.

5. Combine all the dressing ingredients and mix with the bulgur and veggies mixture. Salad is best dressed slightly warm to absorb all the flavors of the dressing.

6. Top with the the tuna steak slices and garnish with crushed hazelnuts, freshly ground black pepper and an extra drizzle of inca inchi oil if desired.

Best served fresh! Enjoy 😉

References for further reading:

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