National gourmet coffee day was last month. It made me start thinking about my coffee crusted ahi and decided to play around with the idea. Crusted with lemon pepper and coffee grounds, seared and topped with a fresh relish. It came out really good.

Give it a try – I think you’ll like it!

Prepping the Ahi

This will be the very first thing you do. It’s going to have to chill.

Whisk the lemon pepper, coffee grounds and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

Roll the ahi ^[1] steaks in the mixture and coat on all sides.

Place in a single layer, cover and refrigerate at least 30 min.

Making the relish

Place the onion, tomatoes and capers in a large bowl. Gently stir.

In another small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt with 4 turns of fresh cracked pepper.

Pour the mixture over the vegetables and gently stir. Set aside and let rest at least 30 minutes. Letting it sit for a bit allows the flavors to meld and compliment each other.

Cooking the steaks and serving

Heat a heavy grill pan on medium high to high heat. Brush on the oil. This is why grapeseed oil is used. It can tolerate high heats before it starts to smoke.

When the oil is hot, gently lay the steaks on the grill.

Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. To make it rare, the internal temperature should be 90 to 100; medium rare, 130 degrees.

Remove the steaks from the heat to a warm plate. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes.

^[2]

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Top each steak with 1/4 of the relish, then drizzle it all with white truffle oil. Truffle oil is pretty expensive at the grocery store. I ordered mine from Amazon

Serve with orzo or rice.

5 from 5 votes

Print ^[3]

Coffee Crusted Ahi with Sweet Onion and Tomato Relish

Crusted with lemon pepper and coffee, then seared to desired doneness. A fresh onion and tomato relish tops it off.

Course: dinner, Main Course, supper

Cuisine: American, seafood

Keyword: ahi, capers, coffee, lemon, lemon pepper, sweet onion, tomato, tuna, white truffle oil

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 4 1" thick ahi steaks
• 2 Tablespoons used coffee grounds
• 2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Relish

• 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped (Like walla walla or vidalia)
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon capers
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 turns fresh cracked pepper - medium grind
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• drizzle white truffle oil

Instructions

Preparing the Steaks

1. This will be the very first thing you do. It's going to have to chill.

   Whisk the lemon pepper, coffee grounds and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

2. Roll the steaks in the mixture and coat on all sides.

3. Place in a single layer, cover and refrigerate at least 30 min. 

Making the Relish

1. Place the onion, tomatoes and capers in a large bowl. 

2. In another small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt with 4 turns of fresh cracked pepper.

3. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and gently stir. Set aside and let rest at least 30 minutes. 

Cooking and Serving the Steaks

1. Heat a heavy grill pan on medium high to high heat. Brush on the oil. This is why grapeseed oil is used. It can tolerate high heats before it starts to smoke.

2. When the oil is hot, gently lay the steaks on the grill.

3. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. To make it rare, the internal temperature should be 90 to 100; medium rare, 130 degrees.

4. Remove the steaks from the heat to a warm plate. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes.

5. Top each steak with 1/4 of the relish, then drizzle it all with white truffle oil.

Recipe Notes

 

This dish goes great with rice or orzo!

© Copyright 2024 The Lazy Gastronome

© Copyright 2024 The Lazy Gastronome

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I love ahi ^[7] steaks. We like them thick and rare. This recipe is beautifully seasoned and topped with a slightly spicy sauce made with butter and capers. It cooks fast and is so easy!!

Making the Ahi Steaks and Sauce –

Season the ahi with lemon pepper, salt and fresh cracked pepper on  both sides.

Set aside.

Make the sauce first. The ahi won’t take long so you’ll want to have everything ready to serve when they are done.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook on low until it just starts to become fragrant.

Add the salt, chili crisps, and capers. Turn the heat to warm and continue to cook while you make the steaks.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet.

Lay the steaks in the hot oil and cook on medium-high until they’re browned. Turn and cook the other side, about 1 to 2 minutes each. The internal temperature should be 130 degrees for medium rare and 90 for rare (the way we like it).

Let the steaks rest 10 minutes.

Lightly whisk the sauce – Serve with rice or couscous and top it all with the sauce.

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 12 votes

Print ^[8]

Seared Ahi Steaks with Garlic Caper Butter

A super easy and fast dish - seared ahi covered in a rich, brown butter sauce

Course: dinner, Main Course, main dish, supper

Cuisine: fish, seafood

Keyword: ahi, browned butter, capers, chili crisps, garlic, steaks, tuna

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1-1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed and minced
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon chili crisps
• 3 heaping teaspoons capers

Ahi Steaks

• 4 ahi tuna steaks
• 4 teaspoons lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

1. Season the steaks with lemon pepper, salt and fresh cracked pepper on  both sides. Set aside.

2. Make the sauce first. The steaks won't take long so you'll want to have everything ready to serve when they are done.

3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook on low until it just starts to become fragrant.

4. Add the salt, chili crisps, and capers. Turn the heat to warm and continue to cook while you make the steaks.

5. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet.

6. Lay the steaks in the hot oil and cook on medium-high until they're browned. Turn and cook the other side, about 1 to 2 minutes each. The internal temperature should be 130 degrees for medium rare and 90 for rare (the way we like it).

7. Let the steaks rest 10 minutes.

8. Serve with rice or couscous and top it all with the sauce. 

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

In my quest to find more plant based foods, I’ve been experimenting. I’ve found garbanzo beans ^[11] to be really versatile. They are the foundation of hummus – and this recipe uses those little round beans (also known as chickpeas) to create a spread that has a pretty close resemblance to tuna salad. And it’s so easy!! A few ingredients and a food processor is all that you need!

Here’s how to turn garbanzo beans into tuna:

The first thing is to chop up the garbanzo beans.

Drain the can and dump the beans into the food processor. Pulse until you have a coarsely chopped mixture.

Add the seaweed sheets and pulse again until it’s smooth but still chunky and the seaweed is well chopped.

Seaweed sheets are thin, crisp sheets of dried or roasted seaweed. And it makes a tasty snack too!

Remove the mixture from the food processor and put it into a large bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients with salt and pepper to taste. The amounts are the way I like my tuna salad. You can adjust the amounts to suit your personal taste.

Serve as a sandwich or as a dip with celery or crackers. It’s deliciously easy!

I like toasted sunflower seeds on my tuna sandwiches, so a sprinkled some on. Just yum!

5 from 9 votes

Print ^[12]

Vegan "Tuna" Salad

In my quest to find more plant based foods, I've been experimenting. I've found garbanzo beans to be really versatile. This recipe uses those little round beans (also known as chickpeas) to create a spread that has a pretty close resemblance to tuna salad.

Course: Appetizer, lunch, Snack

Cuisine: vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: beans, chickpeas, garbanzo, seaweed

Servings: 1.5 cups (approximately)

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 16-oz can garbanzo beans
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup vegenaise mayonnaise (you can substitute any vegan mayo - or make it vegetarian and use regular mayo)
• 1 package seaweed sheets (about 50)
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons pickle relish (I used dill, but you can use sweet too)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. The first thing is to chop up the garbanzo beans.

2. Drain the can and dump the beans into the food processor. Pulse until you have a coarsely chopped mixture.

3. Add the seaweed sheets and pulse again until it's smooth but still chunky and the seaweed is well chopped. Seaweed sheets are thin, crisp sheets of

4. Remove the mixture from the food processor and put it into a large bowl.

5. Add all the remaining ingredients with salt and pepper to taste. The amounts are the way I like my tuna salad. You can adjust the amounts to suit your personal taste.

6. Serve as a sandwich or as a dip with celery or crackers. It's deliciously easy!

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe or to give as a gift!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

I love a good piece of rare ahi steak – and I love anything with preserved lemons ^[16]! This recipe is easy and great for a weeknight!

Start with the Preserved Lemon Rice:

What are preserved lemons? They are lemons that have been cured in salt. Used in Moroccan and Middle Eastern dishes, they are fabulous to use in so many things.

So let’s get started on the rice.

I use a rice cooker (I love my rice cooker), but if you don’t have one, just follow the directions but add it to a pan. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until the rice is tender.

So let’s get started on the rice. 

I use a rice cooker (I love my rice cooker), but if you don’t have one, just follow the directions but add it to a pan. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until the rice is tender.

Add all the ingredients except the butter to the bowl of the rice cooker, then turn it on. While it’s cooking, prepare the ahi.

Mix all the coating ingredients on a large plate.

Press the ahi ^[17] into it coating all sides.

Next, prepare the sauce.

Mix all the sauce lemon, oil, garlic and jalapeño in heavy skillet. Gently sauté until the peppers are softened.

Add the butter and let it melt. Stir in the broth and water.

Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. It should be slightly reduced. The crema will go in just before serving.

Remove from the heat to cool while you cook the ahi.

When the rice is cooked, add the butter to the top and then keep it warm while the ahi is cooking.

For the ahi, heat the oil on high.

Carefully place the ahi in the oil and sear for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to burn.

Remove it to a plate to rest for a few minutes.

Finally, stir the crema into the sauce,

slice the ahi,

and fluff the rice.

Serve the rice and ahi with sauce drizzled over the top. Easy and delicious!

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Print ^[18]

Coffee Crusted Ahi with Preserved Lemon Rice

A beautifully seared ahi steak with rice and a sauce made from tart and salty preserved lemons.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: seafood

Keyword: ahi, basmati rice, lemon, preserved lemon

Servings: 4

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

Rice

• 1/3 preserved lemon
• 1-1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1 cup white rice - long grain or basmati
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Sauce

• 1/4 preserved lemon, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon jalapeño, minced
• 1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/2 cup broth
• 1 regular lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup Mexican crema or heavy whipping cream slightly whipped with a pinch of salt

Ahi

• 1 to 1-1/2 pounds Ahi steaks
• 1 tablespoon used coffee grounds
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt, fine
• 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• generous pinch tumeric
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon crushed crackers (any kind)
• 2-3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

Instructions

1. So let's get started on the rice. 

   Add all the ingredients except the butter to the bowl of the rice cooker, then turn it on. While it's cooking, prepare the ahi.

2. Mix all the coating ingredients on a large plate.

3. Press the ahi ^[17] into it coating all sides.

4. Next prepare the sauce - Mix all the sauce lemon, oil, garlic and jalapeño in heavy skillet. Gently sauté until the peppers are softened. Add the butter and let it melt. Stir in the broth and water.

5. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. It should be slightly reduced. The crema will go in just before serving.

6. Remove from the heat to cool while you cook the ahi.

7. When the rice is cooked, add the butter to the top and then keep it warm while the ahi is cooking.

8. For the ahi, heat the oil on high.

9. Carefully place the ahi in the oil and sear for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to burn.

10. Remove it to a plate to rest for a few minutes.

11. Finally, stir the crema into the sauce, fluff the rice and serve the rice and ahi with sauce drizzled over the top. Easy and delicious!

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Oh my gosh!! I found this absolutely beautiful piece of wild, sushi grade ahi ^[21] on sale at a local market – and I grabbed it!! Just a quick sear and served rare – it was amazing!

Here’s How to Do it:

Keep the wild ahi steak cold until you are ready to cook it.

Place the spices and sesame on a large plate and stir them together.

Rub the steak on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of the chili crisps (more if you like it spicy).

Press the steak into the plate to coat it. Flip and gently press the other side.

Heat the oil in a heavy (cast iron is best) skillet on medium to medium high. You want it to sear, not burn.

Carefully lay the ahi in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side being careful not to burn the sesame seeds. If you prefer it less rare, reduce the heat to low and cover for about 2 or 3 minutes.

Remove to a plate and let it rest for two to three minutes.

Slice and serve.

It will be rare, but a perfect cut of ahi is supposed to be.

The flavor is wonderfully delicate and the fish just melts in your mouth. Great with an Udon noodle soup!

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 1 vote

Print ^[22]

Lemon Pepper and Sesame Seared Wild Ahi

A beautiful cut of wild Ahi cooked rare with seared on spices.

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, main dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: ahi, chili flakes, lemon pepper, seared, sesame, tuna, wild mushrooms

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 12 to 16 oz whole ahi steak - wild sushi grade is the best
• 1 teaspoon chili crisps
• 2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions

1. Keep the wild ahi steak cold until you are ready to cook it.

2. Place the spices and sesame on a large plate and stir them together.

3. Rub the steak on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of the chili crisps (more if you like it spicy).

4. Press the steak into the plate to coat it. Flip and gently press the other side.

5. Heat the oil in a heavy (cast iron is best) skillet on medium to medium high. You want it to sear, not burn.

6. Carefully lay the ahi in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side being careful not to burn the sesame seeds.

7. Remove to a plate and let it rest for two to three minutes.

8. Slice and serve. It will be rare, but a perfect cut of ahi is supposed to be.

9. The flavor is wonderfully delicate and the fish just melts in your mouth. Great with an Udon noodle soup!

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2022 The Lazy Gastronome

Here are some things that are perfect to use for this recipe!

Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links through Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!