Grilled Tuna and Avocado Salad
As a child I was enamored by cooking shows. You might remember my favorites. Of course, Julia Child on The French Chef. How could you not love Julia? But I also eagerly watched Wok With Yan, mostly focused on Asian stir-fries and The Cajun Cook, Justin Wilson, who seemed to shove whole garlic cloves into just about everything. I’m showing my age, aren’t I? These shows were delightfully quirky and on some level…enlightening!
Now days there are two people I always stop to watch:Â Bobby Flay and Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. As I have already given away my feelings for sweet Bobby in Ready For A Throwdown, I’d now like to take a moment to pay Ms. Ina her proper respect.
What to say about Ina. (Sigh.) She’s like a young aunt, or older friend, to whom you would unabashedly pour out your soul, over a couple cosmos, homemade smoked salmon spread, and freshly baked baguettes!
I don’t generally make a habit of getting starstruck. In fact, I can’t think of a single Hollywood celeb that I would really care to meet. But Ina’s different. With her freshly cut peonies, her colorful friends in magenta sweaters, and her soothing river-stone voice, she lures me in every time. Plus I love the way she talks about her husband Jeffrey. She obviously, sees him as the sun and moon–and that just endears her to me even more.
Ina’s carefree cooking style is something I aspire to. She focuses on revamping the classics, and celebrating ingredients in a minimalist way. She doesn’t worry herself with trends and lavish presentation, just quality. Because of this, she exudes confidence and simple elegance in a way I rarely see. To top it all, every episode ends with a party or a quaint dinner-for-two in the garden. I can only dream that someday my days will end like The Barefoot Contessa!
So in honor of Ina, I give you one of her dishes that is perfect for summer.
Food is not about impressing people. It’s about making them feel comfortable. ~Ina Garten
Love you Ina!
Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in a very hot saute pan and cook for only 1 minute on each side. Set aside on a platter.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce. Chop the avocados and add them to the vinaigrette.
Cut the tuna in chunks and place it in a large bowl. Add the scallions and red onion and mix well.
Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the tuna and carefully mix.
Grilled Tuna Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds very fresh tuna steak cut 1-inch thick
- 4 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for brushing
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus extra for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper plus extra for sprinkling
- 2 limes zested
- 1 teaspoon wasabi powder or paste
- 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 3 limes
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 10 dashes hot sauce such as Tabasco
- 2 ripe Hass avocados medium diced
- 1/4 cup minced scallions white and green parts (2 scallions)
- 1/4 cup red onion small diced
Instructions
- Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in a very hot saute pan and cook for only 1 minute on each side. Set aside on a platter.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce. Chop the avocados and add them to the vinaigrette.
- Cut the tuna in chunks and place it in a large bowl. Add the scallions and red onion and mix well.
- Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the tuna and carefully mix.
So fresh
Avocados are commercially valuable and are cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. They have a green-skinned, fleshy body that may be pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. Commercially, it ripens after harvesting. Trees are partially self-pollinating and often are propagated through grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit.’
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Sign me up for either of those, Sommer! Had to laugh when you mentioned Julia. I was taping the weekend radio show today and told my colleague's assistant in Kansas City about hitting top nine on FB last weekend. So, the guy running the equipment and the guy I'm on with both asked a lot of questions about my blog. We finished chatting about Social Security and estate planning and all the stuff I deal with on the show and the music played then it kept going and all of the sudden, it was Julia chattering away. I have NO clue how Tom found the clip in the 15 min it took Dean and me to chat but he did and it made my day :-) Kate
I wasn't brought up on Ina but I have managed to see enough episodes of 'The Barefoot Contessa' to have gone and bought one of her books.
I absolutely love her food philosophy for simple, quality ingredients. Her results really are always chic and delicious, which you can see from your beautiful shots.
I too LOVE Ina! Thanks for sharing. Your pictures throughout your blog are BEAUTIFUL!
What a great showcase of photos elaborating all your passionately inspired dedication in the kitchen.
Sommer…your joy shines through in the foods you select ;o) Brava!
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
What an exquiaite meal for a worthy recipient!
The tuna is PERFECTLY cooked and the pannacotta with the balsamic glazed strawberries is sublime. I especially love the lemon zest topping.
Wonderful as always, Sommer!
Ciao,Devaki@ weavethousandflavors
That is a superb meal! Simple, yet so perfect together! I used to love watching Nigella Lawson, but have tired of her less than reliable recipes.
The first Ina Garten recipe I ever tried – her chocolate cupcakes with ganache frosting were sublime and so simple! These days I can't get through the day without watching the Barefoot Contessa!
I am a huge tuna fan and always looking for new good recipes, this one is a keeper. I have to save and try it out. Haven't been here for awhile since i was moving but i am back now. Again, great blog!
So many awesome flavor combinations here! I think black pepper and strawberry is my favorite :)
I am an absolute Ina lover myself. I actually think my blood pressure lowers when I watch her show. It's just so relaxing and wonderful. And the food… well we won't even go there. Yummy! These look delicious. Hope you're doing well!
I love Ina =) Whenever I watch her show, I just want to be whisked away to the hamptons for a dinner party! That food looks delicious!!
I met Ina at the Fancy Food Show! She was very nice and I told her how she taught me to bake shrimp and roast brussels in the oven – she said people comment on her shrimp method all the time. These dishes look fabulous!!!
I love Ina too. And this salad. I make something similar with canned sardines! So so good. Think it's what I'm having for lunch!
I seen the episode where she makes this. I dont watch it very much because we don't have cable or dish. Anywho, I was so intrigued by this salad. I am totally kicking myself because last night we had tuna and I could have made this, uGH! An excuse I guess to get some more tuna. It looks totally delicious as does your strawberry and panna cotta dessert!
Nice tribute and the dishes look delicious! Good job!
Great salad, and pana cotta, too :) I do not know any of those shows, here in Europe I always watch classics like Jamie and Blumenthal.
It looks perfect!