Southwestern Tuna Poke w/ Avocado-Mango Salsa

Ok, so we all know that I love to throw a good party -- but sometimes life gets in the way of parties and getting a whole mess of people together just isn’t happening.  Sad times....{if I had my way, this February I’d be throwing a Super Bowl party, Mardi Gras party, Oscar Night party and Valentine’s Day party...}

So when I’m getting a little tear in my eye from lack of party planning, I realize that I can throw a dinner party!  Getting just one other couple into my house constitutes me pulling out all the stops for dinner... it’s a sickness, I know, but I just live to cook for people!  Even though a dinner party isn’t a full blown party, it’s still nice to have a central theme and roll with it.  It just helps your meal to make sense as you move through the courses.  This week’s dinner party theme was Southwestern cuisine and I had a great time preparing this meal.  It’s a little labor-intensive but hey, it’s a dinner party, people, not 30 minute meals!  ;)

Today I’m showing you our appetizer -- Southwestern Tuna Poke w. Avocado-Mango Salsa.  A “Poke” is traditionally a raw fish salad -- do not be afraid to make this in your own home.  Here’s how I rationalize this....when I make Ahi tuna at home, I barely sear it and I’m shoveling it down, so why not just forgo the heat all together?  Really, as long as you’re buying fresh fish from a source that you trust, you can make this at home!  There are three components to this impressive appetizer: the tuna, the avocado-mango salsa and the mango-habanero sauce.  You can pile up these ingredients on a plate, or if you have a nice thick biscuit cutter, use it as a mold and you are good to go!

Southwestern Tuna Poke w. Avocado-Mango Salsa (makes 4)

Mango-Habanero Sauce: (makes 1 cup)

1 tbsp canola oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and chopped

1 habanero, chopped

1 cup white wine vinegar

salt

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic, mangoes, habanero and vinegar and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.  Place mixture in a blender and blend until smooth.  If the mixture is too thick, add a few tablespoons of warm water or vinegar.  Season with salt.

Tuna:

2 (4 oz) ahi tuna steaks, chopped into a small dice

3 tbsp mango-habanero sauce

1 splash sesame oil

Lightly toss all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Avocado-Mango Salsa:

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced

1/2 small red onion, minced

juice of 2 limes

1 tbsp canola oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 generous handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Lightly toss all ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Assembly:

Place biscuit cutter, cookie cutter or mold in the center of small serving plate.  Place 1/4 of avocado-mango salsa into mold and pack down.  Top with tuna mixture, pressing into mold.  Remove mold to unveil your gorgeous appetizer.  Serve with mango-habanero sauce and your choice of chips {I used baked wonton crisps but tortilla chips would be awesome as well!}

{SkinnyChow} Spicy Tuna & Shrimp, Smoked Salmon, Avocado Cucumber Sushi

Sushi is one of my favorite foods and I could probably eat it every day forever and be happy as a clam.  However, if you’ve ever tried making this stuff at home, you might find it to be a daunting task.  The first time I made sushi at home I was: 1. totally freaked I would get sick from the fish I used, 2. completely and entirely clueless as to what the heck I was doing.  I did a lot of reading on making sushi at home and I ended up with rolls that would have looked better in the garbage can for the local raccoon to dig out than on my dinner plate.  Practice is key though and I eventually got the hang of it....but still, making sushi is hard and time consuming!  So I figured out a way to get that sushi flavor and make it rice-less so it’s more healthy for you!  Seriously, anyone can make this super easy cucumber sushi!  And the great thing about it is you can stuff these cucumbers with any combo of veggies and fish!  It’s all good!  If you’re grocery store has a sushi man, stop in and see if they sell sauces for sushi such as Ponzu, Eel Sauce or Spicy Mayo for dipping!  Hello, delicious!

Spicy Tuna & Shrimp, Smoked Salmon, Avocado Cucumber Sushi 

3 cucumbers, washed, dried and cut in half

For the Spicy Tuna 

One 4 oz fresh ahi grade tuna fillet, diced

1 tbsp light mayo

1-2 tsp Sriracha sauce, depending on how spicy you like it

black sesame seeds

panko flakes for garnish

For the Shrimp, Smoked Salmon, Avocado

3 oz smoked salmon, diced

10 large shrimp, cooked and diced

1 small, ripe avocado, mashed

black sesame seeds for garnish

Eel sauce for drizzling

1. To prepare cucumbers:  using a melon baller, scoop out the seeds all the way through each halved cucumber, creating a tunnel.  This will be your sushi base.  
2. For the spicy tuna: combine tuna, mayo and sriracha, add some black sesame seeds for color and crunch in a small bowl, set aside for stuffing
3. For the shrimp: combine salmon, shrimp and mashed avocado in a small bowl, set aside for stuffing
4. Assembly: lay down a sheet of saran wrap on a clean surface and stand each cucumber half on the wrap.  Using a spoon, fill each cucumber half with each filling, pressing down on the filling as you go.  Make sure you really pack it in to get a nice roll.  Lay each stuffed cucumber on it’s side and slice into sushi-sized pieces.  Arrange on a platter and garnish as desired.  Serve with eel sauce, ponzu, spicy mayo or soy sauce.