Tuesday Tuna w/ Tapenade

It's Tuesday, why not have tuna tonight?
A nice piece of fresh tuna, seared and served rare with a salty tapenade on top over white beans.
I dreamt of it last night, so thought I would make it for dinner.

This recipe was inspired by Suzanne Goin who makes a beautiful lamb dish with tapenade and white beans at her restaurant Lucques in the winter.

Tapenade is so easy and delicious, if you are a salt lover, like me.
You can make it anyway you like and use it on sandwiches, as part of a tapas buffet or as a sauce for fish.

Here is tonight's dinner:

Tapenade:

handful of good olives (nicoise, gaeta or kalamata)
handful of green manzanilla olives with pimento inside (martini olives)
1 tsp capers
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
1 anchovy, chopped

squeeze of a lemon
drizzle in some good olive oil

Mash all ingredients together on a cutting board, leaving them a bit chunky.
Add to a bowl and add olive oil and lemon juice at the end.



Seared Tuna Steaks:

2 nice, fresh pieces of Yellow fin or Ahi sushi grade tuna
kosher salt and pepper
olive oil

Season tuna steaks all over with kosher salt and pepper.

In a heavy non stick skillet (I only use non stick cookware for omelets or fish),
heat olive oil on medium heat and sear your tuna steaks 1 1/2 minutes on each side for rare.

White Beans:

can of white beans, such as cannellini
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, sliced
fresh thyme
olive oil
salt and pepper
a little chicken stock for the pan

Saute your olive oil in a sauce pan and saute your garlic and shallot on low heat until soft.
Add your can of drained beans and a little chicken stock. Cook about 5 minutes.
Add fresh thyme, salt and pepper. You can mash the beans a bit if you like.

Slice your tuna and fan on top of a bed of the white bean mixture.
Spoon olive tapenade over the top!

This was delicious, healthy and easy, I promise.