Ahi Tuna and Asian Coleslaw

Tonight I am using items left from last week's SLO Veg vegetable box, including some ahi tuna and green cabbage. I still had a half of a green pepper and also some shredded carrots, so I made an Asian-style coleslaw and it will be paired with some seared Ahi tuna topped with a fresh plum sauce made from Black Plums from the box. 

Plum sauce from the Black Plums and Asian slaw will compliment our Ahi tuna dinner tonight.

I borrowed the plum sauce recipe from a recipe I made a while back from the SLO Veg recipe site that was a plum barbecue sauce served over pork. I found a recipe on the website for ahi tuna tacos with plum sauce, but it called for canned plums. This sauce used fresh plums, and I have some handy, so I figured it would go just as good on the tuna. Besides, the fresh sauce is so easy to make. But I kind of want to use up the plums, so I think I will double the batch and can some sauce for later uses on my busy nights. It's only 1 p.m. on my day off, so I have plenty of time to sterilize a few half pint bottles and lids.

For the Asian slaw dressing, I had a bottle of Sesame Ginger marinade in the pantry, so I figured I could start with that. I mean, I have all the ingredients and could make my own Asian-style dressing, but someone gave this to me. It's called "Culinary Treasure's Organic Lemon Ginger Marinade" so how can I go wrong with that? I shook the bottle and poured out a cup into my large glass measuring container. Then I whisked in a half cup of mayonnaise, tasted it, and poured it over the coleslaw vegetables. That will marinate with the vegetables for a couple of hours and be just right for making a base for the delicious tuna I will cook tonight from a recipe inspired by SLO Fresh Catch.
http://www.slofreshcatch.com/albacore-seared-with-black-and-white-sesame-seeds/

Ahi Tuna with Plum BBQ Sauce (Plums) 

Servings: 4  Level: Easy

Recipe from the SLO Veg website:

Plum Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar 
1 cup water 
1 tablespoon prepared minced ginger (Christopher Ranch brand) 
4 plums, sliced 
1 teaspoon five-spice powder 
1/2 lemon, juiced 
1/3 cup hoisin sauce 

Directions: Heat a grill pan, broiler or grill to high heat. Heat the sugar and water in a medium pot over medium-high heat. When the mixture reaches a bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the ginger, plums and five-spice powder. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Add the plum mixture to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in the hoisin sauce. Reserve.

Tuna Ingredients: 

1 pound ahi tuna

coarse sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper 

1/4 cup sesame seeds 

Directions: Coat all sides of the tuna with mixture of salt, pepper and sesame seeds. Sear in canola oil on 

all sides for about 30 seconds each. Slice tuna into 1/2" slices and 

place on a bed of Asian coleslaw. 

Coleslaw Ingredients: 
1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced thinly

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thinly

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 cup Lemon-ginger-sesame dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

Directions: Prepare the vegetables by slicing into thin strips, then toss. 

Whisk mayo into sesame dressing and pour onto coleslaw mixture. Chill for at

least an hour, then serve.