Recipe of the Month: Pan-seared tuna with soy, ginger, and lime

Inspired by Tyler Florence and the great weather we had this weekend, David and I enjoyed a delicious dinner of Pan-Seared Tuna with soy, ginger, and lime.

(I love dining al fresco, but August is mosquito season, so if you are going to dine outdoors- remember to light a citronella candle or spray yourself with a little OFF ahead of time. It will make your meal that much more enjoyable.)



First, you will need:

1 small mixing bowl/ work bowl
1 handful of fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
½ jalapeno, sliced (or you can use about 10 dashes of Tabasco)
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch sugar (or Splenda)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6-ounce) block sushi-quality tuna steaks
**you may also like this recipe with 1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, and sliced**



Once you are ready to cook:

In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper.

Place a grill-pan or skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

I like my tuna on the rare side, so I lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust. Feel free to cook for longer if you like a more well-done tuna steak.

Pour ½ of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish.

Serve the seared tuna and the remaining cilantro sauce drizzled over the whole plate (topped with the sliced avocado if you like).



A great way to end a light summer meal is with a cheese course for dessert. We accompanied ours with a delicious 1998 Château Doisy-Védrines Sauterne. Quite a yummy night!



This recipe is easy, light and fresh. I hope you give it a try this August!