This is the 2nd Day of 5 Days of Dinner Salads and also something very special to bring to you all. I was asked by fellow blogger Kim to join her in this special post. I lost my dad to heart disease many years ago, so this is also personal for me. Dad loved good food and I cooked for him often even from a young age. He would have loved this one, as he had a great appreciation for Japan. This is for you Dad, I miss you!!!
Today we are joining together to help raise awareness for Heart Disease. Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic lost her Mom to heart disease when her mother was 47, and Kim was 15. Each year on the day her Mom passed she shares stories and photos of her Mom. This year she joined forces with Jen of Juanita’s Cocina, whose life was also touched by heart disease when her Stepfather had a heart attack. Jen’s Stepfather is alive and well more than a decade later, and for that, Jen is thankful every day. The ladies got in touch with other bloggers to ask them to share their own stories about how heart disease has touched their lives. So today we share stories and recipes from our hearts to yours, in memory and honour of Momzie, Kim’s Mom. We hope you will share your stories with us today as well.
Sesame and Grape Seed oils are very heart healthy. Check out the benefits in the links I offered. We love to eat a lot of different foods in this house. We do have well rounded meals with lots of fruits and fresh vegetables always included.The little crunchy noodles are not the healthiest but you only have to have a small amount of them to have a big impact. Everything in moderation. One small Ahi tuna steak feeds three people so it doesn’t have to be really expensive either. All of these wonderful ingredients make up this heart healthy meal that you can have done in not time and the dressing is delicious!!
- ½ medium sweet onion, chopped
- ¼ cup grapeseed oil
- ⅛ cup good quality olive oil plus 1 Tbsp. for cooking
- 1 tsp. powdered ginger
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Umani paste
- 1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp. powdered wasabi
- 1 Small head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 6 large mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ¼ red onion, sliced
- 12 snap peas, cut in half
- 1 medium ahi tuna steak
- black sesame seeds
- sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper
- Chow Mein Noodles
- In a blender add all the dressing ingredients and whirl until smooth. Set aside.
- Assemble salad using the romaine, red pepper, mushrooms, bean sprouts, red onion and snap peas onto three plates.
- Cut ahi tuna steak into 1½" wide logs. Mix sesame seeds together. Salt and pepper and roll in sesame seeds. Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan and cook tuna for 1 min. per side or until desired doneness. Tuna should be on the rare side.
- Slice into small pieces and arrange on salad. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with chow mein noodles.
Enjoy all these wonderful dishes and rest assured they are on the healthier side.
Spicy Oven Fries by Cravings of a Lunatic
Healthy Snacking with Radish Dip by Juanita’s Cocina
Arugula, Walnut Pesto by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Farro, Apple & Pecan Salad by It’s Yummilicious
Chicken-Quinoa Burgers with an Avocado Yogurt Sauce by The Spiffy Cookie
Pasta House Wilted Salad by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Gooey Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars by The Cooking Actress
Dark Chocolate Covered Walnuts by All Day I Dream About Food
Mini Pear Walnut Crisps with Blood Orange Caramel Sauce by Chocolate Moosey
Kung Pao Chicken Tacos by The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
Honey Soy Glazed Salmon by Curry and Comfort
Apple Walnut Spinach Salad by Magnolia Days
Broiled Salmon Gyros with Cucumber Feta Yogurt Dip by Damn Delicious
Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Make-Ahead Chocolate Oatmeal by Crumb
Hoisin Flounder by Taking on Magazines
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Cheesy Quinoa and Asparagus Bake by Hungry Couple
Ahi Tuna Salad by Noshing with the Nolands
Canapes of Apricot, Goat Cheese, Almonds and Rosemary by Cook the Story
Thai Chicken Soup by From Cupcakes to Caviar
Italian Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf by Rachel Cooks
Black Bean Quesadillas by Pastry Chef Online
You made this salad for me right? Ahi tuna on top of all that goodness. And oh, the dressing!! Yummy!
The dressing is the best part!! Thanks Renee!
I am so sorry about the loss of your father. Isn’t it amazing at what brings us all together and bonds us?
And thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful recipe and post today.
Thanks so much Jen for organizing this with Kim, great idea!!
That’s a wonderful dedication to your dad, Tara. I’m loving everyone’s heart healthy posts – this is for a really important cause. Heart disease runs in my family and it affects almost everyone I love (my sisters, my dad, and now even my 32-year-old husband!) so the issue is near and dear to me. I love ahi tuna – this salad looks so vibrant and refreshing. Healthy definitely doesn’t have to be boring!
Thanks so much for coming over Nancy and I am so sorry you have so many struggles with this terrible disease.
Tara thank you so much for joining us today. Also thanks for sharing about your dad. I am so sorry you lost him. It’s never easy to lose a parent, no matter at what stage of life we’re at.
I love this dish so much. I just looks so fresh and inviting. And I have to say your suggestions for oils are bang on. I keep grapeseed oil around all the time. It can be hard to find here but I scour the stores when I run out. It adds such a nice flavour to dishes too.
Thanks so much for inviting me to join you Kim, I so appreciate being part of this.
I am so sorry you lost your dear father to heart disease, Tara. I love, love ahi tuna, and could eat your salad 7 days a week! Just amazing!!!
Thanks so much Liz and thanks for coming over!!
Tara, I’m sorry that you lost your dad. I am fortunate to still have both of my parents, but I have to watch dad (especially) like a hawk. The man is not a Fan of healthy foods.
But I bet he’d eat this salad! It looks so inviting and the ingredient list is full of interesting and flavorful ingredients. When healthy=tasty, life is good!
Yes Jenni, I love when healthy and tasty meet. You can never go wrong with that combination!!
Your salad looks lovely. Your dad would be proud of you and who you have become!
Thanks Dorothy that is so kind of you to say and thank you for coming over.
Sorry to hear you lost your dad.
This salad looks amazing – so pretty, and full of lots of color!
Thanks so much Erin!!
This looks amazing! Just the way a tuna salad should be IMHO
Thank you so much Sarah!!
This salad looks absolutely delicious! A great way to raise awareness around such a meaningful cause. Thank you for sharing Tara!
-Shannon
Thanks so much Shannon and for coming over!!
I’m sorry you lost your dad. I’m sure he would have loved this salad and everything you do.
Thanks so much Susan!!
I’m sorry about your father, Tara. I saw the photo of this salad and thought it looked magnificent. I am, unfortunately, allergic to seafood and it’s a real shame because I would love to eat this kind of thing.
This would be great with chicken too Anita!! Thanks for coming by!!
I’m sorry for your loss. My dad died of a heart attack as a result of Diabetes. Thank you for bringing awareness to this awful disease. My mom loves ahi tuna, this is a must pass along recipe. She’ll be a happy camper.
So sorry for your loss!! I hope your mom loves the recipe!! Thanks for coming over!!
Thanks for sharing your story. I’m so sorry you lost your dad…we had a close call a couple of years ago with my own dad, and I am thankful for every day I have with him now. Mind you, he’s more of a steak and potatoes kind of guy, but I think even he could get on board with a salad this gorgeous… especially that wasabi dressing!
I am so sorry for your loss :’-(
I rarely eat tuna out of anything but a can lol…. and I think I need to change that immediately