Citrus Tuna Steak

Grilled Tuna is super easy to cook. Throw it in a hot pan or on the grill, flip after a couple minutes and voila – you’re done.

In this recipe, I start by marinating the tuna in a mixture of olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. The trick is to marinate the tuna for only 15 minutes. If you’ve ever made ceviche, you know that acid from the citrus can cook the fish. You want to avoid that in this recipe. Don’t discard the marinade! Instead, transfer it to a small sauce pan and reduce. You will want to drizzle this over the seared ahi at serving time.

There are several ways to sear ahi tuna. A nonstick skillet will do the trick, but I like to use a grill pan, to get those nice grill marks. Either way, medium-high heat will produce a good sear.

Since the goal is to serve the tuna with a good sear on the outside but still raw in the center, the tuna doesn’t need to be cooked any longer than 2 to 3 minutes per side. That being said, if you’d like your tuna a little more well done, feel free to increase the cooking time. I love to serve this over garlic sauteed spinach but it is also tasty over rice. 

For the wine, this pairs perfectly with Scout and Cellar GALLIVANT SAUVIGNON BLANC! This wine is lively and fruit-forward with white peach, guava, key lime and candy balanced by a subtle minerality on a bright frame with a juicy finish. Pairs perfectly with Thai or Vietnamese takeaway and a few episodes of your new favorite series.

Ingredients

• 2 tuna steak (ahí or yellowfin)
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 Tbs. Liquid Aminos or Soy sauce
• 2 tsp freshly minced ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• juice of 1 lime, plus the zest
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 8 cups spinach

Instructions

Season both sides of the tuna with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, zest and sugar. Add the fish and marinate for at least 15 minutes. 

In a small skillet heat the last 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the spinach and wilt slightly. Toss in a teeny pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill (or sear) for 2 minutes on each side. Keep it rare in the center. PLEASE!

Pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and reduce until it becomes thick, 2 minutes.

Place the wilted spinach on a plate and top with the grilled fish, followed by the sliced avocado and a nice drizzle of the reduction.

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Green Bean Bacon Bundles

As much as I love steamed or stir-fried veggies, there is just something about roasted vegetables. The caramelization adds so much flavor! These green bean bacon bundles are no exception. They’re absolutely delicious and easy to make.  

Tender crisp green beans wrapped in bacon and tossed in brown sugar glaze, it doesn’t get much better than that! These are easy enough for a weeknight meal and make a fun side dish to a barbeque with friends and family!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¼ lbs green beans 
• 6 slices bacon cut in half, do not use thick cut bacon
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the bacon on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Remove the bacon from the oven.

Trim the ends of the green beans. 

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Place the green beans in the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes until just tender. 

Drain and put the green beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Pat the green beans dry. 

In a small bowl whisk together the garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, butter, brown sugar and pepper. 

Pour the butter mixture over the green beans and toss to coat.

Wrap 6-8 green beans with a piece of bacon.  

Place the green bean bundles on a sheet pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bacon is crispy. 

Serve.

Cheesy Popovers

I totally have a recipe bucket list, I mean, shouldn’t everyone? 🤣

I have always wanted to make popovers. So, I decided to try my hand at making them and I’m so mad I haven’t made them before. 

They are easy to make and delicious! 

You may be asking yourself, what is a popover?

They are like a muffin but light, airy, and crispy around the edges. In this recipe, they pull apart to a buttery cheesy magical pastry.

The name comes from literally “popping over” the sides of the pan and are baked in a hot oven until they “pop” up. They are a simple side item for a weeknight meal or holiday entertaining.

You may have heard that popovers are usually made in a special pan. Good news – you can use a regular muffin pan and they work just as well.

If you use a muffin pan, you may want to skip every other opening just in case they “pop” over onto each other.

Guess what? No mixer or blender is required. Just one bowl, a whisk and a rubber spatula is all you need.

You can get pretty creative with popovers! In the recipe below, I used Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, but you can use any cheese combination you like and then add your favorite seasoning, instead of garlic powder and cayenne in the recipe below. Or, switch it up completely, and make them sweet for a dessert by using sugar and cinnamon. The possibilities are endless! Get creative! 

Ingredients 

• 12 cup muffin pan or popover pan 
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder 
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan 
• 4 tablespoons minced chives
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or smoked paprika

Directions

1.    Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2.    In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter until combined. Whisk in the flour and salt and then fold in the cheeses and chives until even. Cover the batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3.    Put a muffin pan on the middle rack in the oven to warm for 10 minutes.

4.    Remove muffin pan from oven (careful, hot!) and pour the batter into the cups of the hot pan, filling almost to the top – make sure they are almost to the top.

5.    Lightly sprinkle with the cayenne or smoked paprika (a very small amount of cayenne). Bake the popovers until crisp and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.

6.    Take each out of the pan, place on a wire rack, and pierce with a small paring knife to let steam escape. Serve hot.