seared tuna w/ olive tapenade vinaigrette & arugula

I think the title of this post takes longer to say than the actual meal takes to prepare. As work continues to kick into full gear now that summer has past and the early sunsets make for less ambitious evenings, I'm really growing to appreciate meals that take more time to eat than to make. Tonight was another one of those. I found a recipe that sounded tasty, but complicated (they made the tapenade from scratch), but like most meals on this site, I simplified without sacrificing taste. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup chopped mixed olive tapenade
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 6-ounce ahi tuna steaks (each about 3/4 to 1 inch thick)
• 2 handfulls baby arugula
• Salt and pepper (maybe - see below)

So I began by purchasing a pre-made olive tapenade. My local market had several varieties: black, green, kalamata, mixed, etc. I went with the mixed, which also had roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, garlic and salt mixed in. I didn't object to any of those things, so I rolled with it. 

Mix the tapenade together with the onion, basil, oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste (and if necessary - I didn't add salt since there was already some in the tapenade). Set aside.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Rub oil, salt and pepper on each side of your tuna steak and toss on the skillet. I like my tuna steaks medium-rare, so I only cooked about 2-3 minutes per side. Let the steak cool for just a minute before slicing. 

Add the tuna slices over a bed of arugula and top with the olive tapenade. Voila - seriously delicious meal in under 10 minutes.

Bon chappétit!