Selective Palate

Though we haven’t gotten any of the snow the rest of the country has gotten we are still in the dregs of winter. About this time of year is when you start yearning for the warm beaches of the Caribbean. It was with that in mind that I made myself a lunch of fresh Ahi Tuna salad.

Though I live in a small town in northern Vermont I am very lucky that we have a good fish monger who gets their catch early every morning direct from the docks in Portland and Boston. I know how cool is that! On any day (except Monday they are closed) I can get fresh seafood that was swimming less than 24 hours ago! Plus, they are right across the street! I know you are all jealous now, unless  you actually live in 1 of the great port cities then well I am jealous because your catch is most likely cheaper and fresher than mine.

Anyway to get on with the recipe. When I walked into the store I hadn’t yet decided what I wanted for lunch but as soon as I saw that big slab of Ahi Tuna laying in the case I knew that was going to part of my lunch. They also sell fresh japanese seaweed salad so I grabbed a caintainer and to round it off a handful of recently cooked fresh shrimp. When I got home I laid out my finds and then began to rummage around in the fridge and cupboards. And this is what I came up with!

Recipe (for 1 good portion or 2 small):

4 oz sashimi grade tuna, diced
2 -3 oz fresh cooked shrimp, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1 green onion, sliced
1 tbsp red onion small dice
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. mayonnaise (or less, just use as much as need to hold everything together)
1-2 tsp. black sesame seeds
squirt of sirrachi (to taste)
a good pinch of course sea salt (or kosher)
a dash of togorashi (Japanese pepper, if you have it no biggie to leave it out)
1/4 cup seaweed salad

Ok this is too easy; after you get through prepping everything and believe me that is what takes all the time here, you mix everything except the seaweed salad together. Don’t over stir just gentaly fold everything together until incorporated. Place most of the seaweed salad on a plate and top with tuna salad. Garnish with the remainder of the seaweed and sesame seeds. 

You will think you are at a fancy beach resort. Just poor yourself some sparking mineral water or better yet some sparkling wine and you can now pretend your are on Life Styles of the Rich and Famous.   Ok well you don’t have to go that far but you will definitely forget about winter for at least the duration of  lunch.

So I am not a huge fan of tuna from a can in fact I can remember a time when I refused to eat it or even be in the same room with it when it was being consumed because “The smell makes me sick”. Yes, you can say it, I was a snob about it, often referring to it as cat food. But today things are a bit different. I gave it a try (imagine that) and found that it is not so bad. Well the stuff in oil not so hot, but the albacore or chunch light in water not bad and the Italian stuff packed in pretty cans with quality olive oil well that stuff is just pretty darn good! I know I was as amazed as anyone that I would ever say that; but there you have I like tuna from a can!

Anyway that brings me to this great salad I made a few weeks back for M. I even enjoyed a little for myself. I didn’t want to fix the same old tuna fish salad with mayo , something healthier and dare I say it fresh? I had some of that good Italian tuna hanging around so I decided to create an Italian insprired tuna salad. It was one of those lets see what we have on hand kinda deals so I had to rummage through the fridge and pantry. I settled on white beans, olives, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber and fresh basils and oregano from the garden. If I had had capers on hand I would have thrown them in but I was out. Over all a very good salad. Good for you, different, and frankly plain old tasty!

Recipe:

1 can Tonno (tuna) in quality olive oil, flaked, oil reserved
1/2 can cannellini beans (white beans) drained and rinsed
6 chopped olives, such as Kalamata, Niciose, or Cerignolas ( I used all and mixed them together)
1/4  cup chopped red onion
1 small tomato seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
Fresh basil and oragano to taste
Dressing:
1 small clove garlic minced to a paste ( you should have about 1/2 teas. of garlic paste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon and the zest
The reserved olive oil from the tuna

Mix all the veggies and herbs together. In a separate bowl whisk the garlic paste, salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest with the olive oil. Dress the salad with as much dressing as you like.

I like this by itself or atop fresh greens. It makes a great lunch or even a nice light supper served with a bowl of soup, like maybe minestrone!

Like every other “foodie” in the world I enjoy watching, you guessed it cooking shows. So it should come as no surprise that the other day while working I had the TV set to the Food Network for background noise. Now I have to say that I am not a huge Rachel Ray fan, she tends to get on my nerves a bit. However, I find her mostly genuine and I tend to like some of her ideas; though enough with the freakin’ burgers will ya! Anyhow her show came on and she was making a Puttanesca with Tuna “Polpettes” (otherwise known to everyone else as meatballs!) It sounded very good to me so I stole it! Well not really I mean her point is to take her ideas and run with them right? So that is what I did.

Recipe:

Sauce:
1 lg. can whole tomatoes
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 - 1/3 cup chicken stock
Olive Oil
5 (or more whole anchovies)
1 tsp. (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
4-5 cloves garlic minced
small jar capers - drained
3/4 cup of chopped olive cured or kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh basil shredded
couple good dash of hot sauce - to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Tuna Meatballs:
1 med - large tuna steak
1 egg
handful of parsley
2 handfuls of breadcrumbs
salt & pepper

For the sauce heat a saute pan on med high the add enough olive oil to coat the pan. Once hot add your crushed red pepper flakes anchovies. Break up the fillets with a wooden spoon until they are almost resolved then turn down your heat to medium and add your garlic and give a good swirl. Add your crushed tomatoes, stir to combine. While that cooks a bit open your whole tomatoes and reach in gently squeeze them. I know this is messy and there are other ways to do this but I usually use my hands, I like the feel of the tomatoes bursting! When you’re done (take your time I know its fun to play with your food) add them to your pan sauce ‘n all. Give another good stir to combine all the ingredients. Now you can add your chopped olives and capers. Once combined taste for seasoning. Add the hot sauce if you like and since we are using so many salty, briny things it may only need pepper but depending on how you like it you can add a pinch of salt as well. You can add the chicken stock at this point too to thin down your sauce. Since it is not only a sauce but a poaching liquid for the meatballs I tend to like this a little thinner than a traditional ragu so I used about 1/2 of stock but you be the judge of how thin you want your sauce. I also think the stock gives it a little added richness. Also this is the point you would want to add 1/2 of your basil.

Tuna Meatballs:
These couldn’t be easier! Chunk up your tuna steak and throw in a food processor. Pulse a few times to get it going then add the rest of your ingredients. Pulse until well combines and resembles, well meatball mix! Remove to a bowl and with your hands mix in a small amount of good olive oil. Roll meatballs into about the size of golf balls. Once you have rolled them all place delicately in the sauce. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes! You don’t want to over cook these so I plop them in once the pasta is done. They take no time at all.

Top pasta with sauce and meatballs and garnish with the leftover shredded basil! This will surpise you I promise. The meatballs come out so light and fluffy and you would never guess that is was tuna. They absorb the flavor of the sauce nicely but not too much. Great when you feel like a pasta dish but without the bloated feeling afterword!