I love tuna. It has such a nice, firm texture and mild, meaty flavor. It can be great on it’s own and hold it’s own with stronger spices.
In this recipe, I wanted to blend the meatiness of the tuna with the herby, exotic flavor of Za’atar then enhance the blend with the trifecta of garlic, onion, and tomato.
Before I get too involved in this post, let me state for the record:
1. I am not a trained chef or nutritionist.
2. I am not a medical professional.
3. I am not a professional photographer.
Ingredients
4 tuna steaks, 5 oz each
1 medium yellow onion
1 medium tomato
1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of Za’atar
Preparation
- Rinse the tuna steaks and pat dry.
- Peal and half the onion and slice thin half moons.
- Wash and slice the tomato
- Mince or measure pre-minced garlic
- Chop the Kalamata olives
Cooking
- Line a pan with foil and use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to brush the foil on the bottom of the pan.
- Place the tuna steaks in the pan, salt and pepper both sides lightly and sprinkle the Za’atar on top.
- Spread 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic on top of each tuna steak, then top with chopped olives
- Fill in the sides of the pan around the tuna with the sliced onion, then drizzle the rest of the olive oil on top
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the tuna has an internal temprature of 125 degrees Farenheit.
Note: In the picture you see each tuna steak topped with a basil leaf. After trying the recipe, I realized the basil leaf added nothing to the flavor. It looks pretty, so go ahead if you want to pretty it up!
Just a few notes …
I think this one accomplished my goals. I really like the blend of flavors. The Za’atar, garlic, and tomatoes compliment the flavor and texture of the tuna. Plus, it’s nice to have the onions as an extra veggie.However, if you are not an onion person, feel free to leave them out! I think if I were to change one thing, I will leave out the olives next time.
You can serve with additional vegetables and couscous immediately, or as I do — store in the fridge and heat up my meals in the microwave. Simply pop the preped meal in the mirowave for 90 seconds to 2 minutes and enjoy.
Inspiration
There are so many wonderful tuna steak recipies on the internet a couple of my favories are:
https://www.foodfanatic.com/2021/03/tuna-steak-recipes-for-the-oven/