Chef Dan Churchill shares recipes for 'empty-the-fridge' fried rice, quick fish tacos from debut cookbook

Australian-born chef Dan Churchill has been coaching high performers from Chris Hemsworth to Olympic skier Lindsay Vonn to be legendary eaters for more than a decade. And now he's dishing out his performance food philosophy in a cutting-edge debut cookbook, with recipes rooted in his five precepts: "Eat good. Eat easy. Eat more. Eat deliberately. Eat special."

"Eat Like a Legend: Delicious, Super Easy Recipes to Perform at Your Peak," released this week, has more than 70 nutrient-rich recipes for actually healthy acai bowls, sexy tofu scrambles, crispy sticky salmon on sesame greens, chicken alfredo you can eat every day and so much more.

Churchill joined "Good Morning America" on Wednesday to plate up a couple of dishes for the debut lifestyle cookbook, which gathers quality ingredients with simple instructions to help home cooks make more meals that provide the energy we need to perform in daily life.

Plus, he expertly lays out advice throughout, like when to eat and what to exercise for optimum health.

Check out the full recipes below.

Empty-the-Fridge Fried Rice

"I'm a big fan of advanced planning, so I often hit the market on Saturdays with an idea for what I’m going to make for that week's at-work lunches," he said.

"But whenever these plans fall apart, I make veggie-packed fried rice. I’ve made it a hundred different ways ... but the concept is always the same: there’s leftover brown rice resurrected by a hot pan and lightly charred to make little crispy parts that keep your palate pumped, and there’s a mix of whatever good stuff is kicking around in the fridge or freezer," he added.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 white or yellow onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch through the root nub
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 moderately spicy fresh red chile, thinly sliced
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetable mix
2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice
21/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
11/2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
4 large eggs

Directions

1. In a large frying pan, heat half the oil over high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, ginger, and chile and stir for a minute. Add a good splash of the stock, stir, and then add the frozen veg and the rest of the stock and stir until the veg is warm through, 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the rice, along with the soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, and lime juice and keep cooking until the rice is hot through and the veg is tender with a slight crunch, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide between plates.

3. Give the skillet a quick rinse, and then heat it over medium-high heat. Add the remaining oil, let it smoke lightly, then add the eggs, tipping the pan so the whites spread out a bit. Let them bubble and spit until the edges are golden, the whites are fully cooked, and the yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes.

4. Slide the eggs on the rice, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Lightning-Quick Fish Tacos with Super Slaw

"When I get home late and need to crush something quick and delicious, it’s often tacos. First step is to make that slaw, which can be as simple as this one: cabbage, cilantro, and enough lime juice and salt to give it some punch. Time is your mate here because in the minutes you spend cubing, seasoning, and cooking the fish, the slaw has a chance to marinate and get even tastier."

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1 pound red snapper or tilapia, cut into 1-inch-thick strips
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 8 corn tortillas
1 Hass avocado, sliced

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the garlic powder, paprika, 1/2 tea- spoon of the salt, pepper, and chile powder, then add the fish and toss to coat well.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, and the remaining salt; then use your hands to toss and scrunch well. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the fish in a single layer and cook until the bottom is slightly golden at the edges, about 2 minutes. Flip the pieces and cook until cooked through, just 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. Transfer to a plate to rest (remember, it’s still cooking as it sits!).

4. Give the pan a rinse and a wipe, then get it hot over medium-high heat. Cook the tortillas in two batches, giving them a minute on each side to heat them through. As they’re done, transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and wrap to keep them warm as you cook the rest.

5. Bring everything to the table and make tacos with the fish, cabbage mix, and avocado.

Reprinted from the book "EAT LIKE A LEGEND: Delicious, Super Easy Recipes to Perform at Your Peak," by Dan Churchill. Copyright © 2024 by Dan Churchill. Published on May 21, 2024, by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Excerpted by permission.

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