Fresh Blackened Tuna with Greens

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 oz.) tuna steaks or fillets, about 1 1/4-inches thick
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp frsh lemon juice
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Lightly coat a large cast-iron skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Rub each side of the tuna steaks with Cajun seasoning. Place steaks in the pan and cook until blackened, but not burned, on each side, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove the pan from the heat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add greens an dtoss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and divide salad among 4 plates. Top each with a piece of blackened tuna and serve.

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This wonderful dish is very simple and filling and a great way to kick-start your diet. Tuna has an excellent source of B Vitamins and, like salmon, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are good for your heart. Tuna steaks are great for grilling so remember to use beautiful, thick tuna steaks for this recipe. This dish is like a steak and salad dinner but it's with fish instead. The Cajun seasoning adds heat to the dish and the olive oil and lemon flavors cool the heat. I highly recommend adding garlic with the Cajun seasnoing and smothering the two together all over the fish because garlic makes everything better. As for the greens, I highly recommend spinach or arugula for a healthy bite and they go really well with anything.