- On today's "Fit to Eat" I'll be preparing smoked fresh pepper-crusted tuna, seared with tricolor pepper medley and wasabi mayo.

Our guest is registered dietician Rebecca Turner, who will show us some awesome new ways to utilize everyday tuna fish.

And we'll hear a little bit from all three of the farms we've kept up with over the course of the season.

It's gonna be a great show.

So stay tuned.

(light upbeat music) Welcome back to "Fit to Eat."

I'm your host, Rob Stinson.

Today's guest is registered dietician Rebecca Turner.

Welcome back.

- Good to be back.

- I know, it feels like old times.

- All right, are you ready to get smoking?

- Yes.

- We're gonna get smoking today.

And by that I mean I'm gonna show people how simple it is to do a stove-top smoking of some beautiful tuna, okay?

We're gonna team it together with a beautiful kind of pepper medley and I'm gonna show people how to throw some starch in this by adding some sweet potato.

- [Rebecca] Lots of color there.

- Yeah, and then have a nice healthy kind of aioli.

So what would normally be very, very unhealthy, but a healthy version.

So it should be a lot of fun.

- Looks like fun.

- Yeah, and I kind of have cheated today.

- That's okay.

- So I actually already smoked one piece of tuna so it can sit here because I want to show everybody.

Let's slide over this way a little bit.

- What is this contraption?

- Now this is your typical, go to any superstore and get a turkey roaster.

- So that's what you would use Thanksgiving, primarily?

- Yep, and this is something so simple to do.

So you don't have to get an expensive piece of equipment, put it out on the back porch and have the smoker.

This is stove-top smoking as simple as you can do it.

- And gives you a reason to utilize it more than once a year year.

- Exactly, I love it.

So now we're gonna take it, and what we're gonna do, there's a portion where you can see it's darkened 'cause of the piece I've done.

I'm taking fresh mesquite.

- I can smell it.

- Yeah, isn't that amazing?

Isn't that cool?

So we're gonna go right in that pan and now take a look.

You notice how the chips around one side, there's nothing on the other, that's critical, and I'll tell you why.

So now we're gonna put the little rack inside that comes with it.

- Protects your food from actually sitting on the wood.

- Right, and the best part is it elevates the seafood so it smokes on all sides.

- Okay, good deal.

- So now we're gonna take this fresh piece of tuna.

- That's a beautiful piece of tuna.

- [Rob] Isn't it though?

I mean incredible, fresh and right from our waters.

- Where could we find a piece of tuna like that?

- I mean, you should be able to get that at any superstore as well.

- Is it considered a steak?

- This is.

This is.

Good question too.

So now we're gonna put the lid on.

And you notice, watch what we're gonna do.

The heat, and I'm just gonna show this again.

The flame is on the front portion only.

We are not turning on the back burner.

- And you put the tuna on the back?

- The tuna is on the backside so that this way you can see.

- [Rebecca] It's just gonna get the smoke coming in.

- It only gets the smoke.

It's gonna be raw when we're done.

So now we're gonna turn that up on high.

Basically, kind of medium high would be what you're gonna turn that on in your own kitchen.

And we're gonna set it and forget it, okay?

- So you have one in there.

How many can you fit?

- Oh, you could easily do a family's worth.

- Okay, good deal.

- You could put four in there, easy.

Now we're looking at our time.

And we notice we're gonna let that go five minutes only.

- All right.

- Five minutes only.

- Set a timer or you'll forget.

- Yep, you will.

So now let's go back to kind of talking more about the actual searing of the tuna, which I think is so incredible too.

I'm just gonna move all these chips since we're done with those.

- So once it's done smoking, then you're gonna sear it.

This is the actual cooking it part, right?

- This is the actual cooking 'cause it's raw.

It's only got, and it looks a little brown, you notice?

That's from the smoke.

- Right.

- So now let's make a seasoning mix that we're gonna crust the tuna with.

You know me.

Pepper.

- Yes.

- Onion powder, salt-free.

Garlic powder, again.

- All things you have in your pantry.

- Salt-free and white pepper.

You gotta have a little kick.

- [Rebecca] Now that's your specialty.

- Yep.

That's just fresh ground parsley.

And what I do, this is kind of a blend of oregano and basil.

Actually this is pure basil rather than oregano.

- Could you use fresh basil outta your garden?

- You could, but you have to dry it 'cause you want this to work as a nice little crusting.

Now all we're gonna do is mix it together, make an even little seasoning.

- [Rebecca] Could you use this on any seafood?

- Oh, absolutely, absolutely.

And look what we see?

- Ah, look!

- So let's make sure that that one is kinda close.

- So this is what it's supposed to be doing?

- Yeah.

- Because if my husband walked in and this is going on in the kitchen, he would freak out.

- Right, and you see it's just a little smoke.

If we take that lid off while it's in the process, smoke alarms in the house will go off.

You'll think that you've created a major mess.

Don't worry.

- This is usually what my stove looks like every weeknight cooking.

So it's good to know that I can actually use it to my advantage.

- Yes, and this is actually exactly what you want.

So now let's go back to our tuna.

And we're gonna just take a zero-fat spray.

So now we're gonna pepper crust this.

- [Rebecca] When you're making a crust you want it thicker, right?

Like, don't be scared of the seasoning.

- And don't be afraid that some is gonna fall off.

Now, half a teaspoon.

And that pan, guys, this pan is hot.

And this will smoke up a little bit as well.

So, be prepared.

Now I'm gonna actually take this and put it, and this is quick.

- Season side down.

- Yep, and now just in case make sure it's covered.

'Cause we wanna get pepper crusting on both sides.

- [Rebecca] You don't want a half-crusted tuna.

- And guys, this is quick.

Let me tell you.

This takes place and it literally only sears for about 30 seconds a side.

I love- - So you can't walk away from the dish.

- And this is all kind of cooked to taste, but I like my tuna on the rare side.

If you overcook it, you might as well have canned tuna, you know?

And there's nothing wrong with that.

You know, the idea is it's to taste.

I've got friends who like it more well done.

I like it on the rare side, but you can really taste the tuna.

So now look at that beautiful crust that we got.

- That is gorgeous.

- Isn't that incredible?

And it doesn't make too much smoke.

As you see we're not really getting too much smoke.

Okay, and that believe it or not, that is actually it.

Let's see.

I'm gonna go ahead and actually put this on, here we go.

- A plate for us.

- Yep, put this on a plate right here.

- It smells delicious.

- 'Cause we're gonna move it to the cutting board later to cut it.

But you're gonna notice I do something.

I'm gonna set it out here.

Bring that off the heat and let it rest.

This is essential.

- For all meat, right?

- I mean, it's so important.

It doesn't matter if it's pork, if it's meat, if it's seafood, you let it rest.

Why?

Because if you cut into it now all the juices are gonna drain out and you've lost all of the nutrition, you've lost all the flavor, you've lost all the good stuff.

- Yeah.

- All right?

So I'm actually gonna turn this off on that side.

And what you've got right now is that smoke is sitting inside that pan and it's all around that tuna.

- So we're doing tuna today, but what could you use this same thing for?

- Are you ready?

And I love, great question.

Because it's so versatile we smoke fresh vegetables, carrots, celery, and then we puree them and put 'em in our ranch dressing.

- [Rebecca] Really?

- No one can ever figure out why it's so good.

That's a simple thing.

So you can do vegetables, you could do pork.

- [Rebecca] Okay.

- You could do beef.

You could do anything at all if you have that desire.

And, you know, nobody out there is gonna remember all these recipes.

So you can go to mpbonline.org/fittoeat to find the full recipe for everything here, as well as more information on what we've all been talking about.

So now, we've got a little bit more time, but what I want to do is make sure people see.

We're gonna get another pan ready for what comes next.

The tri-pepper medley is incredible.

And actually we're right at about the right time.

You ready?

- Sure.

- To peak over here?

- Oh, peak.

(hands clapping) - All right, so.

- Ah.

- There it goes.

And not too bad.

- Voila!

- Isn't that amazing?

Let's see if we can get actually a shot in there.

And look at that.

You see how it's brown?

That's incredible.

That's exactly what we're looking for.

- And that's the flavor?

- And that's the flavor.

- [Rebecca] That color is the flavor.

- And yet you notice, it isn't cooked.

This is still totally rare.

So we're gonna take it, and by squeezing it, I can actually see some of the juice coming out of the tuna.

So, you know it's completely not cooked at all.

I'll actually eat it like that.

I know it sounds crazy.

- No, I'm gonna need a little bit more fire on my tuna.

- I know, but that's okay.

That's okay 'cause you're gonna see it that way with the tuna that we're doing.

But I think the main thing to focus on is how simple that was.

- I'll have to admit that was pretty easy.

and to know that I have pretty much all of that already at home.

- Exactly.

And I mean that is something that is really that simple.

So, we're gonna take now, we're gonna actually go to and take a short break and sit in on a conversation between all three of the farms we visited this season.

They'll share with us how they've worked together over the past few years to provide for and build up their communities.

Take a look.

- A lot of things change when you start eating local.

You know where it comes from.

You know what's in it.

You also happen to improve your community because now more people are working.

We and other small farmers around this state and this country wanna be able to serve you.

- I wanna, you know, be able to support you to then be able to support the local community and the local food system.

We've got a lot of vacant land and a lot of people that need access to food.

And if we could turn over some of that land into food production or a food provider, then that would go a long way in addressing in these issues.

- We're putting material, energy, life back in the soil by simple principles.

As a leader in our sector, we want to show people that these are principles that you can utilize at your home.

- I encourage you to start growing something yourself.

You can actually start with a coffee can or a cup.

You can use your porch, your stoop.

You can use your living room, your kitchen, and grow things all year long.

And the only tool you have to worry about needing is a pair of scissors just to clip it so it'll continue to grow.

- We want you to feel, you know, pretty empowered.

We want you to feel like you have a different pathway to looking at the world, a different perspective.

When we connect these principles that flow through everyday life, I think that can kind of be the daily reminder every time we see a bee, or a worm.

Or when we think about growing something in our garden, we can say, "Hey, well, you know, we can do this in a way that is, you know, supporting our environment."

- There's ample room here for for everyone.

All the small farmers here and across the State, we are literally solving a food desert and food access problem just by being here in the city.

- There's a lot more collaborative relationship in the soil and our environment.

Once we can kind of recognize that the better off we're gonna be.

- Welcome back to "Fit to Eat."

If you're just joining us, registered dietician Rebecca Turner and I are here right in the middle of preparing our recipe.

You ready?

- What we got next?

- All right, we gotta do some good veggies.

- I like it.

- And I've got a beautiful variety of all tricolor peppers.

- Which colors is where the nutrients are.

- [Rob] Yeah, absolutely.

But the one thing I did not do ahead, and I wanna show people something.

All right, sweet potato.

Now they're tough.

So they're kind of tricky because they're firm.

We're gonna save this 'cause I love using the skin.

And then slice it julienne, like the bell peppers are.

- [Rebecca] That just means thin, right?

- [Rob] Yep, that just means thin.

So now we wanna add some more of that.

And so this gives us, and we're gonna keep this and use it in the future 'cause we're not gonna need all of that.

And I'm kind of careful how much we put into each one of these portions.

But look how pretty.

- Very pretty.

- [Rob] And you've got all this left.

So this is important for people to know.

It's that simple to do.

They don't have to be scared to take out a knife.

All right, let's do one more thing.

- All right.

- All right.

Bell pepper, just like we had.

And I'm gonna just throw little extra red in for color.

Now, cutting it down, if your knife isn't really sharp, you're gonna see, it'll crack it and break it.

So you can turn it over and do it the flip side.

And it cuts either way, but you really need a sharp knife to make sure that it's gonna be good and pretty and julienned.

- That's an easy investment in any kitchen.

- So a little hit of our, just so nothing sticks, and again, about a half a teaspoon is all of actual oil.

And the pan you can see is good and hot.

We're gonna throw the potatoes in first, why?

'Cause they're firmer.

- [Rebecca] And they're gonna take longer to cook.

- They're gonna take a little bit longer to cook.

All right, now we get to go and have the fun and throw all the veggies in.

How pretty this is gonna be, huh?

- And if you didn't have the bell peppers in your refrigerator, what if you had summer squash or onions, or whatever it may be.

- Exactly, anything.

- You can kinda make it your own?

- And yeah, this is gonna be a real delight.

Now you notice we put all the veggies in here first.

And I'm trying, and you see how those sweet potatoes kind of gear down.

I didn't put the garlic in at first 'cause I knew the pan was that hot.

I really like to kind of get the veggies seared.

Now we're gonna throw in the garlic.

Some pepper.

- [Rebecca] Still no salt needed?

- [Rob] Nope, absolutely not.

And some fresh diced basil, okay?

- [Rebecca] Oh, that smells delicious.

- [Rob] It's gonna be so good.

- [Rebecca] And it's so pretty.

'Cause you know you eat with your eyes as well as you do your nose.

- [Rob] And that one little guy's trying to escape.

You know what?

What do you say?

- [Rebecca] What the heck.

Why not?

- We've got 'em right here.

- [Rebecca] You can never have too many vegetables.

- Yeah, we don't need to have any worries there.

Okay, now we're gonna turn the heat down on this so it isn't quite as hot.

And let those continue cooking 'cause one of the things that I've always looked at is how you slice tuna.

All right, so you notice, what have we not done?

We haven't done anything.

- It's rested.

- It's rested.

- Well rested.

- It's sleeping right now.

- It's sleeping.

- All right.

- We're gonna wake it up.

- We're gonna wake it up.

So now we're gonna take it and put it onto the cutting board.

All right, so as I'm looking at the tuna you can almost see the lines even though there's a good pepper crust that are going sideways.

So what I'm gonna do is kind of cut it at a bias.

And I'm sawing it.

- Ah!

- [Rob] And I tried to cook it the way you like it.

It's a little bit beyond- - [Rebecca] Medium well.

- [Rob] It's about medium, I'd call it.

I didn't wanna go quite as much as you wanted.

But look how pretty.

- [Rebecca] It is gorgeous.

- [Rob] Isn't that incredible?

- [Rebecca] And just this little extra step makes the presentation so much better.

- And we're gonna put it onto the plate that way.

And I've found some beautiful greens that we're gonna do.

And what we're gonna do- - [Rebecca] Easy to find at your farmer's market.

- [Rob] Absolutely.

And now why I love using.

- [Rebecca] Pretty.

- And let's pop it right back over here.

Turn that last little piece.

We can move these around.

Obviously this is the one I'm eating 'cause I'm touching the food directly.

But I wanted it to look so pretty.

And to me that's half the battle with something like this.

You really need to have a- - You can really wow your family or your friends with this.

I mean this took less than 30 minutes altogether.

- Exactly.

All right, now we're gonna take a little bit of water.

And it's gonna add that final little steaming.

(food sizzling) - So how do you know when your saute vegetables are done?

You don't want them mush.

And I feel like you either get them too crunchy, or they get too mushy.

- Well, and to me the key is gonna be this.

When they bend a little bit on the tongs, and they're still vibrant in color.

- [Rebecca] 'Cause you don't wanna cook all the color out, that's cooking all the nutrients out.

- If you cook 'em long enough where the orange bell pepper looks brown, or vice versa, same thing with any of the color.

If it gets into that dull state, I hate to say it, you've overcooked them.

- Right, well, you can taste it too.

- Yeah, and isn't it such a beautiful thing?

And I love the idea that when something like this is done, this could be put with, like we're doing today, with some beautiful seafood.

I love this with pork.

- [Rebecca] Oh, absolutely.

- I'd eat this with meat.

You know?

So it's so versatile and I mean there's virtually no end to how many different things you can do with it.

And as this keeps cooking, now the only trick is I just keep kind of flipping the pan.

Now, guys, I know everybody's heard me say it, and I'm sorry, I'm gonna say it again.

Practice with a piece of toast.

(Rebecca laughing) Yes, so you don't end up with all the food all over your kitchen stove.

- But you do feel a little sense of kitchen power when you can get it right.

- Yeah, you do, you do.

I mean, it makes it fun, you know?

It's all about having fun while you're cooking.

And you're starting and you just kind of do it easy.

But these are basically nearly done now.

You see how they're starting to mold and bend a little bit easier?

And I love to keep that little bit of, you know, of chew to the veggie.

But you know, as you see 'em, it's starting to be right at that right point.

- Could you julienne carrots the same way as you did the sweet potato and put them on first?

- Absolutely.

And as a matter of fact, in this season I'm gonna be doing exactly that 'cause I love carrots, I love celery too.

I mean, you can julienne anything, and you saw how simple it is.

The key is a good knife.

- And I think people are afraid to purchase fresh carrots from their farmer's market, but with a little bit of wash and then just taking the skin off, they're delicious.

- All right, well, I think at this point, you know, throughout this season Rebecca has given us all kinds of great kitchen tips and tricks to make eating well easier.

Since she's here with us today, I'm gonna toss the mic to her for a minute and let her give you some great tuna tips.

What have you got for us today, Rebecca?

- I've got an easy weeknight meal when all the ingredients are found right there in your pantry.

- Great.

- Now tuna is one of the best dietary sources of vitamin D. Just three ounces of canned tuna can yield as much as 50% of the recommended daily value.

Vitamin D is necessary for bone health, strengthening the immune system against disease, and ensuring optimal growth in our children.

But fresh tuna can be hard to find.

It can get expensive, but the good news is canned tuna is easy to find.

It's affordable.

And when canned in water, tuna is low in fat and calories, and high in protein.

Bonus, it's shelf stable so you can stock up whenever there's a sale.

You can even be adventurous and give flavored tuna pouches a try.

You'll get all the nutritious benefits of tuna minus the can.

Purchasing tuna in pouches also makes it more portable for lunch boxes or quick meals on the go.

But think past your go-to tuna sandwich.

With a can of tuna and a few simple ingredients you can serve your family a tuna casserole.

Maybe some tuna melts.

Or you can try my favorite, tuna patties.

It's a twist for burger night.

And I bet you have all the ingredients needed for a simple patty in your pantry.

All you need is 12 ounces of tuna, drained and fluffed with a fork.

One sleeve of saltine crackers, crunched up real fine.

And then just two eggs.

I want you to mix the ingredients by hand to form patties like you would for a burger.

And then with a minimal amount of canola oil, you'll pan fry your patties for about five minutes on each side.

Now once they're done, you can serve it like a burger, or with sauteed vegetables like Chef Rob just showed us, or over fiber rich whole grain rice.

These patties are even good cold the next day.

That's if there's any leftovers.

Now remember, tuna is very nutritious, but it's also higher in mercury compared to other fish.

But not to worry.

Just be mindful to limit your tuna intake to weekly, not daily, and your tuna will be fit to eat.

Now, Chef Rob, what we got?

- That was great.

That was great.

Absolutely fantastic.

And I love tuna in every facet.

- Which they could use the tuna patties over your vegetable medley.

- Absolutely, it'd be tasty and healthy.

All right, so the last touch.

- All right.

- And you know we talk so much about "this, not that".

- Right.

- So we're gonna do an aioli which typically is made with mayonnaise.

And mayonnaise is a no-no 'cause it's so high in fat.

So we start this with, yes, yogurt.

And this is just plain Greek yogurt.

- [Rebecca] That's gonna give a bonus of calcium and heart-healthy potassium along with some protein too.

- [Rob] It's so tasty.

Little bit of our garlic powder.

And you know we love it 'cause it has no salt.

- [Rebecca] Yes.

- [Rob] Gotta have pepper.

You know me and pepper, all right?

- [Rebecca] That should be your bumper sticker, "Gotta have pepper."

- [Rob] And then ground ginger 'cause it's- - [Rebecca] Oh, interesting.

- An Asian style.

And a liquid amino.

And a liquid amino is a soy substitute.

So again, it's "this, not that".

Not soy, why?

So high in sodium.

- Is it found in the same area in the grocery store?

- Yep, in condiments.

In the area where condiments are.

And that is a pure liquid amino.

And don't forget, listen, I know this is a lot of ingredients.

So you can go to mpbonline.org/fittoeat to find all of these recipes as well as all the other information that we've been going over.

Now, the last and most important ingredient is ground wasabi.

And this is pure ground wasabi.

- Now isn't that spicy or hot?

- [Rob] It is.

It's kind of like horseradish.

- Right.

- Very similar to horseradish in taste.

- Would you start small and then add in?

- Yeah, and honestly, I've done it a few times.

So I like to have a little pep in my step, so to speak.

And yet you can gauge that accordingly.

And just with careful mixing, that's all this takes.

And I tell you what, it doesn't take much at all because this is so tasty that I want to be able to taste that on every bite of the tuna.

And that is basically what is going to give it that added touch.

Plus don't forget, we've got the pepper crust on the tuna itself.

So this is a true flavorful dish that I don't think anybody would feel that they're not getting complete flavor, and what don't we have?

- So that sauce is what elevates it to weeknight wow.

- Absolutely.

I love it, I love it.

And no salt in anything.

So a pepper crusted beautiful fresh tuna that's been smoked in-house, safely.

We didn't burn the house down.

- Not yet.

(hands clapping) (Rebecca laughing) I'm proud of us.

- And then a beautiful variety.

And with the sweet potatoes you get a little starch and all your vegetable all in one and it's so tasty.

And I even will dip a little of that into the wasabi aioli so that you really got just incredible flavors from all sides.

And I mean, this is the epitome of how to eat something healthy.

- It's also the epitome of a balanced meal.

You have your lean proteins.

You have half of your plate is your fruit, or your veggies and your starch there with your sweet potato.

And then you even have your dose of your dairy.

So you get two thumbs up from your dietician on this meal being fit to eat.

- You know, and that to me makes people feel, "Well, I'm not sacrificing anything."

- No.

- "To eat healthy."

And I've always said flavorful food that will fool you.

So why do I mean that?

That it's healthy and it's tasty.

I think that's the key.

Just like what you talked about in the pantry, all of that comes home to everybody so that they can find something where they can eat this, not that.

- And then also remember, you can take these recipes and make them your own.

I'm sitting here thinking what can I pair your vegetable saute with?

Whether it's, you know, a little bit of seasoned shrimp or maybe even some chicken.

'Cause, you know, my girls like my chicken.

- I know.

- But it's a good way to get the good vegetables in every weeknight as well.

- Absolutely.

All right, well, it looks like we're out of time.

But I think everything turned out great.

I wanna thank Rebecca Turner for joining us today.

And if you wanna learn more about anything you've seen in this episode, then head on over to mpbonline.org/fittoeat.

And don't forget to follow and like our Facebook page.

Until next time, I'm your host Rob Stinson.

Eat well.

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