Tuna with Cannellini Bean-Grilled Onion Salad and Roasted Garlic-Tomato Quinoa

That's right - more quinoa! This Peruvian grain is so simple, delicious, and hearty that I couldn't resist whipping it up once again. Tonight it's flavored with roasted garlic, one of the simple delights in life, as well as tomatoes and cheese. And how can you go wrong with that combination?

The creamy, tasty quinoa is served alongside freshly grilled Tuna over a salad made up of cannellini beans, grilled onions, and a few other ingredients. It's savory and sweet at the same time, and the contrasting textures are perfect. Feel free to substitute your favorite bean if you don't like cannellini, but I think the smooth, light white beans are perfect in this recipe.

Difficulty: easy
Time: 1 hr 30 min
Cost: 23.29



Roasted Garlic-Tomato Quinoa
Time: 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients:
1/2 garlic head (cloves attached)
2 tsp olive oil
1.5 tbsp shallots, diced
1/2 cook uncooked quinoa (rinse and drain it)
1 tbsp white wine
1 c vegetable broth (no salt added)
3/4 c tomato, diced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp Parmesan (low fat)
1/4 c shredded mozzarella (low fat)

First, you need to roast your garlic, which is the most time consuming portion of this. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the outer white papery skin of the garlic head but do not peel or separate the cloves. Break the head in half down the middle, vertically, along the line of cloves. You will only be using the other half! Wrap it in foil and bake for 1 hr.

I now recommend you continue with the rest of your meal while this bakes. You'll want to start cooking the rest of the meal right as the garlic is finishing (so it has a few minutes to cool before you add it in at the end of the cooking process.)

Heat a pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat, and let it heat. When it's hot, add the shallots. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until they just begin to cook. Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes, stirring the entire time.

Add the white wine while stirring and cook until it is absorbed - about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then add the broth, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil. Once the broth boils, turn to a simmer, and let it simmer untouched for 15 minutes.

While the quinoa is simmering, take each garlic clove and squeeze out the now mushy garlic on the inside, throwing away the papery skin. Keep the garlic pulp in a pile because you will be adding it shortly.

When the 15 minutes are up, the broth should be absorbed and the quinoa tender. While keeping the pot on the stove, quickly stir in the tomato, black pepper, Parmesan, mozzarella, and garlic. Stir just until combined and then remove from the heat and serve right away. (You can stir more away from the heat to fully incorporate everything if needed.)

Tuna with Cannellini Bean-Grilled Onion Salad
Time: 45 min

Ingredients:
2 tsp lemon rind, grated
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lb Tuna steak

1 c onion, sliced vertically
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 c cucumber, diced
1 (16 oz) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 package arugula

First, marinate your fish. Combine the lemon rind, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and black pepper in the top list of ingredients in a plastic bag. Shake to combine and then put the tuna in the bag. Put in your fridge and marinate for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

As it marinates, get your onion salad going.

Get your grill (or Foreman grill) heating to medium heat. Add the onion slices and grill for 4-5 minutes. They should be lightly charred when they are done. Remove and let them cool for a few minutes, and then chop them into small, bite-sized pieces.

While the onion is cooking, combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, Dijon mustard, and garlic in a medium bowl. Whisk until it is well combined (the Dijon helps the olive oil and vinegar mix - so keep whisking to get it there!)

Add the chopped onion, cucumber, cannellini beans, and arugula. Toss well until everything is well mixed. You'll be serving the tuna over this shortly.

Once the grill is free form onion and the tuna is done marinating, turn the heat up to medium high. Remove the tuna from the bag and place it on the grill. Cook for about 8-9 minutes total, flipping halfway through if you have a real grill, or until cooked to your desired degree.

Serve the fish over the onion salad.