Sesame Crusted Seared Yellowfin Tuna Over Kale Ginger Salad

I arrived at the grocery store after work yesterday feeling totally thrown off as it was just past six and completely pitch black outside. The recent time change can take a few days to get used to, especially for those who exercise and run errands after 5pm (story of my life). So when I left work yesterday, I just wasn’t on my a-game since it felt like it was practically 8pm. Anyway, I arrived at the store and managed to go through the entire produce section and all I had in my cart was a bundle of kale and nothing else… and no plan for dinner. I was at a loss for what to buy for the week and felt utterly uninspired. But… then I saw a new shipment of fresh yellowfin tuna getting iced down and placed in the seafood case, and dinner dawned on me. Seared tuna over some sort of Asian kale salad. I ordered a nice one pound filet of yellowfin tuna. The yellowfin tuna is a species of tuna found in pelagic waters of tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide (thank you Wikipedia). Always ask the seafood butcher to add fresh crushed iced to your bag. It will ensure it stays fresh and cold until you are ready to marinade and prepare. From there I went to the Asian aisle and grabbed a low sodium soy sauce, bottle of assorted sesame seeds (for a nice crust), and a bottle of Annie’s “ginger sesame dressing” from the salad dressing section. Instead of going back to the produce section and getting an unnecessary amount of vegetables for the salad, I decided to go to the salad bar and get a small container of pre-cut carrots, purple cabbage, yellow bell pepper, edamame seeds and green onion. I also purchased a small bag of wasabi peas from the granola/seeds/nuts bins aisle. A few other things you will need to buy if you don’t have them on hand are non-stick cooking spray, a medium sized sauté pan or skillet, and some dry white wine. The wine isn’t mandatory but searing a crusted fish will leave your pan pretty black and burnt, and the addition of dry white wine to the pan once you have removed the fish will clean it instantly and break up the burnt layer that may form (make sure the stove is still on medium high heat). Don’t be intimated by cooking seafood – it is easier than chicken! This dinner takes 15 minutes from start to finish and makes a really beautiful and colorful presentation. Not to mention it is extremely healthy and diet-friendly. Put it to the test and try out this Asian sensation with lots of umami flavors! View the gallery below for step by step fool proof photos.

Sesame Crusted Seared Yellowfin Tuna Over Kale Ginger Salad – Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 lb yellowfin tuna filet
1 bunch washed and chopped fresh kale
1/4 cup shredded carrots (load up on the salad veggies at your grocery store’s salad bar… you won’t have to chop a thing or waste produce)
1/4 cup shredded purple cabbage
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup edamame seeds
bottle of Annie’s “ginger sesame” salad dressing or similar ginger salad dressing
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons black, white or assorted sesame seeds (on Asian aisle)
wasabi peas for garnish

Directions:

remove your ice packed tuna filet and place it in a prep dish
pour ginger salad dressing and coat the fish on both sides
add a layer of sesame seeds to both sides
leave in fridge covered for up to an hour or cook immediately
I placed my prepped fish in the fridge for a few minutes while I washed the kale and prepared the salad
add a layer of kale to your salad bowls and top with the vegetables and wasabi peas and set aside (don’t add dressing yet)
in a medium skillet or sauté pan add non-stick cooking spray and bring the heat to medium-high
let the pan get hot so that when you drop the tuna in it packs a nice sear and locks in the sesame seeds
add the fish to the pan and drizzle some low sodium soy sauce
flip after 2 minutes
add remaining dressing from the marinade dish and cook another two minutes
slice the filet into 3 large pieces so you can tell how red the center still is
cook another 3-4 minutes MAX
remove from the stove and slice along the ridges (see photos below)
top the salads with the seared tuna and pour ginger dressing over the top and serve