Seared Tuna with Mango

Seared Tuna is an easy way to make an impressive meal. With a nice salsa and some rice this makes a great dinner.

Herb Seared Tuna

Tuna - about 4 -5 oz per person

1 Tbs Chili powder

1 tsb garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

salt and pepper

EVOO

Mix the spices together and generously coat the outside of the fish. Drizzle a touch of oil on the outside and rub to coat the entire surface.

Heat a dry pan over medium high heat until hot. Place the fish in the pan and cook a minute or so on each side. The idea is to cook the out side 1/4 inch or so. When done all sides remove and slice into thin slices.

Serve with mango salsa (see below) and rice.

Mango Salsa

1 mango, diced

1/4 red onion, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 avocado, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

juice of 1/2 a lime

1 jalapeño or splash of hot sauce to taste

EVOO

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

sushi

Last night we made sushi again. This time I picked up a nice piece of tuna and tobiko.

Seared Tuna

Seared tuna is always a favorite. It is super easy to make and has a large range of possibilities. One nice thing is that it can be served hot or cold so works great for dinner parties when you are trying to plate everything at once.

Last night I made a simple pepper crusted tuna with oven roasted tomatoes and rice.

Let the tuna sit out for a few minutes to come to room temp before cooking. You do not want the fish to be cold. Heat up a pan on high.

Season the fish with salt and a lot of fresh pepper and a drizzle of oil, turn to coat.

Once pan is very hot, place the fish in the pan and let it sit for about a minute. You will be able to see the fish turn from pink to tan as it cooks. Flip and cook on the other side. To cook the sides, use a tongs to hold the fish upright on the pan to cook the outside.

Slice the fish into thin slices.

Place some rice on the plate, lay several pieces of the fish and top with some of the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a touch of reduced balsamic vinegar.

Asain Market Adventures

Whenever I get the chance, I like to go to interesting and exotic grocery stores. The other day I had just the chance. On the north side of Chicago there is a group of Asain, mostly Thai, grocery stores. They carry all kinds of interesting and hard to find ingredients.

I first stumbled into Tai Nam Market when out with my friend Adam. He had been to other markets in the neighborhood, but not this one. This place is the real deal. I remember they had a cardboard box of chicken feet on the floor, that was so covered in fat that the box had changed color. That aside, this place is great. Need a 50 lb bag of rice...they have it. Need soy sauce for the next 5 years...this is the place.

They do carry a wide range of vegtables that are hard to find. I saw these long beans and couldn't resist. We love them Szechuan style at Lao Sze Chuan

This recipe can be made with any green bean if long beans aren't available.

Szechuan Spicy Long Beans
1 bunch long beans, trimmed, cut to desired length
1 - 2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 inch ginger, diced
1 - 3 Tbs hot sauce (Sambal Oelek)
splash soy sauce
oil

Heat a pan on high and add oil.
Saute beans for a few minutes until they begin to brown. Set aside.
Add more oil and saute the garlic and ginger for a minute until soft.
Add the hot sauce and return the beans.
Splash with soy, toss to coat.




The other great thing at the market are the fresh Lo Mein noodles. They are so fresh that they are still hot when you get them.



Another of our favorite dishes is Kung Pao. I found this simple sauce recipe from Ming Tsai which works great with almost any vegetable, tofu or meat.

We had some salmon and broccoli to add as well.

To prepare the salmon, season with salt and pepper and dust with flour. This will help create a nice crust when cooked.


Saute for a couple minutes on each side then set aside.


I stated the dish by sauting and onion in oil. Remove and set aside.
Cook the broccoli and add to the onion.


Kung Pao Sauce
oil
1 inch ginger, minced well
2 Tbs hot sauce (Sambal Oelek)
6 - 8 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
2-3 Tbs sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbs corn starch mixed with 1 Tbs cold water
2 - 3 Tbs peanuts, plus more for garnish

In a wok or saucepan, heat oil over high heat.
Add ginger, garlic, saute for a minute. Add sambal oelek. Mix well for 10 seconds.
Add soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Bring to boil quickly.
Slowly add the cornstarch mix, whisking continuously. Add the peanuts. Cook until the sauce thickens.

Add the noodle and heat though. Add the vegetables.

To serve, place noodles in a bowl. Top with a piece of salmon and top with more sauce and chopped peanuts.

Red Curry Salmon

I have always been a fan of Asia food, but have struggled to make it at home. One trick of late is to actually limit the number of ingredients. Sticking with fewer more flavorful ingredients, the dishes end up tasting much better.

This recipe for red curry was passed on from my friend Liz. It is easy and doesn't require many exotic ingredients.

Start by making the sauce.

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste*
1 13 1/2- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk*
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh lemongrass or 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla*)

Heat the oil in a pan and add the curry. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the coconut milk, sugar and lemongrass.
Cook this for several minutes until thick.
Then add the lime juice and fish sauce


This can be set aside on low until ready to serve.

To prepare the fish, season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium in an oiled oven safe pan. Flip and finish cooking in a 400 deg oven.


To prepare the bok choi, boil in salted water for 2 -3 minutes.


Serve with rice.


To top it off, we had peanut butter chocolate chip gelato.