Two-na (I love a good wordplay)

Remember the tuna that I made with the sunckokes? Well, I forgot to give you that recipe, and it's been keeping me up at night. (not really, but it did give me a good excuse for above wordplay as I made a second delicious tuna dish this weekend.)

I am about to say two words that may bum a lot of you out. Trader Joe's. I know that a lot of cities don't yet have the magical wonderland of lower priced organic goodness, and healthy options yet, but if you DO have a Trader Joe's near you (or not so near you) make it a priority, especially if you are on an eating healthier kick. Being on said kick myself I want to eat more fish, but also being on a major budget (we went from two meager incomes down to one when my wonderful MR and I decided that it would be best for our family if I stayed home with the Little One) it's not the most affordable of dining options. This is possibly my favorite thing that Trader Joe's offers. (and there are a LOT to love) They have frozen tuna steak and halibut chunks. (Chunks sounds creepy, but it's just the extra left over after they trim the hunks of fish into the neat little steaks that you pay so dearly for.) So, basically it's tuna and halibut steak, and a one and a half pound pack runs in the neighborhood of $3. That feeds my family of three with some to spare. Here are two recipes for tuna lovers, although you could probably use any other sort of "meaty" fish.

Lemon and Sage Seared Tuna

EST PREP TIME: 30 min (that includes waiting while it marinates)
EST COOK TIME: 15 min
EST COST: $3.00 ($6.00 if you have to buy fresh sage)

1 pack of tuna pieces $3
6-7 large leaves of fresh sage (you can use dried if you don't have fresh. about 1tbsp)
Juice of 2-3 lemons (depending on size)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

(i just thought to myself that this would make great kebabs... let me know if any of you try it.)

marinate tuna for 20-30 minutes in mixture of sage, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. (more than that and the acid in the lemon juice will begin to "cook" the tuna.) I usually marinate it in the skillet or saute pan that I am going to use to cook it.
Heat over medium until liquid is almost evaporated and tuna begins to brown. (or internal temp reaches 150-170. Tuna is flexible, and if you undercook it, no one will die.) It should be golden brown with bits of toast sage clinging to it. This is SUPER simple to cook, but seems fancy schmancy. It would be a great "make it for a date" dish.
(served this with oven roasted asparagus, and rice pilaf two other fancy looking but simple things to make.)



Pasta with Rustic Gravy

EST PREP TIME: 15min
EST COOK TIME: 20min
EST COST: $11.00 (for tuna, pasta, tomatoes, and asparagus)

(You could definitely sub chicken in this recipe, and it would be great)

1 cup chicken broth (or the broth of your choice)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp flour
1/2 medium onion, chopped(I use yellow for a more mellow flavor)
1/2 bunch cooked asparagus (I used leftovers that I oven roasted the night before)
10-12 heirloom cherry tomatoes (or regular) halved
1 lb tuna steak cooked, and pieced (bite sized)
2 tsp italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp EVOO
Pasta (I used about 1/2 box of Farfalle)

In a large skillet or saute pan, brown the tuna (in the olive oil, salt and pepper), and caramelize the onions. Add the chicken stock, flour, lemon juice, parm, and spices and whisk until thickened. Add the tomatoes and asparagus, and cook until heated through. Serve over pasta. (Cooked pasta, otherwise the crunch detracts from the bold flavor of the sauce.)