What’s For Dinner?

“I went to bed last night dreaming of tuna melts.
I love food.”

~ Sam Smith

Lately, we have been scouring Pinterest for healthy, delicious, and simple recipes that are easy to prepare and are readily scaled down for two. So, when we spotted a sale on ahi tuna, we had to take two of the beautiful steaks home to try out a fancy dish!  

Don’t get us wrong — we LOVE tuna. Mac and cheese transcends to a whole new level when a tin of the fish is added in and who doesn’t enjoy a tuna melt or a good old-fashioned tuna casserole. With artichokes and chow mein noodles! Try this recipe — it is one of our favourites. 

Tuna is a powerhouse food packed with essential nutrients that help keep us in prime health.  Because mercury in tuna is a concern, Health Canada recommends that you limit your consumption of fresh/frozen tuna to 150g (approx. 1 cup) per week.

Did you know that eating tuna can help strengthen your bones? Tuna is a good source of vitamin B12 that maintains bone health and guards against osteoporosis and arthritis.

Vitamin B12 also helps to keep your nerve and blood cells healthy. Tuna is high in Omega 3 Fatty Acids that have been linked to many health benefits. Omega 3’s may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. There are some indications that Omega 3’s may help ease depression and anxiety. Other potential benefits of these fatty acids include improved sleep, enhanced eye health and decreased risk of some types of cancer like colon, prostate and breast cancer. Some studies suggest that Omega 3 Fatty Acids can help reduce the risk of dementia. All great reasons to eat more fish! 

The sticky point with our tuna steaks was we had never tried cooking them at home, and it seemed a little daunting. We figured there was an art to preparing this fish so that it came to the table in the most delectable, mouth-watering form. Luckily, our BFF, Google, came through for us with dozens of recipes for whipping up a delicious ahi dish with detailed instructions and even step by step photos! We put on our aprons (we’re kidding, we don’t have aprons!!) and got ready to cook! 

The recipe below is our take on Ahi Tuna — searing tuna is easy and fast. And oh, soooo yummy. Healthy, too!  

Photo by Cathy

Seared Tuna For Two

Ingredients 

For the Tuna

  • 1 tbsp olive oil 
  • 1 large or 2 small tuna steaks (sushi grade)* 
  • Black pepper (preferably freshly cracked) 
  • Sesame seeds 
  • ½ small bag of chopped kale mix, coleslaw or broccoli slaw** 
  • Romaine lettuce chopped (enough for two people)  
  • 2 carrots cut into sticks 
  • 1 small cucumber, cut into spears  
  • 1 avocado
  • Lime wedges for garnish (and or squeezing)

Sesame Ginger Dressing 

  • 2 tbsp sesame oil 
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar 
  • 1 tbsp honey 
  • 1 tbsp finely grated ginger 
  • 1 tbsp tamari  

Instructions 

Whisk the dressing ingredients in a measuring cup or small bowl until combined. Set aside.  

Place your greens of choice into two bowls or plates. Prepare the carrots and cucumbers for the salad and divide evenly between the two bowls. Peel and slice the avocado and arrange half in each bowl.

Season tuna with pepper before coating in sesame seeds.  

 Heat the olive oil in a skillet. When the oil is hot, add the crusted tuna steaks for 1-2 minutes on both sides. Depending on the thickness of your steaks, it may take less time to cook. We cooked ours for 1 minute per side. The tuna should be seared on each side, but the middle should still be pink. 

Remove the tuna from the pan and slice it into even pieces. Add half of the steak to each salad. 

Garnish each bowl with extra sesame seeds, if desired. Drizzle on the dressing. Dig in! 

* Sushi-grade tuna is flash-frozen shortly after it is caught. Flash freezing kills any parasites that may be present in the fish and preserves flavour and texture.  
**You can omit the kale mix and just use Romaine lettuce if you prefer. Or you could just use the kale mix. Use your imagination and add in your favourite greens. You could even serve it over brown rice, whole-wheat couscous, or quinoa, with or without the salad. Go wild! 

DISCLAIMER: We are not medical professionals, nutritionists or dietitians and do not offer health or nutritional advice. The content of this post is meant for general information and entertainment purposes only. Remember to consult your health care providers before making any dietary or health changes. Read more here.

What’s your favourite tuna or fish recipe? Let us know in the comments! 

2 Comments on “What’s For Dinner?

  1. We had Eggs Benedict for dinner today. I made the Hollandaise, my husband did the rest. We are so stuffed but it wa SO good!!

    • Mmmm, delicious! We love Eggs Benedict! Actually, we love eggs any way we can get them — poached, scrambled, hard-boiled, soft-boiled — we haven’t met an egg dish yet, that we didn’t love! (Well, maybe pickled eggs aren’t our favourite!) Thank you for your comment! 🥚🥚

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