Seared Swordfish with Vegetables and Wasabi Dressing

Can you guess what my grocer had on sale this week? I'll give you three guesses....

Sashimi grade swordfish! So happy!

Here's what I came up with for dinner tonight. Swordfish is a very finicky protein, and the only way I can properly cook it is very little (or not at all). For this dish, you need high-quality swordfish so you can enjoy the raw portions of the steak. This meal is super-quick and super-simple....Enjoy!

Seared Swordfish with Vegetables and Wasabi Dressing

Ingredients:

2 tbs peanut oil

1 lb sashimi grade swordfish steak, trimmed and bloodline removed

8 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed

2 small red chilis, very finely chopped

1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

4 stalks green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

2 tsp wasabi paste

juice of 1 lime

1 1/2 tbs tamari

1 tbs cilantro leaves, finely chopped

salt and pepper

Directions:

Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in grill pan over medium-high heat. Season the swordfish steaks with salt and pepper, then sear the swordfish for about a minute and a half each side. Remove from pan and plunge into the ice water bath to stop the cooking process. After a couple of minutes in the ice water, remove the steaks, pat dry, and place in the refrigerator.

Reduce pan heat to medium heat and add remaining oil. Sauté mushrooms with the chili pepper until mushrooms are soft, about 3 minutes. Season the mushrooms with a little salt and pepper; add asparagus and green onion to the pan and sauté until asparagus is bright green, another 3-4 minutes. Remove vegetables to a serving dish. Season tomato wedges and grill about 2 minutes per side, then remove to serving dish.

Remove the swordfish from the fridge and thinly slice. Arrange on top of grilled vegetables.

Whisk together the wasabi, lime juice, and tamari. Drizzle the dressing over the fish and vegetables, and garnish with cilantro. Makes 4 servings.

Thai Basil Tofu and Asparagus

The farmers market opened last weekend, and I couldn't wait to see what would be offered. Despite it being early in the season, there was quite a bit from the local producers! Spinach, asparagus, green onions, various herbs....it was a thrill to walk through the booths again.

Naturally, I was eager to put my wares to the test. I've been craving Thai lately, and as I have a plethora of tofu in the fridge (there was a sale), that's the route I took. This is my variation of the dish my sister and I usually get when we go to the local Thai restaurant. The best part about making this myself is I don't have to ask the waiter to bring more basil!

Thai Basil Tofu and Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 lb block extra-firm tofu, drained, lightly pressed between paper towels, and cut into 1/4" thick strips

2 tbs peanut oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp tamari (soy sauce)

1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced (more if you like it hot!)

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 tbs grated ginger root

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs stir fry sauce

1 tbs water

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 lb asparagus, cut into 1" lengths

4 oz shiitake mushrooms, cut into matchstick sized pieces

1 lime, zested and cut in half

1 c fresh basil, chopped

1/2 c cashews

Directions:

Heat wok over medium heat; add 1 tbs of the peanut oil and all of the sesame oil. Lay the tofu strips in a single layer in the wok. Fry tofu for about 5 minutes on each side, or until a light golden brown. Sprinkle the tamari over the tofu and stir gently. Allow to fry another 5 minutes, then remove from the wok and set aside.

Heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add jalapeno, onion, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add stir-fry sauce and water and mix well.

Add bell pepper, asparagus, mushrooms, lime zest, and the tofu that was set aside. Stir, then cover and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes (or until the asparagus is a bright green).

Stir in basil, juice from 1/2 of the lime, and cashews. Cook an additional 2 minutes. If desired, garnish with additional basil and lime wedges cut from the remaining half of the lime. Makes 4 servings.