TUNA CEVICHE AND CUCUMBER SALAD

YOU MAY REMEMBER that I made preserved tuna in oil the other day. Well, I froze a chunk of the stuff (fresh) and brought it out yesterday and made Ceviche to go with dinner last night. Along with that, I made a nifty salad with cucumbers, et. al, with sesame seeds and ginger. I am working this diet, let me tell you! 

CEVICHE

This is so simple, it's almost a joke. 

1/2 lb. fresh tuna (the pink sushi-quality tuna is best)

1 shallot (sliced)

1 tsp. chile peppers (jalapeño, habeñero, etc.), cut into fine dice - seeds removed

3 tbs. chopped scallion

2 plum tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped into medium dice

1 clove minced garlic

2 tsp. minced ginger

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

Chopped cilantro*, parsley, or even tarragon

Avocado (optional)

Cut the tuna into bite size pieces. Put the tuna, and all of the vegetables in a stainless steel bowl and mix well. Add the lime juice, salt (if necessary), and parsley and cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to an hour, but you may make this ahead of time (up to 24 hours, if necessary, but no more).

The avocado can be cut into large dice and added to the Ceviche or you can arrange slices on a plate or small bowl and spoon on the Ceviche and serve. 

* I hate to admit it, but I'm not at all a fan of cilantro, so I use tarragon or parsley.

CUCUMBER SALAD

1 large cucumber
1 small red onion, sliced paper thin
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and quartered
a couple of handfuls of leafy greens (baby kale, spinach, arugula, etc.)
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

DRESSING

1 tbs. fresh ginger scraped or grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. canola oil

4 tsp. rice wine vinegar

salt and pepper

a very tiny pinch of Splenda

Mix vigorously with a whisk until completely emulsified. Taste for balance. Add more vinegar if it isn't tart enough.

Arrange the leafy greens at the bottom of a large salad bowl. Put the tomatoes on top of the greens, then the cucumbers and then the onions. Sprinkle the sesame seeds all over the top. Drizzle the dressing all over the salad and toss. Serve immediately.

Buon appetito!