Cooking for Elaine: It's a Tuna Hay Day

We scored tickets to tonight's Cubs/Diamondbacks game, which necessitates eating early to avoid being forced to shell out $57 for a tiny hot dog and soda at ye olde Chase Field. We've been eating more meat than usual lately (what with all the sliders, leftover sliders, and more leftover sliders), so fish seemed a logical choice.

Menu:
Grilled Tuna with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette
Sweet Potatoes
Mixed Greens Salad

Grilled Tuna with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette
from Kim Rizk's Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. The recipes are not complicated, yet they are consistently good and out of the ordinary. There is an herbed peasant bread in there that is out of this world. But I digress.

This recipe fit the bill for quick, easy, and delicious. The vinaigrette is scrumptious, and I honestly had a hard time not licking out the mixing bowl.

OK, I did lick the bowl. I'm OK with it.

serves 4

Vinaigrette:
3/4 c vegetable oil (I used 1/2c Olive oil, and might even use less next time)
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 T minced fresh ginger (I grated it with a microplane)
1 small clove garlic, minced
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/4 c fresh orange juice
1 t toasted sesame oil
1 t soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Tuna:
4 tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
1 cup Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette
6 oz mixed salad greens (I used spinach and arugula)
4 t sesame seeds, toasted

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette except the salt and pepper.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour 1 c vinaigrette over the tuna steaks in a shallow dish and marinate for 30
minutes.

4. Heat the grill to medium.
5. Coat grate with cooking spray or oil.
6. Remove tuna from marinade, discard marinade. Place steaks on the grill and cook until medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side.

7. Place steaks on mixed greens and drizzle 1 T vinaigrette over dish before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Note:
I toast sesame seeds by heating them in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are light brown and fragrant. They will go from lovely brown to charred black in about 0.37 seconds, so don't walk away.

Raw...

Toasted! Subtle, I know.

For the sweet potatoes, I never have the patience or forethought to roast them in the oven. I have found it to be much simpler to prick them with a fork a few times, wrap in a paper towel, and drizzle water over the little bundle before placing in the microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Easy peasy.