Seared Tuna Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette

Dressing

1 Tbsp wasabi powder + 1 Tbsp and a bit water or 2 Tbsp prepared wasabi paste
1/4 cup olive oil

1-2 tsp rice vinegar

1 T honey

1/2 tsp garlic powder

pinch powdered ginger

pinch salt

Mix wasabi powder and water to form a paste. Slowly whisk in olive oil. When thoroughly combined, add vinegar, adjusting amount to taste. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Allow to sit at room temp for at least 1 hour for flavors to blend. Taste, adjust sweetness with additional honey and spiciness with a pinch of cayenne pepper if desired.

Salad

1 8 oz bag lettuce or greens, your choice.

1 dozen calamata olives

1 dozen grape tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, cubed

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (optional: substitute 2 oz bleu cheese for half the feta)

handful sliced almonds

Toss together lettuce, olives, tomatoes, avocado, cheese. Sprinkle with almonds.

Tuna

1-12 oz or 2-6 oz tuna steaks

2 T toasted sesame oil

1 T chili oil (“Mongolian Fire Oil” is good)

corn or canola oil

sesame seeds

Buy only tuna steaks that are still cryo-sealed and frozen hard. Do NOT accept partially thawed steaks from the display case. Thaw in the refrigerator for 36 hours.

In a bowl whisk together the sesame and chili oils. Open the tuna and roll around the bowl to coat well; cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Get a cast-iron or nonstick skillet burning hot over highest heat. Put a little corn or canola oil in the pan. Sprinkle the tuna with sesame seeds, place seed-side down in the pan and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds. Cook for 90 seconds only - DO NOT MOVE the steaks until it’s time to flip them. Flip, sprinkle cooked side with sesame seeds, and cook for 60-90 more seconds. The sides should be just completely grey. Remove from pan and allow to cool.

Slice tuna thinly (about 1/8 inch) along the grain. It should be nicely pink in the center. Arrange atop the salad. Drizzle the dressing over. Serve.

Roast Chicken With Lemon-Garlic Tapenade

a dozen jumbo black olives, diced fine (about 4 Tbsp)
4 Tbsp diced garlic
pinch kosher salt
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 tsp chili oil

In general I disdain prepared garlic; however lately I've found tubs of diced garlic in the deli section of the grocery. It's packed in a little oil. The flavor is very sharp and nutty, and the texture is soft. That makes it perfect for this application. You can certainly use fresh garlic if you want; if you do, mix it with just a few drops of olive oil to moisten it.

To make the tapenade, just combine all the ingredients, mix well, and let it sit out at room temperature for an hour or more. If your olives are anything but American-style mild black olives, you may wish to omit the pinch of extra salt.

Work your fingers gently between the skin of the chicken and the meat. Work carefully so as not to tear the skin. You should be able to free it from the breasts, except for along the keel centerline, and from the thighs and drumsticks.

Distribute the tapenade generously underneath the skin. This works best if you put a blob just under the edge and smooth your fingers along the outside to work the tapenade further in.

Roast the chicken in a 450F oven for an hour and a quarter or until the skin is browned and crisp and the thigh internal temperature has passed 165F.

Leftover tapenade can also be enjoyed as a spread on crackers or toast points, by itself or with cream cheese.