TUNA TARTARE WITH GINGER AND SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
I’m a huge fan of raw tuna. The trick is to get high-quality tuna—called “sushi grade.” If you don’t want to eat raw tuna, you can sear it whole in a hot pan until it’s cooked to your liking, then slice and serve it with the sauce and the mushroom salad. Textured vegetable protein can be found in the health-food aisle of most major supermarkets. Serves 4
8 ounces sushi-grade tuna
¼ cup Rockin’ Asian Stir-Fry Sauce or store-bought low-fat, low-calorie Asian sauce
3 scallions (white and green parts), sliced thin on the diagonal
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
Grated zest of 1 lime
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps sliced very thin
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons textured vegetable protein, such as Bob’s Red Mill
1. Cut the tuna into small dice. Put it in a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator until it is very cold, about 30 minutes.
2. When ready to serve, mix the tuna with the Asian sauce, half of the scallions, the ginger, the lime zest, and 1 tablespoon of the lime juice. Taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
3. In the center of each of 4 salad plates, form a mound of tuna. In a small bowl, mix the remaining scallions with the mushrooms, sesame seeds, and remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Season the mushroom salad with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Sprinkle the textured vegetable protein over the tuna, and then pile the mushroom salad on top. Serve immediately.
Healthy Tips
Thinking about going vegan? Replace the ground meat in any recipe in this book with textured vegetable protein (TVP), a soy product that has a texture similar to ground meat when cooked. TVP works well in dishes such as casseroles, pasta sauces, vegetarian soups, and chili. It absorbs spices and flavorings well–much like tofu and rice–making it an extremely versatile staple for those who want to eschew (not chew) meat.
