Simple sesame-seared tuna

As you can see I'm really taking my task of making the most of the fresh fish here quite seriously - last week I made a salmon tartare and now I made myself this super-quick tuna dish for lunch. I really love sushi and sashimi, but sometimes when I eat sashimi I feel like there's something missing. The fish itself has always been delicious, but sometimes I just crave for something a bit more than plain fish. And as the local fish and sushi shop does not do sesame seared tuna I had to get myself together and make it at home.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out how easy it was to put together such a lovely dish - it's just a matter of minutes! The asparagus takes the longest to prepare, but if you have your tuna without a side, then it'll be ready in just over a minute. Apart from the speed I really loved the taste and texture. I know that the middle is still raw (that's why you need sushi grade tuna), but the seared edges really make a difference. This was the first time I prepared something out of tuna steak and I was really pleased with myself. So no more excused for not cooking at home - it is possible to have a healthy, filling and satisfying meal ready in no time.

This works well as a starter or light lunch or dinner and on top of that, it is fancy enough to be served at a dinner party. And if you've got a bit more time and prefer slightly nuttier taste, roast your sesame seeds until they're golden brown before rolling the tuna in them.

Ingredients

(Serves 1)
- 110g sushi grade tuna steak
- 90g baby asparagus
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 5 tbsp soya sauce






Directions
First stir-fry the asparagus with a dash of soya sauce and set on a plate. Then sear the tuna steak by doing each side for 12-15 seconds and then roll it in the sesame seeds. Slice the tuna up and place it on the asparagus. Serve with soya sauce.

Salmon & Avocado tartare

I've become aware of the fact that my time in Singapore is limited (I'm moving back home mid-September) and as my recent visit to London reminded me of the expensive sushi grade salmon prices I decided that it was my last chance to get myself together and actually give making a homemade salmon tartare a go.

I absolutely love tartares - salmon, tuna or a mixture of both and I frequently have them whenever I'm eating out. So, having my hopes up high I did some research on the internet and to my great disappointment I did not find the recipe that I was looking for. Well, to be honest I didn't know what I was looking for exactly, but whatever I found just didn't feel right. Don't get me wrong - the recipes and pictures looked divine, but they were just not was I was looking for. So I had no other choice than to improvise... and it turned out so well that I'm actually thinking of giving tuna tartare a shot as well!

Because I've had quite a few tartares I kind of knew what I wanted mine to have. Also, I was sure about the things that I didn't want my tartare to include - onions and no mayo based dressing, as I wanted to keep it healthy. I love the taste cooked onions give to soups, fry-ups and roasts, but I just don't like raw onions. I never have and the chances are that I'll never will - I even make all my fresh salads without raw onions. But that's just my thing. If you love onions then by all means add some to the tartare. So after deciding on the ingredients and actually buying them it was time to mix it all together. I was aiming for a light, but at the same time creamy, and flavourful tartare. The resulting tartare was exactly what I had wanted for - simple, creamy and with a nice oriental touch. I served my tartare with some cracker bread, but it would also go well with toasted baguette or even Indonesian krupuk.

Also, apart from being really delicious and filling, both avocado and salmon are two of super-foods - so in addition to having a filling meal you're also doing your body a whole lot of good.

Ingredients

(Serves 1)
- 1 Ripe avocado
- 140g sashimi grade salmon fillet, skin removed
- Juice of 1/4 lemon (plus zest to serve)
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 3-4 tsp soya sauce
- Small piece of root ginger, crushed
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- Crackers, to serve
- Dried coriander, to season
- Pepper, to season

Directions
First halve the avocado, remove the seed and peel both sides. Then smash one side up with a for and add lemon juice, 1-2 tsp soya sauce (it all depends on how salty you like your food), fish sauce and crushed ginger. Mix well and set aside.

Then cube the other half of avocado and salmon and place them in another bowl. Add the remaining soya sauce, 1tsp sesame seeds, some fresh pepper and a pinch of dried coriander. Mix well.

Mix the avocado puree together with the salmon. Place a piece of clingfilm in a bowl, then place the tartare in firmly in the bowl. Keep in the fridge until serving.

To serve the tartare, remove it from the bowl - this is where the cling film comes in handy. Sprinkle it with some sesame seeds and serve with crackers or toasted bread. Enjoy!

Salmon canapés

I went to visit my parents in Estonia last week and as it is my birthday today, I also had a small sit down with my friends and a late lunch with my grandmothers. Part of me is already fed up with cakes - I made three cakes in three days and they were all gone by the time I left for my flight. But instead of a cake recipe I'll share a quick and easy nibbles recipe.

Made those salmon canapé snacks to have before indulging in the various different cakes and they really went down as a treat - everyone loved them. Serving salmon on a rye crisp bread instead of the more traditional blinis ups the health rating of the recipe in addition to adding a nice twist to it. These small squares are incredibly quick and easy to make - just make sure that you don't make them ages in advance as the cream cheese will soften the rye crisp bread and the snack is not so crispy anymore.

Feel free to experiment with seasoned cheese spreads and server with a squeeze of lemon. Also, for a more sophisticated take decorate some squares with baby capers. All in all - a quick, tasty and easy party canapé, which in addition to its deliciousness also counts towards your Omega 3 intake.

Ingredients
(Makes 24)
- 175g smoked salmon
- 8 Finncrips rye crisp breads, cut into 3
- 150g cheese spread (or cream cheese)
- Dill, to decorate

Directions
Cut the rye crisp breads into three equal size pieces and top each off with a generous amount of cheese spread. Then cut up the salmon and place on top of the cheese. Place the canapés on a plate and sprinkle with dill.

Parma ham & melon

Every now and then I feel like eating something simple and tasty. Something that does not take hours to prepare and does not need a long list of ingredients. Sure, sophisticated or a bit more special food is great - I am a big fan of trying new things and experimenting with ingredients which I have to google to find out what they are and how do they look like. However, sometimes simplicity is the key to food. And this brings me to todays recipe. I even don't know whether it is correct to call it a recipe as it basically involves eating two ingredients together... Nevertheless it is undoubtedly one of my all time favourites. It is one of those universal recipes that you can have any time of the day just by yourself or serve it as canapés or a starter at a dinner party - just organise the melon and ham in a fancy way and voila! It has always been a big crowd pleaser so you can't go wrong with serving this. Also, there are endless ways of serving this dish - melon wedges, cubes, slices and the bit lazy ones amongst us (or ones under time constraints) can even buy ready-to-eat melon pieces and serve it up with the ham.

I am still amazed how good this combination of sweet melon and salty Parma tastes like. It's perfect combination for a refreshing summer dish and adds a nice dose of sun into my day whenever I have it. For a more sophisticated take on the recipe, drizzle with some good quality balsamic vinegar and for a more filling dish, serve rocket on the side and increase the quantities.

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
- 200g melon, sliced
- 90g Parma ham
- Fresh black pepper to serve
- Balsamic vinegar, to serve (optional)
- Olive oil, to serve (optional)

Directions
Peel the melon and slice into pieces. Place the melon slices onto a plate and top them off with Parma ham. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top if you wish and serve with freshly ground pepper.

Honey & sesame prawns on bok choy

I do have to admit that most of my days here I have fruit and salad (and take aways from local hawker centres) and do not cook 'real' food as such. Mainly because I don't have time, but also because the choice of dishes in Singapore is incredible - I could have absolutely anything I wanted. And so far all the food I've tried has been delicious. Being inspired by the food that I've eaten over the past few weeks I tried to make an Asian meal myself. I still haven't overcome my fascination of fresh king prawns (and how affordable they are in this part of the world) and therefore once again I have included them.

This dish is incredibly easy to make and probably the most time consuming part is peeling the prawns (obviously you could buy ready peeled ones) and the marinating. But if those are out of the way, it just takes few minutes to put together this tasty and relatively light dish. I had it as a light lunch, but it could easily be serves as one of many side dishes to a dinner or as a starter at a dinner party - it looks very impressive and sophisticated when arranged properly.

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
- 10 king prawns, peeled
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
- 1/2 lime rind
- 1/2 lime juice
- 4 small bok choy heads
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- sesame oil, to fry

Directions
Firstly, peel the king prawns. Then mix fish sauce, honey, kecap manis, lime rind and lime juice in a small bowl. Add the prawns to the marinade mixture, coat with cling film and set aside for 30minutes or so.

Them, cut of the bottom pit of bok choy so you have separate stems with leaves and set aside. Heat a wok pan and when it is hot add the sesame seeds. Cook them for 1-2 minutes until golden. If they are ready, remove and set them aside.

Heat some sesame seed oil in the same work and stir fry the bok choy for around 4 minutes. When they are ready, place them on a plate.

To cook the prawns, remove them from the marinade (but don't throw it away), heat some more oil in the wok and cook the prawns on both sides until golden. If the prawns are ready add the marinade and cook until it reduces slightly. Finally, place the prawns on bok choy, pour over the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Recipe from taste.com.au