Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos...so full of flavor!

I wish I could live off these awesome tacos!

I designed this recipe to encompass it all- healthy, rich flavors and wonderful textures. This is a dish you will want to make repeatedly!

The Chipotle Mayo and Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette dressing that go along with this recipe are also very versatile. Use these 2 recipes in other dishes you prepare throughout the week--Spread some Chipotle Mayo on your sandwich....add the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette to your favorite salad....etc!

Seared Ahi Tuna Tacos- woweee!!!!

Seared Ahi Tuna (outside is browned, center is raw)

Notice all the flavors and textures!

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

Seared Tuna Tacos (Brenna)

Author: Brenna Bowers 
Serving: 2 people (2-3 small tacos each)

Ingredients:

¾ pound fresh Ahi Tuna steaks*

2 tsp Montreal stake seasoning

1 avocado, cubed

1 cup cabbage, shredded (optional)

½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped

2 green onion stalks, chopped

2 Tablespoon fresh cilantro

½ cup grilled corn, sliced off the cob (optional)
1 cup black beans (optional)

4-6 fresh corn tortillas (small)

Chipotle mayo:

Adobo chili sauce* (to taste)

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayo

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Sesame Honey Lime Vinaigrette:

2 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 small lime, zest and juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoon honey

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

salt and pepper

2 Tablespoon cilantro, minced

1-2 Tablespoon green onion, minced

dash Tabasco

¼  Tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of fresh garlic and ginger (optional)

Directions:

Sprinkle the tuna steaks with Montreal steak seasoning.

Place a large skillet on one of the large burners of your stove. Lightly spray the pan with olive oil spray (just to keep the tuna from sticking).

Turn on the flame to high heat. Once the pan is very hot, place the tuna onto the pan. It should make a wonderful sizzling sound (if not, remove the tuna and wait until your pan gets hotter). Sear for about 2-3 minutes per side or until the meat become brown on the outside (to sear is to get a golden brown color on the outside of  the meat while not completely cooking the center…browning and searing creates great flavor).

Once all the sides of the tuna steaks have been seared (the middle still raw) remove it from the heat onto a plate. Let it rest about 2 minutes and then slice into chunks.

Chipotle mayo:

In a small bowl, combine the Adobo chili sauce, sour cream, mayo, and lime juice. Chill until ready to use.

Cilantro Lime Dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients until well mixed.

Assembly:

In a medium bowl toss the avocado, cabbage, tomatoes, green onion, cilantro, black beans and grilled corn in a couple of the Tablespoons of the Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Heat up the fresh tortillas (Tip 1). Spread a thin layer of the Chipotle Mayo onto the tortilla, add the seared tuna and a few spoonfuls of the veggie mixture.

*Purchase good quality Ahi Tuna- buy “sushi grade” for you are not cooking this meat all the way through so you want to be careful where you purchase from. My recommendation is Whole Foods (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/).

*Adobo Sauce explained by Wikipedia: “adobo sauce is a condiment in which chipotles (smoked, ripe jalapeño peppers) are stewed in a sauce with tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, and spices.”

Tip 1: My family prefers to heat tortillas over a pan on the stove (about 10-15 seconds per each side of a tortilla). But another quick way to heat tortillas easily is to place the stack of tortillas you will be eating into a clean kitchen towel. Place it in the microwave in 30 second increments until they are all heated through.