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3
Aug
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Spicy Almond and Banana Crusted Tuna |
Last week I did something a little bit crazy for me: I grocery shopped without a meal plan. I’m such a daredevil, can’t you tell? Some might consider this a surefire way to blow the grocery budget, but it’s actually not that bad when you’re stocking up at BJ’s or Sam’s. One of the reasons I keep two wholesale club memberships is because each has a few things that the other doesn’t – and BJ’s has a bigger selection of frozen fish. So on our recent trip, I stocked up wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, ahi tuna, tilapia, and mahi. I love love love seafood, though I’m slightly embarrassed to admit I don’t have a very big seafood repertoire. I figured that stocking with the freezer with all this fish would give plenty of options for healthy meals, but also force me to seek out some new recipes.
Later on I curled up with a book I actually bought last year in Key West, but hadn’t actually used yet. I don’t know what I was waiting for, because as soon as I started reading Donna Shields’ Caribbean Light, I was bookmarking recipes left and right. This is probably one of the most unique cookbooks I have, full of interesting and fresh flavors. Plus, everything is nice and light, so there’s some innovative use of ingredients.
One such example is the idea of using mashed banana as a coating to adhere something crunchy to a piece of fish. The author used this technique on a piece of white fish, but as soon as I read the recipe, I remembered one of the most delicious maki rolls I had recently – a spicy tuna and banana roll. So I figured tuna would be a fantastic substitute. The only thing that’s a little tricky here is that this recipe calls for broiling the fish, which can quickly lead to tough tuna if you’re not careful. I will actually admit that I made this dish twice before blogging it, and the second time, pictured and discussed here, it came out perfectly. Not pink inside like I usually like my tuna, but still wonderfully tender.
The sweet and spicy banana topping paired so nicely with the tuna and the almonds added a delicious crunch. I served this alongside a big pile of wok-seared mixed vegetables seasoned with a touch of Penzeys Jerk seasoning blend. I still love my normal sesame-crusted seared tuna, but I’m so glad I branched out with this recipe.
Spicy Banana and Almond Crusted TunaAdapted from Caribbean Light
1/4 cup mashed banana
1 large scallion, thinly sliced, green part only
1 tsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
dash of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt1 garlic clove, minced
2 6oz tuna filets
3/4 oz thinly sliced almonds, chopped
Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking dish or ovenproof skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and place the tuna filets inside. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Combine all remaining ingredients except for the almonds. Broil the tuna for 1 minute, then flip. Spread the banana mixture over the fish. Broil 1-2 minutes more. Remove from oven and press the almonds into the banana topping. Broil 1-2 minutes more, until almonds are golden brown and tuna is done to your liking.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 307.6
Total Fat: 8.7 g
Cholesterol: 90.0 mg
Sodium: 63.3 mg
Total Carbs: 16.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g
Protein: 40.5 g
I'm Cara, lover of creative, clean food and healthy living. Pumpkin, goat cheese, and eggplant make me swoon. I have an insatiable sweet tooth and desire to lift heavy things. 
Sophia Tsoupas — August 4, 2009 @ 4:08 am
Hi Cara! Hope all is well! I am definitely making this for dinner this week! It will most likely not turn out like yours! LOL! but I'll try! This blog is awesome! I had no idea you did this and I have been looking through your previous recipes and I haven't found one yet that doesn't sound amazing! You have a gift! Anyway, thanks for doing this! This rocks!