Mexican Tuna Salad

 A twist on traditional tuna salad, this recipe combines classic Mexican flavors with the simplicity of canned tuna.

INGREDIENTS

4 4-ounce can tuna in water, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup corn, frozen or canned, drained

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1/4 cup diced pickled jalapenos

3 Tablespoons sour cream

3 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In large bowl, combine the tuna, black beans, corn, red onion, red pepper, cucumber and pickled jalapenos.

In small bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper until smooth.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently until everything is coated evenly.

Serve on top of chopped lettuce with tortilla chips.

Also, good in a wrap!

Sesame-Soy Ahi Tuna Steaks with Brussels Sprouts

I'm a fan of Brussels sprouts in any recipe. This offering combines a sweet soy marinade that goes so well with both the tuna and the sprouts.

Ingredients

For the marinade:
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 pound ahi tuna (3 or 4 steaks)
1  pound Brussels sprouts, with the bottom sliced off and cut in half.
Garlic powder
1 - 2 tsp sesame seeds
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. Asian chili sauce

Instructions

Prepare marinade by whisking together all ingredients.
Place ahi steaks in shallow glass dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Pour 1/3 - 1/2 of the marinade over the tuna steaks and marinate 2 - 24 hours.
Reserve the remaining marinade.

Remove the ahi from the marinade, discard the marinade used with the fish. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Sprinkle each side of the ahi with sesame seeds. Transfer to grill pan and cook 3 - 4 minutes on each side.

Add 1 T. Asian chili sauce to reserved marinade. In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 T vegetable oil and 1 T. sesame oil, Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add Brussels sprouts and saute about 5 minutes until they start to brown slightly. Add reserved marinade, bring to a boil, cover and cook until Brussels sprouts are tender, about 5 minutes.

Top with ahi steaks and serve with rice or couscous.

Wasabi and Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna

This recipe takes a short amount of time to make, but the end result is a restaurant quality ahi preparation.
I like to serve this with my Asian Slaw.

Ingredients

4 4-ounce ahi tuna steaks
4 - 6 Tablespoons wasabi paste
1/2 cup sesame seeds
3 Tablespoons Canola oil
4 Tablespoons soy sauce


Instructions

Place tuna steaks in a single layer on a plate. Pour soy sauce over the top and turn steaks to coat on all sides. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
Drain excess marinade. Spread one teaspoon wasabi paste on both sides of each tuna steak. Sprinkle each side with 2 teaspoons sesame seeds. Pat firmly to ensure that sesame seeds adhere.

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Sear the tuna for 3 minutes on each side, turning once. This will result in medium rare tuna - pink in the middle with a toasted sesame seed crust.

If you wish to serve with a dipping sauce, two options follow:
Combine 1 teaspoon wasabi paste with 1/3 cup soy sauce.
Alternatively, combine 1 teaspoon wasabi paste with 1/3 cup mayonnaise.

Tuna Nicoise Salad

This classic French salad is easy to make at home. It is a perfect dinner for a hot summer night.

Serves four.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper
3 Tablespoon olive oil

6 cups salad greens
4 6-ounce tuna steaks, grilled
1/2 cup black olives, halved lengthwise
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
4 - 6 red potatoes, parboiled, cooled and quartered
1 cup green beans, cooked and cooled
2 Tablespoon capers
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Instructions

Combine lemon juice, mustard and oregano in small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine.  Slowly whisk in olive oil to emulsify.
Place greens and lemon dressing in large bowl.  Toss gently to coat. Place greens on 4 plates.
Slice tuna steaks on the bias and arrange on top of the greens. Scatter olives and tomatoes over tuna. Arrange green beans and potatoes on each plate. Top with capers and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle any remaining dressing over top.

Tuna Steaks with Wasabi Butter

Ingredients

4  8-ounce Ahi tuna steaks, each about 1-inch thick
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons minced green onion
1 teaspoon wasabi paste (or more if you like it hotter)
2 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
Oil for brushing on grill

Instructions

Whisk teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in small bowl. Place tuna steaks in zip-lock bag. Add teriyaki mixture. Seal bag and turn to coat tuna with mixture. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning frequently.

Meantime, combine mayonnaise, minced green onion, and wasabi paste. Cover and refrigerate.

Heat grill to medium high. Brush grill with oil. Drain tuna steaks and grill about four minutes on each side or until desired level of doneness.

To serve, top each tuna steak with wasabi mayonnaise mixture.
This recipe serves 4.

French-Toasted Tuna and Hummus Sandwiches

Ingredients

6-ounce can tuna, packed in water
3/4 cup hummus
1 cup shredded fresh spinach leaves
1 cup grated carrots
1 teaspoon cumin
8 slices multi-grain bread
1/2 cup low fat milk
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

Press all liquid from tuna. Crumble tuna into bowl. Add hummus, spinach, carrots and cumin. Mix thoroughly. Make four sandwiches with the bread and tuna mixture.
In shallow bowl, combine milk egg and egg whites.
Dip one side of sandwich at a time into the egg mixture until it is lightly soaked. You should use all the egg mixture with the four sandwiches. In a large, non-stick skillet over very low heat, heat oil.
Add sandwiches and cover the skillet loosely with lid or foil. Cook until bread is nicely toasted, about 8 - 10 minutes. Turn the sandwiches over and cook other side, still covered, until toasted (about 8 more minutes).
Slice in half and serve.