Chia seeds are perhaps, one of the most amazing seeds for coating fish. It sounds weird right? We've been pleasantly surprised by how simple it is to encrust a filet without adding any additional egg or sticky substance. That's because of the way chia naturally absorbs water. It becomes sticky on it's own and then when it is seared in a dry pan on this Ahi, it becomes crunchy! It's the coolest weirdest thing ever! Chia, loaded with omega 3 oils is the perfect way to eat your tuna. This Asian fusion dish uses a little twist on the rice, by using our Organic Quinoa instead of rice. Cook it just as you're starting to prepare the fish, and it will be ready to go. This is perhaps one of our staff's favorite meals, mainly because it's so fresh and light and yet so gourmet!

Chia Coating for 2-3 Tuna Steaks (3-4 oz each):

Chia seeds| ½ cup

Black pepper| 1 tsp

Sea Salt| ½ tsp

Coconut Quinoa

Quinoa, cooked| 2 cups

Coconut, unsweetened natural| 1/2 cup

Sea Salt| ¼ tsp

Ground Ginger| ½ tsp

Spicy Cilantro Sesame Sauce

Cilantro, fresh| 1 cup

Sesame Oil| 1 Tbsp.

Avocado Oil, lime infused| ¼ cup

Rice vinegar| ¼ cup

Garlic, fresh| 2 cloves

Sriracha Sauce| 1 Tbsp.

Thai Chile sauce and Sweet Soy Glaze as desired.

Directions:

Pepper Chia Crusted Tuna: Pat tuna steaks dry with a paper towel. In a medium bowl combine the chia seeds, pepper and salt. Heat a skillet to medium high heat.  Dip the tuna into the chia mixture and coat well. Place tuna on hot skillet and sear 2-3 minutes per side, just until seeds begin to lightly brown. Gently turn over, being careful not to remove the chia coating. 

For coconut quinoa: In a large bowl combine 2 cups cooked quinoa, coconut, salt and ginger. 

For Spicy Cilantro Sesame Sauce: In a blender combine all the sauce ingredients and puree until smooth, about 45 seconds. 

To serve: Allow Tuna steaks to cool a few minutes then slice in thin strips. Put a scoop of coconut quinoa in the center of a plate. Arrange slices of the tuna artistically around the quinoa and drizzle with the Spicy Cilantro Sesame Sauce. Drizzle with Sweet Soy Glaze and Thai Chile Sauce if desired. Yield 4 servings.

Estimated Nutritional Information:

Tuna (4 oz): 142 calories, 2 g fat, 2 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 27 g protein

Coconut Quinoa 3/4 cup: 125 cal, 3 g fat, 21 carbohydrate, 3 g fat, 4 g protein

Cilantro Sauce 2 Tbsp: 124 cal, 12 g fat, 5 carbohydrate