Sorry Mom...

Mom and I were at the store a while back and while standing in line to check out, the May issue of Cooking Light started calling to Mom with its cover of a gorgeously grilled tuna steak and white bean salad.
Mom gave in, and since then has made a few things from in it. She wanted to make the tuna, but on Sunday I decided to make it Wednesday, even though I knew Mom would be out of town.Fortunately, its worth making again. The salad part at least (with maybe a bit more dressing); the tuna wasn't bad, I just didn't really like it, though maybe it was a bit overcooked. But I was too scared to cook the tuna, and they weren't cut very evenly. I also left them in the marinade a bit too long.

Grilled Tuna with White Bean and Charred Onion Salad
from Cooking Light May 2007
Serves 4

Tuna :
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks

Salad:
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups mixed salad greens


Prepare grill.

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add tuna to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once. Remove tuna from bag; discard marinade.

Place onion slices on grill rack and brush one side of each with olive oil; grill 5 minutes on each side or until tender. Cool and chop.

Place tuna on grill rack. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Combine vinegar and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add onion, cucumber, parsley, capers, and beans to vinegar mixture; toss to coat. Arrange 1 1/2 cups salad greens on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with about 1/2 cup onion mixture and 1 tuna steak.

Go Fish (In The Zucchini)

So there are those cookbooks with the decent covers, thick binding, and loads of hype. I find those a bit harder to pick up. I need a pretty picture on the cover. Something that makes me go ooh! I want to make that! It's no wonder why I end up buying so many magazines. There's just something about the glossy covers that attracts me. So I usually end up cooking from magazines. I buy magazines and borrow books. That's how it works.


While I may frequently check out cookbooks from the library, it is rare that I, shocking as it may be, actually cook from them. So what's amazing is that not only have I checked this book out (okay, this is my second time checking it out) and flipped through it, I've also made a recipe from it. Or made a somewhat less decadent version of a recipe in it.


I didn't want to make allioli from scratch, and I didn't want to just mix mayonnaise with lemon juice and call it allioli because that's just as much worth without all the benefits. So I bought aïoli. Not my brightest idea. But other than some strong masking of other flavors by the mustard in the aïoli, it turned out well. I'll just actually make allioli next time.



Calabacines Rellenos de Atun (Zucchini "Boats" Stuffed with Tuna)
adapted from The New Spanish Table by Anyavon Bremzen page 392
Makes 6 "boats" (or 12 appetizers or dinner for 2 people for with a salad)

2 medium-size ripe tomatoes, quartered and seeded
extra-virgin olive oil, to brush the tomatoes with
3 medium-large zucchini, stemmed and cut in half lengthwise
kosher salt
6 ounces canned tuna
3 Tablespoons store-bought aïoli (or, even better, make allioli), plus more to serve
4 Tablespoons breadcrumbs


Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Arrange tomatoes on greased or lined baking sheet, brush them with olive oil, and bake until soft and beginning to blister, about 25 -30 minutes.

While baking, prepare a large steamer tray over boiling water. Using a melon baller (or he recommended a small knife or grapefruit spoon), scoop out pulp of zucchini and discard or save for later use, leaving sides and bottoms just a bit more than 1/8" thick. Steam the zucchini in the steamer until just softened, 3-4 minutes. (Don't overcook or they start to fall apart. If your zucchinis are smaller, check sooner.) When the zucchini is cool enough to handle, blot dry and sprinkle insides with a little salt.

To make the filling, slide off the skin and chop the tomatoes when they are cook enough to touch. Place tuna, chopped tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of theaïoli in a mixing bowl and mix. Set zucchini on baking sheet. Fill the zucchini shells with the tuna mixture. Spread the top of each with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining allioli and sprinkle about 3/4 teaspoon breadcrumbs over each of them.
Bake for about 7 minutes, and then broil for 1-2 minutes or until tops are browned.
Serve hot or let cool; either way is tasty.

Note: It's really easy to overcook the zucchini. It makes them flimsy. I'm almost considering trying it with raw zucchini sometime because the second time I made them I didn't pay nearly enough attention and steamed the zucchini for too long.

Fresh chopped basil is a nice addition to the tuna mixture if you have some around.

Shrimp and Edamame Succotash

We had dinner Friday night at our house. Mom made dinner from a recipe from Eating Well, the Edamame and Shrimp Succotash. It was defintely colorful. We had it with some corn muffins. Dessert was the bulgur pudding that I've made before. I'm not sure I really like the strong ginger flavor in it.

Carrot-Ginger Soup with Coconut Shrimp

Carrot-Ginger Soup with Coconut Shrimp
adapted from recipe by Corbin Evans in Food&Wine
Serves 4 as a first course

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots (about 1/2 lb), chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 - 2 tablespoons lime juice (juice from half of a lime)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup milk
1 oz (2 tablespoons) coconut milk
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
12 small shrimp, shelled
3 tablespoons shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 425º. In a large saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, ginger, and crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil, then simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, peanut butter, and sesame oil. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in milk and coconut milk. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Toss the shrimp with the coconut and remaining two teaspoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a cast iron plate or parchment lined baking sheet and roast in oven for 5 minutes or until pink. Pour soup into warmed bowls and garnish each with three of the shrimp.

May 23: Scallop Salad

Caribbean Grilled Scallop Salad
I got this from the cookbook I checked out from the library... meaning I finally made something from it after having it checked out for over a month!

I thought it was quite flavorful and delicious.