Spicy Thai Tuna

I don't cook fish. It's not that I dislike fish - I love fish. It's the fear of walking that very thin line between undercooked and overcooked. But recently, I have been testing the waters. And there's no better way to conquer a food I'm afraid of than with the support of my beloved cast iron griddle. I sliced the tuna into 1/4" slices and cooked it for about 2 minutes on each side on a very hot griddle. It came out perfect!

Soon my brain was flipping through my mental rolodex of flavor pairings and preparations. So what pairs well with tuna? The bright flavors of lime and chilies. The sweet crunch of carrots and green onion. And the distinctive flavor of black vinegar. And sesame! Don't forget that! Oh, what about ginger? And that was how this laundry list of ingredients turned into an actually delicious meal.

Ingredients
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
2 medium ahi tuna steaks, sliced in 1/4" slices
1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
5-7 green onions, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 tsp fresh lime zest
juice of half a lime
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 tbsp. black vinegar
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
rice noodles or angel hair pasta, cooked al dente
1 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp hot chili oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce

Toss sliced tuna with 1 tbsp. sesame oil and soy sauce.

Heat cast iron skillet, griddle or sauté pan over high heat. Sear tuna, about 2 minutes on each side.

In large sauté pan, heat remaining oil, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, lime juice and lime zest over medium heat. Add stock and black vinegar and simmer about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add noodles, carrot, green onion, cilantro and tuna. Toss to coat and serve hot.

It's time to eat!

We're back!

It is hard to believe that it has been almost a year since our last post. Between two milestone birthdays, a graduate school graduation, our wedding and a long honeymoon, the break was just what we needed to recharge our batteries.

And now we are excited to be back in a very big way. Check out these new additions to the site:

What's Good Now? Learn what produce is in season right now and how to use it.

Meatless Menu - Our five day menu offers completely meatless meals and a new downloadable shopping list.

5 Ingredient Meals - Sometimes you just can't be bothered to put too many things together. Every week we'll provide 2 recipes that require only 5 ingredients.

Kid's Kitchen - Getting your children involved in the kitchen is a great way to spark interest in new and exciting foods. Every week we'll provide a hands-on experiment for you to explore.

DIY Kitchen Decor - We'll share what is inspiring us now. From repurposing unexpected items to creative combinations.

New feature! All recipes will now offer a downloadable shopping list.

And with that, we get right to our newest recipe. Living in NYC, we have the wonderful opportunity to experience new foods in the heart of a cultural melting pot. Kimchi tacos have become the hot new food truck item and we could not resist the urge to try our hands at it.

Kimchi is a delicious concoction of pickled cabbages in Asian spices. It is extremely hard to make and I don't have that kind of patience. And after our first go at it, Richard decided he preferred the mixture on rice and I preferred it on a tortilla. So try it however you like! :)

Kimchi Chicken

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

16 ounces kimchi, chopped

4 tortillas (optional)

2 cups shredded cabbage

1/4 cup finely shredded romaine lettuce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil or olive oil

1 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cloves of garlic, minced

For Slaw:

1 tsp lime juice

3/4 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp mayonnaise

pinch of granulated sugar

1. In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Allow chicken to marinate in this sauce for at least 2 hours.

2. Saute chicken until cooked through. Allow to cool slightly.

3. Once cooled, use your hands to pull the chicken into shreds.

4. In a saucepan, heat kimchi. Drain and reserve juices.

5. Combine kimchi and chicken and cover to keep warm.

6. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, lettuce, lime juice, soy sauce, mayonnaise and granulated sugar. Coat well.

7. Serve chicken and slaw over rice or in a warm tortilla and spoon kimchi juice over the top.

Shopping list for this recipe