I’m not sure how it happened.  Ahi Tuna on sale for $6.99 a pound.  Text message…go there.  Do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars…just bring home Tuna.  I have to say, I was a bit skeptical.  This was not Sushi grade tuna, for which we will pay up for.  But it was fresh and thick and begging for a swim in marinade.

Seared Ahi Tuna {with Thai Risotto}.

We marinated this gorgeous slab of tuna in a sweet & spicy marinade.  Soy (but not much), ginger, honey, rice wine vinegar, Serrano pepper, sesame oil, cilantro.

If I were a dude I would be quite proud of these grill marks.  Leaving it at that!

There was a debate over what side-dish to serve with, or as a bed for, our Seared Ahi Tuna.  At the suggestion of risotto, I crinkled up my nose…not sure creamy cheesy works here.

YOU are Lemony Thyme.  Change it and make it work.  Yes! I love that vote of confidence.  Thai Risotto with red curry paste and coconut milk it is.

Risotto is a process, one that is well worth each step.  I took my Basic Risotto Recipe with step-by-step how-to’s and subbed in coconut milk and Thai red curry paste for the liquid and aromatics.

The result was glorious.  Fabulous.  And all the other adjectives for delicious.  The tuna paired perfectly.  We reduced the remaining marinade and drizzled it over the dish.  Please make this.

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Seared Ahi Tuna with Thai Risotto

Prep Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -3

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For tuna & marinade…

• 3/4 lb. Ahi tuna
• 3 Tbl. rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbl. sesame oil
• 2 Tbl. peanut oil
• 2 Tbl. soy sauce
• 2 Tbl. honey
• 2 Tbl. fresh ginger grated
• 2 Tbl. cilantro chopped
• 1 Serrano pepper thinly sliced
• 1 Tbl. peanut or other high-heat oil for searing

For Thai risotto…

• 2 Tbl. butter
• 1 cup fine diced onion
• 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbl. red curry paste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine optional
• 1 14- ounce can light coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

For the tuna & marinade…

• Combine marinade ingredients in a zipper top bag. Add tuna and marinate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare your Thai risotto.
• When the risotto is ready, heat your grill or grill pan to medium high. Coat with high-heat oil. Sear tuna for 1-2 minutes, then quarter-turn it on the same side for criss-cross grill marks, for another 1-2 minutes. Flip and repeat on other side, depending on thickness. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice on the diagonal and serve on a bed of Thai risotto.

For the risotto…

• In a 2-quart saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until translucent, about 4 minutes.
• Add rice and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until rice is opaque. Add the garlic and red curry paste, stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until absorbed.
• Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk to rice and stir continuously until absorbed. Continue adding 1/2 cup coconut milk at a time, stirring continuously until absorbed after each addition. Continue until all milk has been added, about 20 minutes. Test rice for tenderness. If additional liquid is needed add broth in 1/2 cup increments. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

The post Seared Ahi Tuna with Thai Risotto appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Sometimes a recipe comes to me based on one single ingredient.  In this case it was a gorgeous Kimmelweck roll in the case at the bakery.  I couldn’t wait to get home and make tuna melts for lunch.  I promptly proceeded to burn the bun.  With all other ingredients gathered I turned to my freezer to find the tail end of a pack of Party Rye.  And that is how the Tuna Melt Grilled Cheese Slider was born.

Recipe Note:  By the time I got done picturing our Tuna Melt Grilled Cheese Sliders they were less than hot.  So I popped them in the oven and let them reheat for about 10 minutes.  Everything settled into happiness.  The cheese was nice and melty, the bread took shape around the other ingredients.  We decided that if we found these on a finger food buffet, we’d be very pleased indeed.  I wish I had pictured those however by this time lunch was a bit overdue.  And there was no stopping us.  Next time.

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Tuna Melt Grilled Cheese Sliders

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemon Thyme

Ingredients

For the tuna salad…

• 1 small can or pouch of tuna
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 celery stalk finely diced
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. prepared horseradish
• salt & pepper to taste

For the sliders…

• 8 slices party rye bread
• 2 slices muenster cheese cut into 4ths
• 2 slices Havarti cheese cut into 4ths
• 1 plum tomato sliced
• 1 hard boiled egg sliced
• butter for pan grilling

Instructions

For the tuna salad…

• Combine all tuna salad ingredients and blend well.

For the sliders…

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Layer the party rye with piece of muenster, piece of Havarti, scoop of tuna salad, egg slice, tomato slice, piece of muenster, piece of Havarti and top with bread slice. Repeat.
• Melt butter in a skillet and grill sliders on both sides until golden brown and cheese has melted. Remove to a baking pan. Once all sliders have been grilled, transfer to oven for 7-10 minutes.

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Tuna Mac with Peas.  A family favorite comfort food.  A blog is after all a place to share memories.

I couldn’t recall how it came to be that Tuna Mac with Peas became such a favorite with my sister and I….so I called her and asked her.  Her earliest recollection dated back to when we were about 7 and 10.  It was our Baby Sitter Dinner.

Baby Sitter Dinner?  Without Mom here to clarify I can only imagine that she wanted to have a dinner that would make us comfortable and homey (as she slipped out for the evening).

Keep in mind this was Pre-TV Dinner time-frame.  TV Dinners became the new Baby Sitter Dinner.  Mom would take us to select our favorite novelty TV dinner.  Ah the choices.  I remember how much fun this was and how we viewed these as such a treat.  Today I’ll trade TV Dinners for Tuna Mac with Peas any day.

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I’m writing this post while Summer Breeze by Seals & Croft is playing in the background (from a youtube link on the page of a friend) :)  Maybe I’m longing for summer a lot earlier than usual or perhaps it’s that Mother Nature is teasing us.  Freezing rain yesterday, 50’s today.  It’s Saturday, the sun is shining, I’m having Tuna Cakes with Citrus Salad for lunch, and these words are speaking to me:

See the smile a-waitin’ in the kitchen

food cookin’ and the plates for two

Feel the arms that reach out to hold me

in the evening when the day is through.

Summer breeze

makes me feel fine

blowing through the jasmine in my mind…

This Tuna Cakes with Summer Breeze Citrus Salad recipe was born out of the ingredients in our Fridge/Pantry.  I’m beginning to think that’s my niche.  I’m far more creative and pay closer attention to flavors & seasoning when I’m not working from a recipe.  And when I get the chance to sleep in, or at least ‘lounge in’ for the first time in two weeks….I’m not going to the grocery store.

I started with a can of tuna, added fresh shredded and diced veggies, an egg, a little mayo, and panko breadcrumbs to bind.  Seasoned and spiced the way we like it, with a handful of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice for pop.  Before making all the patties, I cooked up two bite-sized samplers so I could adjust the seasoning if necessary.  Simply announcing Tuna Cakes for lunch wasn’t going to pique the interest of many.  Mother Nature may have taught me a little something about the power of teasing :)

What started as a can of tuna evolved into these deliciously fresh Tuna Cakes, full of bright flavors.  Served on a bed of baby greens with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of sea salt & freshly cracked pepper, a squeeze of fresh citrus juice, and a dollop of sriracha mayo.  Oh how I can taste you warm Summer Breeze.

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Tuna Cakes {with Summer Breeze Citrus Salad}

Course Appetizer, Salad

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 tuna cakes…

• 12 oz. can Albacore Tuna
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 scallion thinly sliced
• 4-5 baby carrots shredded
• 1 small zucchini shredded
• 2 Tbl. red onion fine diced
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
• 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

For the sauce…

• 3 Tbl. mayonnaise for sauce
• 1 Tbl. ketchup
• 1/2 tsp. sriracha sauce

For the salad…

• 2 cups baby greens
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 1-2 Tbl. fresh citrus juice lemon, orange, and/or lime
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

For the tuna cakes…

• Combine all tuna cake ingredients in medium bowl and blend together using a fork. Make a small test cake and pan fry on both sides over medium heat until golden brown. Taste, and adjust seasoning accordingly. Continue to make 6 larger equal size cakes. Pan fry on both sides over medium heat until golden brown.

For the sauce…

• Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate any unused portion.

To serve…

• Place a cup of baby greens on a plate, top with 3 tuna cakes. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt & freshly cracked pepper, squeeze on fresh citrus juice, and dollop with sriracha mayo.

Notes

The beauty of these tuna cakes is you can substitute according to ingredients in your pantry or fridge. It’s your chance to get happy.

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