Recipe: Seared Ahi with Tamari Almonds and Spring Mix

I LOVE ahi tuna. I love it seared, I love it in tartar, I love it in sushi. But I don’t love paying the big bucks for it, so I (and therefore my family) don”t eat it very often.
But I watch the local high-end grocery stores for sales. Recently I hit the jackpot — fresh wild ahi tuna from the Philippines for $8.99 a pound (about half of the regular $16.99-$21.99 / lb price tag). I grabbed us a couple of steaks and a few marinade and salad fixins, and less than 2 hours later we were eating like Polynesian royalty! Here’s our favorite recipe…

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Seared Ahi over Spring Mix & Tamari Almonds
Inspired by Elise’s recipe on Simply Recipes
Prep time: 1 hour and change * Cook time: 5-6 minutes
Ingredients

• (6-8 ounce) ahi tuna steaks (3/4 of an inch thick)
• 2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
• 2 T soy sauce (or 2 tsp of Tamari for a gluten-free option)
• 1 T fresh ginger, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 green onion (scallion), thinly sliced (a few slices reserved for garnish)
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Spring salad mix, enough for 2 large plates of salad
• 1/4 cup Tamari almonds, chopped
• Salad dressing, light and oil-based. I like to use a Shiitake Mushroom Sesame Dressing (also here) to extend the Asian flavor of this meal.

Directions

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the tuna steaks with the marinade, cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour. I often put the tuna steaks and the marinade in a large ziplock bag, and then lay it on a shelf in the fridge for at least an hour, turning it over when/if I happen to go into the fridge.
2. About 20 minutes before you plan on sitting down to eat, prepare the salad plates. Arrange the spring mix on 2 plates and sprinkle with most of the almonds (save a few for garnish at the end).
3. About 8 minutes before you’re serving the meal, heat a nonstick skillet over medium high to high heat. When the pan is hot, remove the tuna steaks from the marinade and sear them for 2 minutes on each side (even a little longer if you want the tuna less rare than shown.)
4. Remove from pan and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.
5. Dress the spring mix salad on the plates (not too much dressing!), and then lie the ahi steak slices on top of the salad. Sprinkle with a few green onion slices and some Tamari almonds.
6. Eat and enjoy!!!