Smithtown Dish - Small Bites Of Foodie News

Smithtown Dish – small bites of foodie news

By Nancy Vallarella

Two Twists on Tuna Steak

Tuna with Beet Relish,Spiralized Zucchini with sauteed cherry tomatoesThe dog days of summer are upon us.  The last thing on anyone’s mind is turning on the oven. Here are a few quick and easy recipes that take you outdoors with minimal grill time.

Tuna steaks are quick and easy grilling. Individual serving sizes range from 6 – 8 oz. Pat tuna steaks dry with a paper towel. Rub each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Arrange on hot grill, turn only once throughout 8 – 10 minutes or less to taste. Season with pepper after removing from grill.

Now this is where the magic happens…Finish tuna steaks with this relish or pesto. These recipes are bright and fresh, and are very complimentary to tuna. The amounts given are enough for four servings of tuna.

Beet Relish 

2 large cooked beets

½ lemon peeled with seeds removed

1 two – three inch piece of ginger peeled and sliced

½ cup of sugar

¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

Boil or pressure cook beets until tender or use equivalent canned or jarred beets*.  In a food processor, combine lemon and ginger and process until finely chopped. Place mixture into a saucepan. Add beets to food processor and process until chopped coarsely and add to saucepan. Stir in sugar.

Cook mixture over medium heat for about 4 minutes and stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thickened slightly. Transfer to a bowl to cool and then stir in parsley. Refrigerate until serving. This recipe can be made the night before.

*Plain beets are recommended. Do not use pickled or glazed beets. 

If beets are not your thing…

Macadamia Pesto

2 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup pickled ginger

½ cup cilantro leaves

¾ cup toasted macadamia nuts*

1Tbs. sesame oil

½ cup olive oil

2oz. Asiago cheese

Place peeled garlic in food processor. Rough chop garlic, then add ginger, cilantro and toasted macadamia nuts. Process until ingredients are blended. With motor running, gradually drizzle in the sesame oil and the olive oil, then the cheese. 

 Serve pesto on top of tuna steaks or place into a pastry bag and insert ¼ of the pesto inside of the cavities of each of the four tuna steaks. Follow tuna steak cooking directions above. Slice each steak and fan out onto serving plate and garnish with lime.

*To toast macadamia nuts: Place nuts in nonstick pan and heat on medium low heat shanking pan frequently until golden.

The easy way out… Serve tuna steaks with your favorite prepared salsa verde or sofrito.

Stay cool!