As you’ve probably figured out by now, I’m a fan of easy and flavorful recipes. I also like recipes that are flexible and allow me to use the same flavor profile with multiple items.
This is one of my go-to recipes: An Asian-inspired marinade provides a delightful medley of sweet, salty, tangy and spicy flavors. I use tuna here, but you could also substitute chicken, steak or tofu as the marinade works equally well with most proteins.
Asian-Style Tuna Steak
Ingredients:
1 4-6 oz tuna steak, defrosted
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar or honey
a dash of pepper
a dash or two of hot sauce (depending on how hot you like it)
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
1/4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced (or 1/8 tsp ground ginger)
Directions:
- Place tuna in zip-top bag.
- Whisk together all other ingredients and pour over tuna. Refrigerate and marinate for at least 15 minutes (I like to prep this the night before and marinate until I get home).
- Bake tuna in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or grill on the stove top over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes on each side (cooking time will depend on the thickness of your steaks and how rare/well done you like your fish; I like to cook mine all the way through).
Fun tag-alongs:
- Throw a sliced bell pepper, portabello mushroom or baby bok choy on the grill with the tuna.
- Steam some edamame, toss with a little sea salt and serve with the tuna.
- Slice tuna, lay over mixed baby greens and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve over fresh basmati rice or quinoa.
The cost:
tuna steak: 1.75
other ingredients: <.50
Grand total: $2.25 (give or take)
Note: This also makes a fantastic salad dressing; triple everything but the garlic & ginger, blend, pour over a mix of sliced baby bok choy, cucumber, radish, scallions, & dried cranberries; sprinkle with crunchy asian noodles or toasted sesame seeds right before serving.