Caesar Salad with Wok Seared Tuna

I was in the mood for some fresh tuna and a salad this evening so I decided to combine the two together. I made a light Caesar Salad - asian inspired, with wok seared tuna.

As I've mentioned before my photos never do my dishes any justice but both my husband and I thought this was delicious!

I had most of the ingredients on hand but I think I would have liked to have added some fresh corn from the cob for a little added crunch and maybe even some almonds. Even still it was great just the way it was.

Caesar Salad with Wok Seared Tuna
serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. canola oil

1 pound fresh tuna, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces about 1 inch long
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. dark sesame oil
1 tsp Asian Chile Sauce (Sriracha)
1 tbsp. finely minced ginger (use a microplane)

Fresh Romaine Lettuce
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
3 ounces enoki mushrooms
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Caesar Salad Dressing:

1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp light soy sauce (low sodium)
1 tbsp. mayonnaise ( I used Kewpie - Japanese mayo)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. Asian chile sauce (Sriracha)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

In a zip lock baggie add the soy, sesame oil, chile sauce and ginger and combine. Then add the tuna slices and mix well to combine. Place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes but no longer than 8 hours.

Combine all dressing ingredients together and whisk well until combined and a smooth consistency. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Combine all salad ingredients and set aside in a bowl.

Place 2 tbsp. canola oil in a wok that has already been heated. When you see a wisp of smoke from the pan add the marinated tuna. Stir and toss the tuna just until it loses its raw exterior color.

Immediately transfer the tuna onto the salad greens. Drizzle the salad dressing in the amount that you like over the tuna and greens, and toss to combine all ingredients. Add Parmesan, salt (if desired) and pepper and toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer salad to individual salad plates and serve.

This entree salad is light and very tasty. Don't look at the photo, it doesn't do it any justice.

Enjoy!

Asian Grilled Tuna

I love fish so I'm always trying to come up with some new recipes that will wow my family and that I'll be able to use in my culinary classes. So the other day I picked up some wonderful fresh tuna to prepare on the grill.

When I got home I looked in my refrigerator and cabinet to try and figure out just how I was going to prepare it. I decided to marinate the tuna so it had an asian flair to it. It turned out delicious! It had a bit of a kick to it but everyone gobbled it up and loved it!

My first thought was to make a Tuna Nicoise since I was in the mood for something light and healthy. So after creating this dish I placed it on a bed of Arugula to keep it light. I am working on a sauce to go over it but it actually tasted amazing without anything.

Here's what my marinade had in it:

Olive Oil
Minced Garlic
Cracked Red Pepper Flakes
Red Wine Vinegar
Sriracha Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Sliced Green Onions
Cilantro
Lime Juice
Minced Ginger
Fresh ground pepper

Serving it with the arugula helped to cut the heat. Since I didn't prepare a sauce I used a bit of greek yogurt which tamed it down while everyone else just ate it plain. However, I think serving this on a bed of mashed potatoes or having a nice smooth sauce that had similar asian flavors would be a great compliment to this recipe.

In a couple weeks I should have it down perfect. Of course to really cut the heat you could always limit the amount of Sriracha you add.