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