Ahi Tuna with Ginger-Chile Marinade

In the rare times I have access to really high-quality seafood, I invariably reach for Ahi Tuna. I love the taste, the texture, the color...and there are so many ways to prepare it! Usually I prefer my ahi seared, raw in the middle, with wasabi and soy sauce. But in the winter, when I really crave cooked seafood, this is one of my go-to recipes. A little sweet, a little sour and a little spicy...it is heaven.
Instead of making the kabobs (as shown in the photo), I prefer to cook these as steaks, searing the ahi and finishing it in the oven. To expedite the cooking time and process, I purchase Asian slaw from a good deli as a side dish. The texture of the tuna mingled with the crunchy slaw is wonderful and really rounds out the meal. Recipe from epicurious.com.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 serrano chile, seeded, minced
Freshly ground white pepper
1 1/2 pounds 1 1/4 -inch-thick ahi tuna, cut into 1- to 1 1/4 -inch cubes
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 large sweet onion (such as Maui or Vidalia), cut into 1-inch squares
6 (12-inch-long) metal skewers

Preparation
Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; season to taste with ground white pepper. Transfer 3 tablespoons marinade to small bowl and reserve. Add tuna to remaining marinade in medium bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 45 minutes.
Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Alternate tuna cubes, bell pepper squares, and onion squares on each of 6 metal skewers. Grill to desired doneness, turning frequently, about 4 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to platter. Drizzle reserved marinade over; sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

The best steak I have ever made...

I love a good steak a few times a month and this recipe totally amazed me. As a garlic lover, I always have a few fresh garlic heads at hand, as well as some chopped garlic in the fridge. But having never roasted garlic, I was amazed at the silky, smooth texture of this sauce and the inherent sweetness of the roasted, caramelized garlic. I love a creamy sauce, and this dish accomplishes that without the use of heavy cream or butter-which thrilled me as I try to keep the winter weight from creeping up on me! I even made the sauce to eat with chicken breasts a week later.
I thought the sauce would be tricky, but it turned out that it was pretty simple. Roast garlic 55 minutes, finish in food processor with other ingredients. Done.
For the steak, I seared each side of the steak on an indoor grill pan, then covered the pan and finished the steak in the oven to a medium-rare. Fantastic, creamy, comfort food at its best!

Sauce
2 large heads of garlic, top 1/3 trimmed to expose cloves
1/2 cup (or more) olive oil
1/2 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth

Beef
1 1 1/2-pound piece beef tenderloin, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil

For sauce:
Place garlic heads, cut side up, in small ovenproof dish. Pour 1/2 cup oil over. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake until garlic is soft, about 55 minutes. Remove garlic from oil; cool. Pour oil from dish into measuring cup; add more oil if necessary to measure 1/2 cup total. Squeeze out garlic from peel into blender. Add 1/2 cup broth and garlic oil; puree until smooth, thinning with more broth if desired. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium-low heat and thin with more broth, if desired, before serving.)
For beef:
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Rub beef all over with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill beef to desired doneness, turning often, about 22 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes. Cut beef crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices.

Recipe from epicurious.com

Ahi Tuna with Ginger-Chile Marinade

In the rare times I have access to really high-quality seafood, I invariably reach for Ahi Tuna. I love the taste, the texture, the color…and there are so many ways to prepare it! Usually I prefer my ahi seared, raw in the middle, with wasabi and soy sauce. But in the winter, when I really crave cooked seafood, this is one of my go-to recipes. A little sweet, a little sour and a little spicy…it is heaven.
Instead of making the kabobs (as shown in the photo), I prefer to cook these as steaks, searing the ahi and finishing it in the oven. To expedite the cooking time and process, I purchase Asian slaw from a good deli as a side dish. The texture of the tuna mingled with the crunchy slaw is wonderful and really rounds out the meal. Recipe from epicurious.com.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 serrano chile, seeded, minced
Freshly ground white pepper
1 1/2 pounds 1 1/4 -inch-thick ahi tuna, cut into 1- to 1 1/4 -inch cubes
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 large sweet onion (such as Maui or Vidalia), cut into 1-inch squares
6 (12-inch-long) metal skewers

Preparation
Whisk first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend; season to taste with ground white pepper. Transfer 3 tablespoons marinade to small bowl and reserve. Add tuna to remaining marinade in medium bowl and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 45 minutes.
Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Alternate tuna cubes, bell pepper squares, and onion squares on each of 6 metal skewers. Grill to desired doneness, turning frequently, about 4 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to platter. Drizzle reserved marinade over; sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

The best steak I have ever made...

I love a good steak a few times a month and this recipe totally amazed me. As a garlic lover, I always have a few fresh garlic heads at hand, as well as some chopped garlic in the fridge. But having never roasted garlic, I was amazed at the silky, smooth texture of this sauce and the inherent sweetness of the roasted, caramelized garlic. I love a creamy sauce, and this dish accomplishes that without the use of heavy cream or butter-which thrilled me as I try to keep the winter weight from creeping up on me! I even made the sauce to eat with chicken breasts a week later.
I thought the sauce would be tricky, but it turned out that it was pretty simple. Roast garlic 55 minutes, finish in food processor with other ingredients. Done.
For the steak, I seared each side of the steak on an indoor grill pan, then covered the pan and finished the steak in the oven to a medium-rare. Fantastic, creamy, comfort food at its best!

Sauce
2 large heads of garlic, top 1/3 trimmed to expose cloves
1/2 cup (or more) olive oil
1/2 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth

Beef
1 1 1/2-pound piece beef tenderloin, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil

For sauce:
Place garlic heads, cut side up, in small ovenproof dish. Pour 1/2 cup oil over. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake until garlic is soft, about 55 minutes. Remove garlic from oil; cool. Pour oil from dish into measuring cup; add more oil if necessary to measure 1/2 cup total. Squeeze out garlic from peel into blender. Add 1/2 cup broth and garlic oil; puree until smooth, thinning with more broth if desired. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium-low heat and thin with more broth, if desired, before serving.)
For beef:
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Rub beef all over with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill beef to desired doneness, turning often, about 22 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from grill and let stand 5 minutes. Cut beef crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices.

Recipe from epicurious.com