Friday, August 13, 2010

Sam's Club and Seared Tuna Salad with Asian Vinaigrette

Last week, Mike and I made the big commitment. Yes, that's right, together we bought a Sam's Club membership. Let me just say, that place is dangerous. Whilst pushing a Buick-sized cart up and down each aisle, we wondered how we could justify buying every household item in bulk... I mean how could you NOT want a years' supply of dusting spray? However, we kept our composure, and decided on a pack of 8 filet mignons (filets mignon?)  as our first purchase. Since we are sans grill, we threw them under the broiler. They. Were. Delicious. The meat selection at Sam's is really impressive and high quality! We were pleasantly surprised.


This week, mike went to the Jersey Shore for a bachelor party (fist pump). Left to my own devices, I trekked to Sam's Club to buy large quantities of stuff. I think I actually blacked out because when I came to, I had 1 lb of raspberries, a 3 lb bag of dried apricots, a vat of yogurt, 500 cucumbers, and a bag of frozen ahi tuna steaks among other things. I also acquired 2 free paring knives a fruit juicer because I watched a knife demo, but that's neither here nor there. So for my dinner that night, I decided to do something with the tuna. (I may have also put the raspberries to use as a garnish for a glass or five of prosecco.) I searched for a recipe on FoodGawker, and it led me to a Food Network recipe for Seared Tuna Salad with Asian Vinaigrette. 


Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese mustard
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds Ahi tuna loin, cut in 4 strips
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup sesame seeds
  • 1 bunch mizuna greens
  • 1 bunch arugula greens
  • 3 cups torn red leaf lettuce
  • 3 cups torn green leaf lettuce
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fried rice noodles
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned
*This color indicates ingredients that I omitted because I didn't have them on hand, and I was too scarred from my Sam's Club experience to go to the grocery store.

First I mixed up the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, Chinese Mustard, cilantro, and canola oil for the vinaigrette (I didn't have any fresh cilantro, so I substituted dried):



Next, I used a paper towel to pat dry my tuna.




Hellooooo, beautiful!


I seasoned it with some S&P,and rolled it in sesame seeds. Then I placed it in a DRY frying pan that had been warming up over high heat.

You can judge the cooktop, I do.

After it the sesame seeds had a good toasting, and the tuna was seared, I flipped it. It cooked in no time. This is not one of those dishes that you can just set it and forget it. The sesame seeds will burn VERY quickly if you don't keep your eye on the fish.


I didn't have any of the greens that the recipe called for, but I did happen to have a 7 lb bag of chopped romaine from you-know-where. So I used that instead:



I found the wonderful toasty taste of the sesame seeds with the freshness of the cilantro and lime to be very pleasing. The Chinese mustard did not add as much heat as I thought it would, but to be honest, I didn't miss it. Had it been more spicy, I think the lightness of the dish would have been ruined. This would be interesting to try with other fish as well. I think that if it were made with a fish like tilapia, the fish may have to be finished in the oven because I am not sure that it would cook through before the sesame seeds burned. The tuna was rare, but that is traditionally how ahi is served. 

I also made this for lunch the next day, and I realized that I had a can of  no sugar added mandarin oranges in the pantry. The addition of another citrus fruit added to the depth of the dish, but I would have been wary had the oranges been packed in syrup. The additional sweetness would have been too much.

All in all, this was a fresh, filling meal, and it is ready in no time. You could also make a side of rice or quinoa made with some lime and/or orange zest if you felt that you needed a starch to go with it. I am a HUGE fan of the Asian vinaigrette... mostly because I have a deep, unhealthy love for cilantro. I will definitely be making it for salads all the time. I also think that it would make a great marinade. 

The original recipe can be found here.


-Lauran

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Top 100

I think the main problem with my lack of blogging isn't that I don't cook (double negative?). Quite the contrary... I am constantly experimenting in the kitchen. I think my main issue is organization. When I decide to make something, I rarely remember to take pictures, write notes, or do anything that would be conducive to the actual blog writing process. Then when I look at the finished product I inevitably think, "Sh*t! The blog!" So I have come up with a solution: a Top 100 list. The other night I focused on thinking up 100 dishes that I have always wanted to cook. Hopefully this list will help me to organize my blog and also broaden my culinary horizons. So without further ado, my Top 100 (in no particular order):

1. Nunnie's Apple Pie
2. Bagels
3. Baklava
4. Naan
5. Croissants
6. Clafloutis
7. Donuts
8. Popovers
9. Gingerbread
10. French Macarons
11. Cannoli
12. Funnel Cake
13. Baked Alaska
14. Creme Brulee
15. Fruit Tarte and/or Tarte Noir
16. Danish
17. Pineapple Upside Down Cake
18. German Chocolate Cake
19. Cheesecake (successfully... AHEM, Mike)
20. Pecan Pie
21. Ravioli
22. Pizza Dough
23. Cabbage Rolls
24. Stuffed Peppers
25. Crepes
26. Quiche
27. Sushi
28. Knish
29. Lemon Meringue Pie
30. Fish Tacos
31. Biscotti
32. Ricotta Cheese
33. Tart Tatin
34.  Duck Confit
35. Fish en Papillote
36. English Toffee
37. Lobster
38. Shrimp Boil
39. Jam
40. Key Lime Pie
41. Pad Thai
42. Shrimp Curry
43. Brisket
44. Kentucky Hot Brown
45. Beef Wellington
46. Pavlova
47. Marshmallows
48. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
49. Tres Leches Cake
50. Whoopie Pies
51. Molten Chocolate Cake
52. Scones
53. Pasta Fagioli
54. Coq Au Vin
55. Paella
56. Crabcakes
57. Sourdough Bread
58. Empenadas
59. Country White Bread
60. Grilled Pizza
61. Pralines
63. Challah Bread
64. Chicken and Dumplings
65. Potato Soup
66. Seafood Bisque
67. French Fries
68. Bananas Foster
69. Lady Locks
70. Fudge
71. Sweet Potato Pie
72. Chocolate Mousse
73. Ă‰clair
74. Pierogies
75. Baked Pears
76. Mozzarella Sticks
77. Carrot Cake
78. Chinese Steamed Cake
79. Stuffed Grape Leaves
80. Gnocchi
81. Panna Cotta
82. Red Velvet Cake
83. Fried Green Tomatoes
84. Madeleines
85. Dutch Baby
86. Rice Pudding
87. Meringues
88. Pound Cake
89. Fondue
90. Shortbread Cookies
91. Home-made Noodles
92. Candied Ginger
93. SoufflĂ©
94. Shoo Fly Pie
95. Spaetzle
96. Potato Pancakes
97. Greek Yogurt
98. Braised Short Ribs
99. Roast Chicken
100. Tamale

I will probably add to this periodically because I am sure that there are foods that I have forgot or haven't even heard of yet. However, I think that this is a good starting point.

-Lauran

P.S. I think that I should just start my posts with "Dear Mike" as I am pretty sure you're the only one reading this. :) Love you!



Coming Soon

I have completed my Top 100 list...

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Destruction

And the cupcakes are no more