ASIAN AHI SALAD

Going to sushi only feels right when you can sit at the sushi bar. Focused Japanese men slicing and rolling, the occasional yelp and ching ching of their Sapporos. My Dad eats the sweet shrimp with the eyes and crunchy tentacles poking around, so gross. He tries to pick the strangest items and offer wagers to who wants to try them. Uni with quail egg, anyone? I've never left sushi a richer woman than when I walked in. Despite the games he likes to play, we both appreciate a good sashimi salad. We’ve frequented many sushi bars in town, assessing the proportions of lettuce or salty soy sauce dressing. Though I’m not one to digress from critiquing the food, sushi with my Dad is where we have our heart to heart talks. If he can tell my sister or I need a good talk, a little advice or direction, he initiates a sushi date. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I like it so much, it has represented a number of great conversations with my pappy.

This is a white girls attempt at a seared ahi salad; all sorts of flavors, lots of crunchy veggies and big chunks of fresh fish. My proportions are nothing like that of a sushi restaurant, as I kind of have a thing for vegetables. Ahi (aka yellowfin) Tuna is the least oily of the family, so it does well with a quick sear to prevent from drying out. Try to seek out a place you trust for fish, especially when eating it on the raw side such as this salad.

ASIAN AHI SALAD // Serves 4

1 Pound Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna

1 Head Napa/Savoy Cabbage (About 5 Cups Sliced)

1 Red Bell Pepper, Thin Slivers

1 Cup Shredded Carrots

¾ Cup Shelled Edamame

½ Cup Green Onion

1 Avocado, medium diced

/Dressing/

2 tsp. Tamari

1 Lime, Zest and Juice (approx 3 tbsp.)

1 tbsp. Rice Vinegar

2 tbsp. Sesame Oil

1 tbsp. Agave Nectar (or sugar)

½ tsp. Hot Sauce of Choice

1 tsp. Wasabi (or wasabi powder)

1 tbsp. Toasted Sesame Seeds

1 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper

1. Heat grill to medium high heat. Coat both sides of the ahi with a bit of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Sear on a hot grill pan or grill for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side. You don’t want to cook it all the way through. Remove to cool and place in the fridge while preparing the rest of the salad.

2. For the dressing, add the tamari, rice vinegar, lime zest and juice, agave, hot sauce and wasabi to a bowl. Give it a whisk. Add the sesame oil, sesame seeds, and pepper. Whisk and taste. Add what your tastes prefer, be it heat, salt etc.

3. Chop the cabbage as thin as possible. Add the cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, edamame, and green onion to the large bowl. Toss with about 3 tbsp. of the dressing.

4. Cut the ahi into 1’’ chunks. Add the avocado and ahi to the remaining dressing and toss to coat. Let it sit a minute, and place a generous scoop of the ahi avocado atop the slaw.

OAT'NANA PUCKS

Last night, I was struck by how grateful I am to live where I do. Hugh took me swimming. A romantic early evening dip, as I never do this on my own accord. The air was warm and the ocean temp about 70 degrees. Deep blue and crystal clear. It had been FAR too long since I’d been out swimming. It ends up being quite a workout for me, treading water, as I am terrified of sea creatures chomping my feet off. Hugh made a good looking life saving device. The ocean is so vast, that it reminds me how small we are in this wild and precious life. It was calming and reviving at the same time; much needed. Regardless of where you live, I know that you’ve had those moments of being overwhelmed with gratitude. I may sound sappy, but if your heart is any bigger than a pea, thoughts as these have crossed your mind.

Bringing it back to the treats at hand, because you and I can both be grateful for these pucks of oatty goodness. I don’t bake cookies often because my greedy tendencies seem to surface every time I do... I intend to give most away, but once they are warm and sweet smelling out of the oven, I get protective and hoard them. I freeze most, to have them only when I really NEED a cookie. I manage to easily convince myself that I always NEED a cookie. These are so tasty and hearty, that I even NEED them around breakfast time. The good news: these lil pucks have no eggs, sugar or butter, but I assure you, they still taste like a treat.

OAT ‘NANA PUCKS // 3 dozen mini pucks

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks.

Heidi's recipe calls for almond meal, but I like nut crunchies. The almond meal does however, help act as a binder. So I added wheat bran. If you have gluten allergies, omit the wheat bran and use almond meal. Also note that these cookies can be a bit crumbly in texture. If that bothers you, add a beaten egg to the wet mix.

3 Well Ripened Bananas

2 tbsp. Good Vanilla Extract

¼ Cup Coconut Oil (olive oil works fine)

2 Cups Rolled Oats

1/3 Cup Wheat Bran

2/3 Cup Finely Chopped Almonds

1/2 Cup Unsweetened, Shredded Coconut

1 tbsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Powder

¾ Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips or Carob Chips

Oven to 350’

Mush the ripe bananas with a fork. Mix the wet ingredients together: bananas, vanilla, and oil. In another bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and gently mix. Fold in the chocolate or carob chips. The dough will be loose. Here, my favorite line in her recipe, ‘don’t worry about it’. Ha.

On a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat, make mini balls, then give them a gentle smush to flatten them. I like them in balls, Hugh prefers them in pucks, shape as you wish. They don’t really change shape while baking, so spacing 1’’ between is fine.

Bake for about 14 minutes until puck or nugget is firm. Do not undercook or they will crumble.

Hoard.

SUMMER TOMATO LENTILS

I work in the hospitality industry. There are no holidays, and ‘weekends’ typically come in the form of a Tuesday and Thursday. This does make for productive days off, but there is something about the traditional weekend day that makes me feel like I don’t need to set an alarm. I love taquito-ing myself in my soft white comforter, listening to people futz around in the back alley and having tea in a mug that doesn’t have to fit in my car cup holder. I love you, Saturday.

Laguna Beach has their farmers market on Saturday, so that was my first stop this past (real) weekend. You know, once I got out of my fluffy taquito. I can travel to others during the week if need be, but I find it much more charming to walk to my market, canvas bag in hand- it fits the Saturday picture I paint in my head. I joined the people hovering around the testers enjoying the sweet smell of stone fruits on little toothpicks. Hugh lingered in the background twittering about how 'the hippies were looking at him funny.’ Typical.

There is so much produce in season right now; I grabbed a few favorites to fill my mini fridge, along with some incredibly fragrant baby tomatoes that I thought would be great in a big bowl of lentils. As they delicately roast in the oven, the sweet flavor becomes more pronounced.

SUMMER TOMATO LENTILS // Serves 2 as entrée, 4 as a side

1 Cup Lentils

1 Lemon, zest and juice

1/3 Cup Goat Cheese

2 Large Shallots, peeled and sliced thin

3 Cups Baby Tomatoes

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/3 Cup Chives, Finely Chopped

1/3 Cup Basil, Chopped

1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard

1 tsp. Garlic Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Oven to 325'

Note: I cook my lentils in unsalted water, as salt is said to toughen the beans- they will taste most fresh if the seasoning is added at the end.

1. Cut tomatoes in half. On the baking pan, toss with 1/2 tbsp. of the olive oil and garlic salt. Turn the tomatoes so they are cut side up, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

2. Rinse and drain the lentils, pick out any scrappy pieces. In a medium pot bring 1½ cups water to a boil, add the lentils, turn down the heat to medium and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Test the beans for doneness; the liquid should be absorbed, add more if they are not soft to your taste. Put them in a large bowl and crumble in the goat cheese so it melts in the warmth. Add the lemon zest and juice, and gently fold to coat.

3. While lentils are cooling, make the crispy shallots. In a small saucepan, heat up 1/2 tbsp. olive oil on medium. Add the sliced shallots and cook about 15 minutes, until they are golden brown on both sides.

4. Gently fold the dijon mustard, remaining olive oil and fresh black pepper into the goat cheesey lentils. Add the basil and chives, roasted tomatoes and crispy shallots. Add salt to your preference.

~ Serve in a pita or butter lettuce wraps!