Recipe: Grilled Tuna Steaks with Mango Salsa

Tuna is a wonderful lean source of protein perfect for those days when you just want a light meal or you’re hoping to be able to button your jeans without a fight. It is rich in omega-3 essential fats which are so important in keeping cholesterol levels in check.

Tuna should be cooked medium-rare at the most. Basically it should still be raw in the middle. If you cook it all the way through, it will be dry and dense and maybe even chewy. At that point, you may as well eat canned tuna. Once you have some pretty good grill marks on each side, you are good to go.

For this recipe, you can use fresh mango, or do what I did and use a frozen bag of sliced mango from Trader Joe’s. This is a really easy product to use in a pinch because the mangos at the store often aren’t ripe and if you wait for them to ripen, your tuna isn’t fresh anymore. To defrost frozen mango, place in the refrigerator in the morning or set the beg on the counter for a few hours. Any unused frozen chunks would be wonderful in a smoothie.

Grilled Tuna Steaks with Mango Salsa

• 4 ahi tuna steaks
• olive oil
• 1 teaspoon blackening seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups diced mango
• 1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat (or heat a gas grill to medium-high). Coat tuna with olive oil, sprinkle with blackening seasoning, and salt and pepper. Cook tuna for approximately 3 minutes per side. Set aside.
2. To make salsa- combine mango, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, and jalapenos in a medium bowl.
3. In a small bowl mix mile juice, vinegar, and sugar together. Pour on top of mango mixture. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and cilantro. Toss to mix and refrigerate until needed.

Yield: 4 servings