Thai Sesame Ahi Salad

It's Day #4 of Sukkot, and I'm still at full steam in my cooking spree. After a few days of more tradition Sukkot fare and one too many apples, I felt the need to awaken my palette with a completely different flavor profile. Enter Asian fusion! Still committed to featuring drawing heavily on fruits and vegetables I cast my eye on producing a Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna salad. My destination was my former boss' Sukkah, and he and his family are always guinea pigs for dishes I try out.

Quick and important tangent - I am a huge fan of Trader Joe's!!! What's not to love? Okay, I yield on two downsides - 1) they certainly don't carry "everything," but isn't less more? 2) it seems like they go out of their way to build their stores at locations that only offer nightmare parking lots. ...but, get over it! The quality of their products is top notch, prices are incredibly competitive and their packaging/presentation is totally appealing. ...and don't even get me started on their Fearless Flyer newsletter! This monthly publication is awesome - witty, filled with fascinating factoids (true, some are pure fiction) and successful at brainwashing you into wanting any and every product they feature (I came pretty close to purchasing a stash of Cuban Style Pork Masitas despite my observance of kashrut).

"What does Trader Joe's have to do with Sukkot and sesame crusted Ahi?" you ask. Well, Ahi tuna can cost a pretty penny, unless purchased at TJ's! They often feature excellent quality Ahi ... and frozen, no less. I paid less than $5.00 per package of two decent sized steaks. The quality was great.

The beauty of a salad like this is that it can be made any number of ways. The recipe I developed includes many steps - from marinating, coating and searing the tuna to prepping an array of toppings. You can definitely draw on shortcuts if you are looking for a less time consuming production. Examples:

• Purchase a marinade or dressing instead of making your own
• Eliminate the sesame coating
• Scale down the number of veggie/fruit toppings
• Don't blanch and shock the broccoli
• Eliminate the Thai basil or just use regular basil

You'll still produce a tasty dish, although these extra steps go a long way. The taste-testers gave it a huge thumbs-up!

THAI SESAME AHI SALAD

Serves: 6-8

Citrus Soy Vinaigrette

1 orange, juiced and zested

2 limes, juiced and zested

2 lemons, juiced and zested

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil 

1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. crushed ginger (or 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger)

Pinch freshly ground pepper

Tuna

2 - 3 tuna steaks, ahi grade

1 egg white, beaten

Freshly ground pepper and salt

1/2 cup sesame seeds (recommend combo black and white)

Salad

1 (5 oz.) package spring mix lettuce

1/2 (3 oz.) package spinach

1/3 cup thai basil leaves, chopped 

1-2 carrots, shredded or chopped

1 mango, cubed

1 red pepper, diced

1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped

1 lb. broccoli, cut and blanched

Instructions

1. Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette.
2. Marinade the tuna steak in the vinaigrette for at least one hour, and up to overnight.
3. Prepare the tuna: Remove from the marinade and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Place a skillet over medium heat (not too hot!), and add enough toasted oil (sesame, olive, etc.) to coat the pan.  Dip the tuna (all sides) in the beaten egg white and roll gently on a plate of sesame seeds to coat.  Place coated tuna in the skillet and sear 3-4 minutes on each side (outside should be cooked, and inside as pink as you'd like).  Remove from the skillet and let cool a bit.  Slice against the grain.
4. Prepare the salad: Place the lettuce, spinach, basil, and shredded carrot in a bowl.  Add the red pepper, snap peas, mango and broccoli in any arrangement you'd like.  Top with the sliced ahi tuna and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.