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!

tuna melts

I love tuna melts. My sister and I got addicted to them many summers ago. We'd eat them practically everyday for lunch. There's a fun story behind our tuna melting adventures actually, but I won't embarrass her by recounting that one again here (...you can email me if you want to know!) I got the craving again the other night, so I whipped up a few. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 can tuna
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
• 2 tomato slices
• 4 slices thick cut Italian bread (or any bread of your choice)
• 2 slices American cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• Dash of garlic salt

Begin by mixing the tuna, mayonnaise and garlic salt in a bowl together. Next, melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet. Lightly brown each side of each slice of bread (just a minute or so per side), then build out two sandwiches (bread-tuna-tomato-cheese-bread). Heat on the skillet until the cheese (not the meat!) begins to melt. Serve immediately.

Is this a ground-breaking recipe? No. But sometimes we all need to be reminded of the simple joys in life. I suppose this is my reminder that tuna melts are delicious.

Bon chappétit!

tuna noodle casserole, part deux

As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of casserole season. Now that the weather is friggid out, I've been revisiting some favorites. Tonight, I was in the mood for a tuna noodle casserole. I've made one once before that I've posted on the blog. However, the last time I had this, I felt it was a little...underwhelming. I found a recipe for homemade - yet still simple - tuna casserole. I added my own touch to it and gave it a whirl. It turned out fantastic. If you love the dish in general, you'll definitely love how this one turns out. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/2 package uncooked medium egg noodles
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/8 cup flour
• 1.5 cups milk
• 2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 small can French's fried onions
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

So, this is going to sound like a lot of time and energy to put into a simple dish. However, you can do all three of the following paragraphs simultaneously and it will only take about 10 minutes to prep. It's not as bad as it sounds - promise.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Butter a medium baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, cook per the package directions and drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the chopped onion and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Increase the heat to medium-high, and mix in the mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms soften.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking 5 minutes, or until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tuna, peas, mushroom mixture, and cooked noodles.

Transfer everything to the baking dish. Spread the cheddar cheese in a layer across the top, and finish everything off with the French's onions.

Bake for 20 minutes covered, and then uncover for 2-5 minutes, or until the onions on top begin to brown just a bit.

It's probably due to the insane amount of butter, but this dish was incredible! So much flavor, and such a huge improvement over the last tuna casserole recipe. And to boot, I got a huge dinner and two generous lunches out of it - all for under $20. Can't beat that.

Bon chappétit!

tuna & arugula pasta

While the temperatures are consistently in the 90s these days, I'm finding it harder and harder to spend very much time in my windowless, A/C-less kitchen. I'm also getting tired of takeout options. So I've now moved on to the absolute quickest meals I can make (I'll also be trying my first ceviche soon).  This pasta dish was a big staple back in college when I used to cook regularly for a few friends (yo Hallie! yo Lee!)  It's one of the quickest ones I know (because I use jarred sauce - deal with it).  Here's what you'll need:

• 1 can of tuna (in oil)
• Pasta sauce (I usually go for a tomato basil)
• A handful of arugula
• Pasta of your choice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the pasta per box directions.  Toss some sauce and the arugula into a pot to heat (I find about 1/3 of a jar - yes, jar - is about one dish).  The arugula makes this dish.  Don't be afraid to use a lot - it will wilt down to nothing.  Add the tuna (drained) and salt and pepper to taste (I usually like mine pretty spicy).  Combine all ingredients when done and voila! Super easy tuna pasta: it's better than it sounds.

maple-glazed tuna steak (updated)

So this is a new dish I just tried this weekend and it's FANTASTIC! Better even, it took 20 minutes from start to finish. It's a simple seared tuna steak, that I paired with a pear & potato salad recipe. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (you really should use real syrup for this...it's worth it)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6-ounce tuna fillets
• Salt and black pepper
• Cilantro sprigs

Begin by mixing together the mustard, maple syrup, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then set aside (taste it first though, it'll get you totally excited for the dish.) Next, season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the tuna and cook for 30 seconds on each side. I know this doesn't seem like much, but you're only searing the tuna. The middle will indeed be pretty raw, but the taste and the play on hot and cold will pay off. Trust me.

Remove the tuna from the pan and brush both sides of the tuna with the maple-mustard glaze. Garnish with the cilantro and that's it. I know I myself often skip the garnish, as I think it's just for show. However, the cilantro really adds a nice dimension to the dish.

Again, I can't stress how awesome this was. I made a single tuna steak with this, but you'd definitely have enough of the mixture for 3-4 fillets. Bon chappétit!

tuna noodle casserole

I've always been a big fan of casseroles. They just seem to be perfect to me - easy and delicious. One of my favorites has always been tuna noodle. I've tried a number of different ways to make it, but this seems to be my favorite thus far. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 can of tuna in water
• 1/2 bag of egg noodles
• 4 mushrooms, chopped
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 bag of frozen peas
• 1 small can of French’s Fried Onions (or half a large can)

Cook the 1/2 bag of noodles per the box directions. While boiling that, mix the tuna, peas, mushrooms and soup in 10” cooking dish. Drain the noodles and mix into dish. Cook covered for 30 min on 350 degrees. Then uncover and sprinkle a layer of the onions on top, broil until onions begin to blacken just a smidge. I usually get a dinner and two lunches out of this puppy.

pasta salad

This is an old favorite that takes me back to the old days of childhood summer picnics. It's not exactly how my mom used to make it, but I really dig how it came out. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 lb cherry (or grape) tomatoes
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 basil leaves, torn into pieces
• 1/2 lb bufala mozzarella (the ball in the water)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 lb conchiglie or other short pasta
• 1 cup kalamata olives
• 1 tblspoon capers
• Red pepper flakes
• 1 or 2 cans of tuna in oil, depending on how much you like tuna (some people like anchovies in their pasta salad, but I just can't bring myself to try them)

Cut the tomatoes in half and toss into a bowl with the torn basil leaves and olive oil. Set aside at room temperature, allowing the flavors to blend while preparing the other ingredients. Next, cut the mozzarella into 3/4" cubes and set aside as well (though not in the tomato bowl). Try not to eat it all while it's chillin' over there - I found this to be my greatest challenge during this dish.

Boil the pasta per box directions. Just before pasta is done, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and few grinds of black pepper to the tomatoes. When pasta is done, drain and transfer to serving bowl. Put the tomato mixture in with pasta. Add the capers, olives, tuna (drained) and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Let pasta cool, about 5 minutes, then stir in the mozzarella. Pasta should be cool enough so that cheese does not melt. And just like that, you're done.

This works perfectly well as a all-in-one meal, or as a side dish. And like so many great concoctions, it's increasingly better the next day.