Tuna Salad…the fancy kind

No, I’m not talking about the stinky tuna in a can that you mix with mayo and relish (although, I’ll be honest…I still kind of like that because it reminds me of my childhood). I’m talking about seared tuna with the most amazing combination of ingredients possible.

I love the restaurant Houston’s here in Dallas. I like the atmosphere and their smoked salmon appetizer is to die for. But I really go there for their Ahi Tuna salad. It’s divine.

We  try to eat fish at least once a week, except I don’t really like tilapia and Lane doesn’t really like salmon, so that cuts out the two most readily available, inexpensive fish. We do both, however,  love tuna so when I can find it on sale I buy it. We’re always looking for new ways to prepare it and, when I bought it last week, my beloved salad from Houston’s popped into my head.

Tuna Salad with Avocado, Mango and Almonds inspired by Houston’s 

(all amounts are approximate since I never measure anything. sorry. bad blogger.)

1 lb. tuna, cut into two steaks

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 c. spinach

1 large mango, cubed

1 large avocado, cubed

1/2 c. slivered almonds

Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Generously season tuna steaks with salt and pepper. Sear tuna in pan, about 3 minutes per side, or until your liking.

Place spinach, tuna, mango avocado and almonds in your serving bowl and enjoy! How simply amazing is that! (And wonderfully healthy too!)

Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette 

(Seriously, I didn’t measure a single bit of this, but it’s soooo good, so I’ll try to be as exact as possible.)

1/4 c. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce

1/4 c. Olive oil

2-3 T. Red Wine Vinegar (more if needed)

2 T. Honey

2 t. Ground Ginger

Pinch of pepper

Mix all ingredients well and serve with salad.

I love my Kroger!

I told Lane that we can never leave this neighborhood only because I LOVE my Kroger! (Wow, how old am I that I have an allegiance to a grocery store??) But, it’s not just any grocery store..It’s like the Rolls Royce of grocery stores. They have live music playing, an olive bar with an impressive cheese selection and lots of very friendly people. I go every Sunday and have come to know the employees there. Gloria helps me with seafood and shares her prayer requests with me…Forrest helps me with the meat counter and tells me I have pretty eyes…I don’t know his name, but the little German man at the deli counter tells me he’ll se me next week….and Carl. Carl is the in store “chef” who is always cooking up something delicious.

One day, Gloria told me I should try what Carl was cooking because it was on special and really delicious. So I did, and was immediately sold. We now have this meal at least every two weeks. It’s SOOO simple and easy and delicious! I really, really like the flavor of the steelhead trout. It’s not fishy at all, but really tasty and has similar health benefits to salmon.

Steelhead with Dill and Dry Mustard from Carl at my Kroger

1 lb Fish (Steelhead Trout)

4 TBS Olive Oil

1 TBS Butter

1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 TSP Dill

3 TBS White wine

1 TSP Lemon/Juice

1/2 TSP Dry Mustard

1/2 TSP Cajun Season (I used Slap Yo Momma, compliments of my Dad!)

Combine olive oil, wine, butter, lemon juice, garlic in frying pat at medium heat. Add fish after 1-2 minutes. Place fish face down for –3 minutes, then flip over the season with dill, dry mustard and cajun seasoning. Cook about 7 minutes, until flaky.

We served with our favorite side, sauteed asparagus.

Seared Scallops with a Pan Glaze

Scallops are one of my favorite seafood dishes. They aren’t fishy at all, but are buttery and smooth and delicious!  They are super easy to cook and are fast for a weeknight dinner. They run about $12 a pound for sea scallops at our local grocery store, so I don’t do them too often, but when I do, go big or go home!

I knew I wanted to serve the scallops with a wedge salad. It’s one of our favorites and is really easy to make (lettuce, blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles, red onion, tomatoes and bacon.) So, I decided to go all out for these scallops…no calories were spared in the making of this dish!  The sweetness of the glaze pairs so well with the scallops. It’s delicious!

Seared Scallops with a Pan Glaze

(Serves 2)

4 strips thick cut bacon

¾ lb Sea Scallops (I just asked for 8 large at the counter)

Sea salt and pepper

¼ c. balsamic vinegar

¼ c. chicken broth

Remove scallops from packaging. Layer on paper towels so that the water is absorbed. Salt and pepper the scallops.

In a large skillet, cook bacon for salad and set aside. When finished, use a paper towel to soak up a little of the grease, but not all. Heat skillet with bacon grease over medium high heat. Once grease is hot, add the scallops, making sure they do not touch one another. Once you set them in the pan, don’t move them. This will ensure they get a good sear. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side. Meanwhile, turn your oven on warm. Once the scallops are seared on both sides, place on an oven safe plate and put in the oven to keep warm.

Add the vinegar and broth to your skillet. Simmer and let reduce to about ¼ of the original amount. It should form a glaze. Use a whisk to occasionally stir and get all of the goodness from the bottom of the pan. You could add some shallots here if you’d like.

Plate the scallops with the wedge and spoon the glaze over them. Serve immediately. Enjoy!