Leading up to every home game, Chargers.com will highlight a recipe that's been tried and tested by Chargers players to give you an experience to eat like a Charger.
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Since San Diego and Jacksonville both border oceans, it felt appropriate to kick off our series with a fish dish. This week's recipe of Seared Salmon with Turmeric Quinoa courtesy of Tony Escamilla aka "Chef T" from Up A Notch Cooking, fits the bill.
As the personal chef to D.J. Fluker and Jason Verrett, Escamilla knows how eating healthy can improve a player's performance. This dish contains wild salmon which according to the chef has fewer calories and less sodium than farmed salmon. Fluker enjoys it because it is "lighter, leaner and has a lot of good flavor."
While Verrett notes the side dish of turmeric quinoa has a "different taste," he says it being good for him as an athlete makes him eat it. Per Escamilla, Quinoa is gluten-free and turmeric contains curcumin which is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.
Hear it from Chargers:
"I liked this dish during my offseason training because it's healthy and because I was burning carbs from training. It was the right stuff for my body." – Jason Verrett
"These dishes help me get the right nutrients, the right ingredients and the right things my body can tolerate. It worked (for me) so you should try it out. You'll love it!" – D.J. Fluker
Salmon with Turmeric Quinoa
For the salmon…
8oz Wild Caught Salmon
1 tsp of Black Lava Sea Salt
1/2 tsp of Ground White Pepper
(Kosher sea salt & ground black pepper can be substituted)
Season the fish with the sea salt and white pepper. Preheat a small amount of oil (coconut oil preferred) to a pan. Once the oil is hot, set the fish in the pan and sear both sides to your preferred liking. After fish is seared, turn heat down, cover pan and cook the fish an addition three to four minutes per side until done.
For the turmeric quinoa…
2 Cups of Quinoa
2 Cups of Chicken Broth
1/2 tsp of Turmeric
1/2 tsp of Grey Sea Salt
Pinch of Dried Oregano
(Kosher sea salt can be substituted)
Add the chicken broth to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add quinoa, turmeric and oregano. Once that is brought to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.
