Lime Grilled Ahi

Goodbye high-end restaurants! Hello backyard BBQ!  This is one amazingly easy, fantastic recipe, and it quickly made it into my Favorite Recipes Cookbook.

We make this at least every other week in summer time.  For our family, THIS IS summer at it's best:  the smell of seared seafood on the grill, the taste of a chilled wine on your tongue, the sounds of children playing, the warm rays of the setting sun, the pink sky promising a beautiful tomorrow - - the perfect al fresco dinner.

This is so easy you'll wonder why you've paid so much in a restaurant! The key is finding a butcher who knows about delicate seafood, not just meat. You want a high grade yellow-fin tuna, or low grade ahi. Don't pay for a shashimi grade ahi; you are going to sear this fish. In Central Oregon, I go to Newport Market for the freshest seafood and knowledgeable staff.

Here's what you need:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ⅛ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh, minced
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 lb yellow fin tuna or low grade ahi tuna

***glaze ***

• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

What to do:

• Mix together olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, ginger and cilantro for your marinade. (Note: If I'm out of cilantro, I skip it. Don't make a trip to the market just for the cilantro.)

• Place tuna fillets in shallow baking dish and pour marinade to coat. Turn over and coat again with remaining marinade.

• Allow to marinade 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

• Mix glaze and set aside.

• Preheat grill for high heat. When high temp is reached, rub grill grate with an oil soaked paper towel. Resoak towel with oil and rewipe grill until grill is shiny clean from oil, about 3-6 times.


• When grill is hot, reduce heat to low and place fillets on cleaned grate.

• Close lid and cook 1-2 minutes.

• Flip carefully and close lid to sear fish, about 1 minute. 

My husband likes his rare, so 1 minute per side is plenty. He usually leaves mine on for another 1-2 minutes when it is just barely pink in the middle. At this point, our family is done. We like it mostly seared and rare.

• Open lid and baste with remaining marinade until cooked as thoroughly as you like brush on glaze and serve.

Serve any remaining glaze with tuna on the table.

Happy grilling!   Laurie

Wheat Berry Salad

This is my new favorite summer salad recipe.  I had some leftover grilled chicken, and noticed a jar of wheat berries in my pantry. So I googled "Wheat Berries" on Food Network and came up with a recipe from Healthy Appities with Ellie Kriger.

Of course I changed a few things, but I still need to give her the credit for getting me started.  The first time I made it my fridge was empty of greens, so I left them out and just did the walnuts without toasting them, and changed the cherries to craisins.  And it was good. Comparable to that expensive wheat berry salad sold at Whole Foods.  

Next I made it with all the greens, and to be honest, it was too much. I prefer it with alot less celery, onions and parsley so I cut them in half for the recipe below.  Serve it outside on the patio with grilled chicken for a perfect summer evening meal.

The great thing about this salad it how easy it is! The wheat berries take about an hour, so make them in the morning while you are fixing breakfast, or the night before as you make dinner.

I also like that this salad holds up well for transporting, and that it doesn't wilt or melt in the warm summer sun.  Perfect for picnics!

Here's what you need:

• 1 ½ cups hard wheat berries
• ¾ cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 small stalk celery, finely chopped
• ½ cup dried craisins, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons small green onion, white and green parts, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to prepare:

• In a large pot combine the wheat berries and enough water to come 2 inches over the wheat berries. I used almost 6 cups of water.  Bring this to a boil and cook uncovered for 1 hour, or until tender.

• Drain and let cool.

• While the berries are cooking, chop the veggies. This is where a Pampered Chef Chopper comes in real handy, or look at it as good practice for your knife handling skills.

• In a large bowl, combine the wheat berries, walnuts, celery, craisins, green onion, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

See how easy that is!