Ahi Tuna Burgers with Avocado Aioli & Sriracha Mayo.

After we fell in love with Salmon Burgers, Ahi Tuna Burgers seemed like a natural progression.  A nice simple mixture of diced ahi tuna, with a little sesame oil, scallion, ginger, and soy is all you need.

So you might ask….why then did I served them with two types of spreads and a variety of finely shredded crispy-fried veggies on the side.  I promise….I’m working on “Simplify.”

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Ahi Tuna Burgers {with Avocado Aioli & Sriracha Mayo}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For burgers…

• 8 ounces Ahi Tuna cut into chunks
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• coconut oil or other high heat oil for grilling

For avocado aioli…

• 1/2 avocado
• 2 Tbl. mayonnaise
• 1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• salt & pepper to taste

For sriracha mayo…

• 1 Tbl. sriracha sauce
• 2 Tbl. mayonnaise

To serve…

• 2 burger buns optional
• leafy greens optional

Instructions

• Combine burger ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3-4 times. Check for texture and pulse a few more times if necessary. You want the tuna to be chopped to about pea size pieces or a bit larger. Don’t over process.
• Combine Avocado Aioli ingredients and reserve. Combine Sriracha Mayo ingredients and reserve.
• Heat 1 Tbl. coconut oil in skillet over medium heat. Form mixture into two patties. Pan grill for 4-5 minutes per side.
• Serve on leafy greens or burger buns or both with a side of each sauce.

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I must admit I’m quite proud of my Sushi Stack.  Not only was it delicious, but it looks so pretty in a picture.  And we all know how important that is :)  Every time I visit Whole Foods I look forward to winding my way through the store, ultimately reaching the seafood counter.  They don’t always have sushi grade tuna but on this day they did.  What a huge treat and such a delicacy.

Since I’ve yet to master the art of making sushi rolls, I decided to stack my ingredients.  Sticky rice, ahi tuna, avocado, jumbo lump crabmeat, all topped with gorgeous pea sprouts.  Since I’m on ‘gadget restrictions’ at the moment (and who would pay $16.50 for a round ring mold), I cut the top and bottom of a can of Ro*tel and used that as my mold.  Worked like a charm.

For the rice, I simply cooked short grain rice then transferred it to a plate and chilled it in the freezer while I prepared the other ingredients.  It became sticky rice without any problem at all (I’ve also yet to master the art of making sticky rice…but that didn’t stop me).

I placed my makeshift mold on my serving plate, then began the assembly.  First I spooned in about a cup of cold cooked rice.  Using my trusty muddler, I gently tamped down the rice until it seemed well packed.

Next came the gorgeous tuna.  I seared the tuna on all sides in a very hot skillet for just a nanosecond.  While it’s not necessary with sushi grade fish, I add this step.  I then diced it into small pieces and added it on top of the rice layer.  Again, I gently tamped it down to be sure I had a nice solid layer of tuna.

Next came diced ripe avocado.  I squeezed just a little lemon juice over the diced avocado to help preserve it’s vibrant green color.

Onto the lump crabmeat layer.  A couple weeks ago while at my local wholesale club I spotted a giant tub of jumbo lump crabmeat.  It was smiling back at me.  Somehow it made it into my buggy :)  Thank goodness….or this sushi stack just wouldn’t have been the same.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  Look for more crabmeat recipes in the near future.

I went in search of watercress and stumbled upon pea sprouts.  Do you know them?  This was a first for us and we loved them.  They made the perfect topper for this plate of loveliness.

I served our Sushi Stack with toasted sesame seeds, wasabi paste, fresh grated ginger, sesame oil and soy sauce.

The Ro*tel can, which is smaller than a standard soup can, was still a little big for an individual serving.  I think I’ll start collecting tomato paste cans for the next time.  Oh and there will be next time!

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Sushi Stack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 360kcal

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked chilled rice
• 2 oz. sushi grade tuna diced
• 1 avocado diced
• 2 oz. jumbo lump crabmeat
• 1 cup pea sprouts ends trimmed
• 1 Tbl. wasabi paste
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger minced
• 1 Tbl. soy sauce
• 1 Tbl. sesame oil

Instructions

• Place a round metal mold or small can with top and bottom removed on your serving plate.
• Layer cooked rice, tuna, avocado, crabmeat, and pea sprouts, tamping each layer with a muddler to gently pack. Use muddler to gently press down on stack while slowly lifting can. If not serving immediately, chill stack in can until ready to serve.
• Serve with wasabi paste, minced fresh ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. Adding to taste.

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I recently got on a kick of looking for ways to ‘Deconstruct’ recipes.  It seemed like a cool way to present a dish and the couple I have posted were quite fun.  Next up on my ‘to-be-deconstructed’ list was Tuna Noodle Casserole.  A comfort food dish that many of us grew up on (whether you liked it or not).

My thought was to build the layers of flavor thoughtfully using top quality ingredients to deliver a bowl of comfort.  I think I’ve succeeded with this one.

During today’s Sunday’s with Shelby excursion we revisited the Buford Highway Farmers Market.  I was trying to describe this place to a friend.  He couldn’t grasp that the seafood counter was bigger than the one at our Whole Foods.  I said “envision the IKEA of supermarkets….that’s what this place is like.”

Here’s just one side of the 10 sided seafood counter that wraps nearly the entire back of the store.  It’s amazing.  The fish mongers are on ready to take your order.  Today it was a beautiful piece of Ahi Tuna.

For the other components of this dish, I used some beautiful Tagliatelle pasta (long medium width noodles), a creamy sauce infused with lemony thyme and Morel mushrooms, and a handful of green peas.  Top those layers of goodness with seared Ahi Tuna and you’ve got a fabulous recreation of a classic comfort food dish.

Recipe note:  Because I am looking for ways to ‘lighten up’ our dishes, I made our cream sauce from fat free half-and-half and Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb wedges.  To give it a nice burst of flavor I added two sprigs of fresh lemony thyme and a handful of dried Morel mushrooms (that I scored at our local farmers market last week).  The mushrooms are certainly optional, as is choosing to ‘lighten’ it up.  This dish would also be delicious with Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup in place of the cream sauce.  Bottom line, make this Ahi Tuna Noodle Casserole your own and prepare to get comfortable and happy.

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Ahi Tuna Noodle Casserole {with a Lemony Thyme Sauce}

The fresh lemony thyme sprigs were such a lovely add to this sauce. Adding a bright, slight lemon flavor.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the pasta…

• 4 oz. Tagliatelle pasta or your favorite noodle
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas thawed

For the cream sauce…

• 3/4 cup fat free half-and-half or cream
• 1 Tbl. flour
• 3 Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb Wedges
• 2 sprigs fresh lemony thyme
• 1/8 cup dried Morel mushrooms optional
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch of cayenne pepper

For the tuna…

• 1 8 oz. Ahi Tuna steak cut in half
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
• 1 Tbl. sunflower oil or other high heat oil

Instructions

For the pasta…

• Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and toss with olive oil and green peas. Reserve.

For the cream sauce…

• Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan heat half-and-half over medium heat until just about to boil, then dust with flour while whisking to blend. Reduce heat to low, add cheese wedges and whisk until cheese has melted. Add lemony thyme sprigs and dried mushrooms and allow to cook over low, stirring occassionally. Sauce should be fairly thick.

For the tuna…

• Combine the cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Then pour onto a plate. Dip the edges of the tuna steaks in the spice mixture, gently pressing so it adheres.
• In a medium skillet, heat sunflower oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmering in the pan. Using tongs sear all edges of both steaks, about 45 seconds per side. Once edges are golden browned, sear steaks for 1 minute per side for rare, adjust cooking time according to your preferred level of doneness. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes; thinly slice accross the grain.

To serve…

• Divide pasta and peas between two bowls. Remove thyme sprigs from sauce and spoon over pasta. Top with thinly sliced ahi tuna pieces.

The post Ahi Tuna Noodle Casserole {with a Lemony Thyme Sauce} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I’ve always loved how the Niçoise Salad looks on a plate.  Today it was lunch.  The ingredients speak for themselves.  We treated ourselves to a piece of fresh tuna which we dipped in sesame seeds then seared.  The dressing was champagne mustard, white balsamic, olive oil, minced shallot & garlic, fresh tarragon leaves, sea salt & fresh cracked pepper.

The flavors were as lovely as the pictures.

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My mom gave me a unique cookbook several years ago called Surreal Gourmet Bites.  It changed my life or at least the way I viewed food.  Thank you Surreal Gourmet (Bob Blumer) for inspiring me to eat with my eyes first and thanks mom for always choosing gifts for life.

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Tuna Fish & Chips {Surreal Bites}

Course Appetizer

Author Bob Blumer

Ingredients

For avocado relish…

• 1 ripe but still firm avocado diced into 1/4″ cubes
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels thawed
• 1/4 fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion fine diced
• 2 Tbl. fresh lime juice
• salt
• freshly cracked pepper

For tuna…

• 12 oz. ahi tuna 1″ thick
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbl. canola oil
• 12 cosmetically perfect blue corn tortilla chips

Instructions

For the avocado relish…

• In a medium bowl, combine all the relish ingredients and toss gently. Reserve.

For the tuna…

• Using a long knife, cut tuna steak into triangle shaped strips, 1 1/4″ per side.
• In a small bowl combine spices, and rub spice mixture onto three long sides of the tuna.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat. When pan is smoking hot, add canola oil. Wait 10 seconds, then add tuna. Sear for 30 seconds per side, or until fish is cooked on the outside, but still rare on the inside. Transfer strips to a cutting board, and slice into 1/2″ thick triangles.
• To assemble, line up tortilla chips. Top each with a dollop of avocado relish and a slice of tuna.

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