{"id":14807,"date":"2014-10-02T18:26:45","date_gmt":"2014-10-03T01:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/?p=14807"},"modified":"2020-05-09T23:24:12","modified_gmt":"2020-05-10T06:24:12","slug":"seared-tuna-rolls-with-micro-greens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/seared-tuna-rolls-with-micro-greens","title":{"rendered":"seared tuna rolls with microgreens"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"chef<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kona, “Blazeman,” and the log-roll<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recipe: seared tuna roll with microgreens<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"chef

Nice, France<\/p><\/div>\n

The IRONMAN in Nice, France is like the other IRONMAN endurance races: a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a full marathon (26.2 miles). The only difference is that the swim is in the Mediterranean off the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur, the\u00a0bike ride is in the French Alps and passes through 17 small French villages such as Loup, Gourdon, Vence,<\/em> and Grasse,<\/em> and the marathon is a back and forth on the Promende des Anglais<\/i>.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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Promenade des Anglais (where the race begins and ends)<\/p><\/div>\n

In the summer I see the cyclists and runners in the south of France and have often toyed with the thought of taking on the challenge myself. After 17 marathons, I needed something new and I decided it was time to get over my fear of swimming and learn to cycle. There was another reason too, but that one is a little more personal, so I will hold off on sharing that one for now. So in August,\u00a0I registered for the IRONMAN in Nice. The race is June 28, 2015. I have my work cut out for me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Endurance competitions are a test of your physical strength, but more than that, they are a test of your mental endurance and your commitment and sound preparation. I have some poignant examples. Stay with me, this will all make sense in a minute and it is not about me (and yes, food is involved).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mer Mediterran\u00e9e<\/p><\/div>\n

The week I registered for the IRONMAN I set about figuring out how I am going to reach this goal.\u00a0I joined the\u00a0LA Tri Club<\/a><\/span>\u00a0a group of about 2,000 other individuals in Los Angeles who\u00a0train and compete in all levels of triathlons. In this group I befriended many lovely people who got me started with gear and training advice. I will forever be grateful for the start.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef

Promenade des Anglais<\/p><\/div>\n

The weekend\u00a0before Nautica (the Malibu Tri) I did my first PCH bike ride with other LA Tri Club members and in doing so I met two\u00a0athletes who would be assisting \u201cchallenged athletes” in the Malibu Tri \u00a0(those individuals with physical challenges who continue to compete in these types of endurance races with the assistance of others). My friend’s\u00a0boyfriend is a\u00a0volunteer for CAF<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>(the Challenged Athletes Foundation) and as we spoke about CAF and the incredible determination of those\u00a0who continue to compete despite physical challenges, she asked me if I knew\u00a0of\u00a0Jon Blais. I did not.<\/span><\/p>\n

I do now.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jon \u201cBlazeman\u201d Blais<\/a> <\/span>was an elite athlete and multi-sport competitor. At 33 years old he was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease) and most recently brought more into the public consciousness with the ALS “ice bucket challenge.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blazeman had always wanted to compete in an IRONMAN (he competed in triathlons for 20 years). Despite the fact that ALS was taking over his body, and only five months after his diagnosis, he completed the IRONMAN in Kona on October 15, 2005.<\/em>\u00a0 He is the only<\/i> person with ALS to complete an IRONMAN.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blazeman finished Kona\u00a0with a time of 16:28:56 by \u201clog-rolling\u201d over the finish line.<\/span><\/p>\n

He passed away on May 27, 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, many competitors and IRONMAN finishers have crossed the finish line by log-rolling over it in honor of Blazeman.\u00a0 The number 179, Blazeman\u2019s number, has been reserved in all domestic triathlon events for a challenged athlete. Blazeman set out to raise awareness about ALS …he did.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am only five weeks into my training (my training of nine months..). Learning two new disciplines is exciting but challenging. I joined \u00a0a competitive swim program (I am the newbie by far) where I have swallowed enough water to end the California drought and a non-suspecting plastic snorkel has been my nemesis (but given that six weeks ago I panicked just putting my head under water, it’s all good). I learned to clip in and out of a bike and\u00a0practiced in the park to the amusement of small children as they watched me fall over with my feet clipped in my bike. Three hour bike rides exhaust me like a marathon never has (but proudly I have not fallen oven since my park adventure). The training for an IRONMAN is demanding and I often think about Blazeman and I honestly do not know how he trained with ALS and then raced\u00a0uninterrupted for 16 hours to\u00a0finish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blazeman was a testament to the strength of the human spirit\u00a0and its ability to endure. He is an inspiration. CAF volunteers and the challenged athletes they assist\u00a0are an\u00a0inspiration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef

Persil de la Mer<\/p><\/div>\n

This week’s recipe was something that I made \u00a0in between training sessions to get me through my Tower 26 <\/a><\/span>swims. I was quite fond of the result \u00a0and when I gave it to others, it got the “thumbs up.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Persil de la Mer<\/em> (parsley of the sea) is the combination of two different seaweeds, dried and crushed. It is one of my favorite ingredients\u00a0lately. It is a wonderful and colorful addition to food. I decided to use Persil de la Mer<\/em> with ingredients that I had been craving due to my training, namely: fish and avocados. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"chef

Coat the top and bottom of the tuna then sear.<\/p><\/div>\n

I use tuna in this recipe because it is one of those fish that is easy<\/em> to find and most people like it. If you are an athlete, you should know that yellowfin tuna has 92 calories\u00a0per 3 ounce serving, 92% of which is from protein and 8% from fat (19.87g protein and .81g fat).<\/span><\/p>\n

Persil de la Mer<\/em> is available on the internet (a link is in the recipe) and searing tuna cannot be easier. Coat the top and bottom\u00a0of the fish with the seasoning, sesame seeds, \u00a0and then cook it for a few minutes on each side. It takes 5 minutes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"DSC05634\"<\/p>\n

When I created this recipe I was thinking of Blazeman and I rolled the seared tuna slices (in French, it would be called a “roulade”)<\/em>\u00a0enclosing thinly sliced cucumbers, avocado, and micro greens with a splash of yuzu juice and a pinch of piment d’espelette. MIAM ! \u00a0<\/em>It can be part of a sit down meal but also makes a\u00a0good “to go” snack (just keep it with ice packs to keep it cold).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"photo2\"<\/p>\n

At the dinner table one evening my daughters and I shared some Cali-style sushi recipes I had been working on. I included this one. I told them about Blazeman’s log-roll and why their food was shaped the way it was. We talked about Blazeman and ALS and that ice bucket challenge that\u00a0my eleven year old had done now became even more meaningful.\u00a0Never underestimate the power of food or dinner table discussions.<\/span><\/p>\n

To all of those participating in Kona on October 11, 2014 \u00a0(several of you in the Tower 26 program)\u00a0\u00a0–<\/span> bon courage ! <\/em><\/span>(good luck)<\/span><\/p>\n

et bon app\u00e9tit\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

LM<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0RECIPE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"DSC05650\"<\/p>\n

seared tuna roll with microgreens<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It is imperative to buy the freshest tuna you can find from a fishmonger you know and trust.
\n<\/span><\/em>Persil de la Mer can be purchased via internet (link below). For an immediate substitution, crush dried seaweed (available in most markets)
\n<\/span><\/em>or simply use the sesame seeds and seasoning. It will still be delicious. Yuzu is a citrus used in Japanese cuisine. It tastes like a tart orange.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>I find its fresh zing unparalleled. You are unlikely to find the small, bumpy-skinned citrus in the U.S.; however, you can find the the bottled juice readily online, in a speciality store, or Japanese grocery store.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

serves 2
\n<\/i>(344 calories per serving)<\/span><\/p>\n

1 heaping tablespoon Persil de la Mer*
\n1 teaspoon golden sesame seeds<\/span><\/em>
\n 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds<\/span><\/em>
\n 1\/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or black Hawaiian sea salt)<\/span><\/em>
\n 1\/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<\/span><\/em>
\n 6 ounces Albacore or Yellowfin tuna, sushi grade<\/span><\/em>
\n 2 teaspoons yuzu juice<\/span><\/em>
\n 2 pinches piment d\u2019espelette
\n2 handfuls of microgreens<\/span><\/em>
\n 1 avocado<\/span><\/em>
\n 2 Persian cucumbers, seeds removed<\/span><\/em>
\nolive oil, as needed
\nsoy sauce, optional<\/span><\/em>
\n1 jalape\u00f1o, optional<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n