Orecchiette with tuna, lemon and caper sauce

On a recent trip to Borders, I found an awesome Pasta cookbook at the oh-so-sweet price of $4.01. The cookbook, Essential Pasta Cookbook, is conveniently categorized by protein, then vegetables, then creamy pasta, then baked pasta, and finally dessert pasta. Sprinkled throughout are fun facts about the ingredients featured in the recipes and some sections go into detail about different cheeses, cured meats and even how to make your own pasta. Awesome cookbook! But don't take my word for it, pick up your very own copy today!

I read the cookbook from cover to cover before I decided on the Orecchiette with tuna, lemon and caper sauce. It was DELICIOUS! Even though the recipe contained heavy cream, the dish was not heavy at all. The lemon & capers really brighten up this dish. And orecchiette is officially my new favorite pasta shape, they stick to your mouth like little suction cups. If this first recipe is a sign of all the deliciousness that will come out of this cookbook, I'm in for some good eating!

Bon Appetit!

Orecchiette with tuna, lemon and caper sauce
1 lb orrecchiette
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 oz of butter
12 oz of canned tuna, drained
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp capers
Generous sprinkling of Cayenne Pepper
Parsley or Scallions, chopped for garnish

Bring a pot of water to boil, salt the water and add the pasta per the directions on the package.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saute pan and add the onions & garlic, cook for 2 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add the tuna, heavy cream, lemon juice, capers & cayenne pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.

By now the pasta should be al dente, drain the pasta in a colander and return the pasta to the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta and lightly combine so that the sauce is incorporated throughout the pasta. Garnish with parsley or scallions.

Ahi Avocado Poke

Poke [ poʊˈkeɪ]
- noun

1. a thrust or push.
2. a raw fish salad served as an appetizer or main course in Hawaiian cuisine. Poke is Hawaiian for "section" or "to slice or cut".
   
   This is a food blog so I'm obviously not talking about the first definition.

It's a HOT oven here in the Bay Area. I wanted something fresh and light for dinner but had no idea what to make. I was thisclose to waving the white flag and ordering take out when I decided to stroll through the aisles of Whole Foods for some inspiration. This is usually dangerous for me when I'm hungry because I end up buying everything!

As I pulled into the parking lot of Whole Foods, Maroon 5's new song Misery came on. It was my first time hearing it and I was only 99.9% sure that it was by Maroon 5. How did I know? I have a very unhealthy crush on the lead singer, Adam Levine and I'd recognize his voice anywhere. Their last album came out 3 years ago and it was the only thing I listened to for months (I'm not a groupie)! I can't wait until their new album comes out on September 21st (stop judging me). I could go on and on and on about Adam but I should really get back to the food. As I sat listening to Maroon 5's new song (Last mention, I promise.), I suddenly knew what I HAD to have for dinner, AHI POKE.

Maybe Adam was sending me a message (ok I lied.). The ahi poke was exactly what I didn't even know I was craving (thanks Adam!). And for all you Hawaiians out there, there are way too many "traditional" versions of Ahi Poke recipes out there. This is not a traditional poke in any way, shape, or form. I mean seriously, where am I going to find Ogo (fresh seaweed)? This dish was o-so-ono!

Ahi Avocado Poke
1/2 Sashimi Grade Ahi, diced
1 Avocado, diced
1/2 Red Onion, small dice
1-2 Scallions, sliced (reserve a bit for garnish)
2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp Pure Sesame Oil
2 tsp Soy Sauce
A Sprinkle of Chili Flakes
1 tsp Sea Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly but lightly (you dont want it to get watery or mushy). Place bowl in the refrigerator to cool for about 20 minutes (keep the avocado pit in the same bowl to slow down oxidation). Garnish individual servings with scallions and serve immediately.

To make it a meal, I served the Ahi Avocado Poke with Quinoa and a couple dashes of Furikake.

Soup and Sandwich Night

Sometimes you just gotta go back to the basics.

I recently saw an episode of Everyday Italian where Giada hosted a bridal shower for her girlfriend. One of the dishes she prepared was an Open-Faced Tuna Sandwich with Arugula and Sweet-Pickle Mayonnaise. It looked so delicious I just had to try it!

Since I had some leftover pesto sauce that I made earlier in the week for the Twice Baked Pesto Potato, I substituted the Sweet-Pickle Mayo for the pesto. It was so frickin' tasty!

Grilled ciabatta topped with pesto sauce, pan seared tuna, melted white cheddar & crisp arugula

And when you have a sandwich, you've got to pair it with a nice hearty soup! I found a minestrone recipe (because it's John's favorite) on the Whole Foods website and even got to use some fresh herbs from the garden. The only thing I did differently from their recipe is that I only used 1 carrot vs 2 (i HATE carrots) and tossed a potato in. I also made croutons with the left over ciabatta. The soup was so comforting - tomato-y and the croutons added the perfect crunch!

Minestrone soup topped with homemade croutons & a parsley garnish (conveniently from the garden!)

Grilled Tuna with Basil Pesto

So I had a lot of leftover basil (why does it seem like most of my blogs start out with something i have a lot of?). fortunately for me, on a recent episode of barefoot contessa, ina had a full episode dedicated to making homemade pasta sauce, one being a pesto sauce. i've always wanted to try making my own pesto sauce so i took a look at her recipe.

WALNUTS? sorry ina, love you but i've got to pass, i'd like my first pesto experience to be as authentic as possible. i'll have to go with a recipe from my favorite italian chef, the lovely giada de laurentiis

i found a great grilled tuna with basil pesto recipe and served it over brown rice. it was a very fun meal to make!

a few comments:

• this recipe calls for salt but i'd skip it, i think the parmesan makes it salty enough
• i have yet to perfect searing/ grilling tuna to medium-rare. please share tips if you have one 
• don't forget to buy wild tuna, not farmed.