A Squared: What's for Dinner Wednesday: Lemon, Balsamic & Thyme Tuna with Roasted Pepper Salad

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

What's for Dinner Wednesday: Lemon, Balsamic & Thyme Tuna with Roasted Pepper Salad

I love summer nights in Chicago. It stays light out well into the evening and it's finally warm enough to grill so Alex and I have been taking full advantage of grilling our dinners a few nights a week. Everything just tastes better on the grill, right?


One of my favorite foods to grill is a tuna steak. There's something about cooking tuna on the grill that gives it such a great flavor-- something that you can't achieve when you roast it or pan sear it. A little char on the outside and slightly rare on the inside is, in my opinion, the best way to enjoy tuna.


These steaks are lightly marinated in a flavorful combination of lemon, balsamic, and fresh herbs. Once grilled, the tuna is topped with one of my new favorite summer foods: roasted pepper salad. This simple salad of super sweet roasted peppers and parsley is tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. It makes a great topping or side dish for any grilled protein.


Ingredients:

For the tuna--
  • 2 (1/4 - 1/2 lb.) tuna steaks
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk together olive oil and the following 6 ingredients in a shallow glass dish.  Add the tuna to the mixture and flip 2 or 3 times to thoroughly coat the fish.  Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, flipping the fish 2 or 3 more times while marinating. 

Preheat the grill to medium high heat.  Place the tuna steak directly on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes.  Turn the fish and grill on the other side for an additional 4 minutes until the tuna is cooked, but still pink and slightly rare in the center. 

For the red pepper salad--
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced in half lengthwise, cored, seeded, ribs removed
  • 1 yellow pepper, sliced in half lengthwise, cored, seeded, ribs removed
  • 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbs. flat leaf parsley, rough chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste 

To roast bell peppers: Preheat the broiler. Flatten pepper pieces skin side up onto a foil-lined metal baking sheet.  Broil until skin is blackened and blistered.  Transfer peppers immediately to a medium sized bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Set aside and let peppers cool, about 10-15 minutes.  Peel the skin from the outside of each pepper and discard the skins. Slice the cooled peppers into thin strips.

In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, salt, and pepper together. Add the sliced peppers to the mixture and toss to coat. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

Plate the warm grilled tuna steaks and top with pepper salad. Serve immediately.


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4 comments:

  1. mmm this looks so flavorful! xo jillian - cornflake dreams

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds absolutely delicious, totally going to save this recipe to try out!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really need to make fish more often. This looks delicious!

    ReplyDelete

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