Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna

I've made this recipe a couple times and it's probably one of my favorite ways to make tuna.  The most important part of the recipe is making sure you have good fresh ahi tuna.  The other day I was in Newport and I decided to wander over to Bear Flag Fish Company to check out their seafood selection and they had awesome tuna available so that made my dinner decision quite easy that night.  One of the best things about cooking tuna is that it literally takes 30-40 seconds per side to cook so this dinner comes together very quickly.  The dish works great over a salad or with some fried rice and a veggie. (Stay tuned for my homemade fried rice recipe =] )

Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna
Yields 3 servings

Ingredients:
3 Tuna steaks about 6 ounces each
Marinade/Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 lime - juiced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (or you can mince it but grating the ginger helps to get rid of its tiny hairs)
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Directions:
To make the marinade add all the marinade ingredients and mix well.  Reserve some of the sauce in a separate container to use as a dipping sauce.  Get a glass baking dish or other non-reactive container to marinade the tuna in.  You can also pour the marinade into a large zip lock bag, add the tuna and then squeeze out the air.  Make sure that the tuna is completely covered by the marinade and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour, turning the tuna about half way through. 
Remove tuna from fridge and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes or so - you do this because you don't want the tuna to be cold when you sear it. 
Remove the tuna from marinade, shaking off any excess marinade and dry on paper towels. 
Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of sesame oil.  The oil should be hot but not smoking.
Add the tuna to the hot saute pan and shake it a bit to make sure the tuna does not stick.  Sear for 30-40 seconds on both sides. 
Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!

Red Wine-Balsamic Sauce

I was sifting through some of my old recipes the other day and came across this gem.  It can literally be used for almost any type of meat.  The original recipe was used over salmon which I found a bit strange as I would normally pair a sauce like this with red meat, but feel free to chose your protein. 

Red Wine- Balsamic Reduction Sauce
Yields - about 1/4 cup which is enough for 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot minced
1 thyme sprig
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil.  Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add the thyme sprig, black pepper, red wine, and balsamic vinegar and boil over high heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 12-15 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream, then whisk in the butter, 1 Tbsp at a time.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.  Strain into a bowl and serve over a protein of your choosing.  Enjoy!

The Perfect Holiday Pumpkin Meringue Pie

Happy Holidays!!!
Once again I am sorry for the absence, I really need to get better about blogging on a more regular basis.  I have dedicated the next hour or so to putting recipes up so hopefully that will make up for my recent absence.  This first recipe was my first attempt at making meringue and after some coaching from my mom and grandma I figured it out and it was delicious! Meringue can be a bit intimidating, but if you give it the time it deserves you will not be disappointed.  With this pie you can be adventurous and make your own pastry dough, but honestly both of my grandmothers used the frozen Pillsbury pie crusts when I was growing up so I decided to follow in their footsteps. Also be sure to make your pie in the morning before getting the turkey or roast in, because it does take about 4 hours to cool completely, so you're going to want to get it out of the way. 

Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crusts
Filling:
1 15oz can solid pack pumpkin (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Meringue
4 large egg whites AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out your pie crust onto a 9-inch glass pie plate.  Prick the bottom of the dough several times.  Bake the pie crust for about 15-20 minutes or just until the dough begins to turn a very light golden brown.  Take the crust out and let it cool.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.  Whisk in the eggs 1 at a time.  Whisk in the cream and vanilla.
Lower the oven to 350 degrees.  Pour the filling into the crust.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the custard is firm around the rim and slightly jiggly in the center.  Transfer the pie to a baking sheet.

Make the meringue: In a bowl, beat the egg whites (which are at room temperature) at medium speed until frothy - about 3 minutes.  Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.  Slowly beat in the superfine sugar - about a tablespoon at a time.  Add the vanilla.  Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the meringue becomes stiff and glossy, about 2 minutes longer. 
Scoop the meringue onto the warm pie, spreading and swirling it decoratively, be sure the meringue touches the crust all around because as it cools it will shrink up a little bit.  Bake the pie on the middle rack of the oven for about 10 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned.  Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely - at least 4 hours.