Pan-Asian Pan-Seared Ahi and Sweet & Savory Kale

It was an error to have these two dishes together.  Both were completely delicious, but the fish was much to delicately flavored to be paired with the punch-in-the-mouth flavor bomb that the kale is.  When I make this again, I think that I would try to pair the fish with a citrus-and-beet salad,  or a frisse salad with wasabi dressing, and the kale would go better with lamb or red meat.

Pan-Asian Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks

2 6-8oz Ahi Tuna steaks about 3/4 of an inch thick, 2+ Sushi grade (very important as the center of the steaks should remain raw)
for the marinade:
1 tsp sesame oil
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS freshly grated ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 of a lemon, juiced

Mix your marinade ingredients together, add to your steaks, and let marinade for at least an hour.  Heat a non-stick skillet on the stove and let it get super hot.  Drain off marinade from steaks, and place them in the pan.  Let them cook, untouched, for 2 minutes.  Flip and allow 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat immediately.

serves 2, 201 - 261 calories per serving, depending on size of steak.

Sweet & Savory Kale
1 small red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS Dijon mustard
2 packets Sweetener*
4 TBS red wine vinegar
1 14oz can Chicken stock, fat-free
2 small bunches kale, de-stemmed, and chopped (about 4 cups)
1/3 c. dried cranberries
S&P to taste

Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray and brown the garlic and onion.  Add mustard, vinegar, sweetener, broth.  Stir well, and bring to a boil.  Add kale, lower heat to medium, and cover for 5 minutes.  Add cranberries, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes until kale reaches desired doneness and cranberries have plumped.

*the cranberries made this dish overly sweet for my tastes but then I never eat refined sugar, and I couldn't find cranberries that didn't have sugar as an additive.  You may want to adjust how much, if any, sweetener you need to add. 

makes 2 large servings, 200 calories each

Eric's dinner - nothing but he ate the hell out of a bagel this morning.