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MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Two 6-ounce boneless, skinless swordfish steaks, ¾ inch thick

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

1 cup sliced radishes

1 Hass avocado

2 tablespoons best-quality salsa pumped up with a little fresh cilantro

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

Preheat the gas, charcoal, or electric grill. Brush the fish with olive oil on both sides. Grill the fish, turning once after it has browned on the bottom (about 2 minutes), then finish on the second side, cooking until the fish is translucent in the middle (2 to 3 more minutes). Meanwhile, make a bed of lettuce, radishes, and avocado on two warmed dinner plates. Transfer the cooked fish to the dinner plates and top each steak with a big dollop of salsa. Squeeze lime juice over all and sprinkle with zest.

Nutritional Analysis: 387 calories, FAT 27 g, PROTEIN 26 g, CARB 12 g, FIBER 6 g, CHOL 45 mg, IRON 2 mg, SODIUM 175 mg, CALC 36 mg

Cooking Lesson

When buying prepared salsa, read the labels. Some of those in jars have big jolts of sugar lurking inside. Go for the fresh salsa in the refrigerator case. It’s more likely to be made from pure tomatoes or other fruits and spicy accents.

Menu Suggestion

Watermelon for dessert will give your dinner the summery finish it deserves, and with no more than 5 carbs, provided you restrict yourself to a half cup or so.

Tuna Steaks with Tarragon Mayonnaise

Sushi-grade or yellowfin tuna is mild, meaty, and as satisfying as steak. Top it off with tasty tarragon mayonnaise you’ve stirred together, and it’s a high-protein meal that satisfies. The naturally sweet flavor of squash makes a satisfying complement to the meaty tuna. Per serving it will add only 65 calories, 3.6 grams carbohydrate, and .7 grams protein.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 6 minutes

2 teaspoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons minced fresh or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon plus tarragon sprigs for garnish

Two 6-ounce tuna steaks, 1 inch thick

Salt and cracked pepper to taste

1 teaspoon olive oil

Squashed Winter Squash (recipe follows)

Stir together the mayo and tarragon in a small bowl. Cover and set aside. Heat a heavy skillet or ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Pat the tuna dry with paper towels, then season to taste with salt and cracked pepper. Dab olive oil over the surfaces of the fish. Pan grill about 3 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to warmed dinner plates. Top each steak with a dollop of tarragon mayonnaise, and garnish with tarragon sprigs. Place a mound of squash beside the tuna.

Nutritional Analysis including the squash: 374 calories, FAT 19 g, PROTEIN 39 g, CARB 11 g, FIBER 3 g, CHOL 113 mg, IRON 3 mg, SODIUM 192 mg, CALC 86 mg

Cooking Lesson

Sushi-grade tuna means what it says. The fish is so fresh and of such good quality you could eat it raw. However, if the surface looks opaque white, don’t worry. The meat color changes from sitting on the ice, but its quality is not affected.

Squashed Winter Squash

One ½-pound winter squash (butternut, hubbard)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste

Prick the surface of the squash in several places with a fork. Place it in the microwave, and cook on high (100 percent power) until it’s soft through, about 8 minutes. Alternatively, oven roast it at 400°F for about 45 minutes. Cut the squash in half, scoop out and discard the seeds, then scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the butter and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Mash well.

Skewered Scallops with Prosciutto and Basil on a Bed of Creamed Spinach

Bundles of tender scallops enfolded in basil leaves and paper-thin slices of rosy prosciutto look as if you slaved away all day. You didn’t. Present on a bed of creamed spinach, and you’ve made a fine dinner in less than half an hour. Serve the wrapped shellfish as a cocktail appetizer, too. Grill the scallop bundles on the barbecue,