Cilantro Pesto Crusted Tuna Recipe

 In the mood for fish, then this Cilantro Pesto Crusted Tuna Recipe is for you. For those of you new to this club concept, each month we are assigned another blog and secretly find a recipe post that we would like to try and then reveal our experience with their recipe. This month I was assigned to Everything in the Kitchen Sink.


I swear my husband or my blogging is making gain weight. My husband has not been traveling and home every evening for the past 2 ½ months which has made me feel like cooking more. Not sure dinners but desserts to go with them. No ceral and milk or chicken nuggets for the kids and simple salad for me. He has said that once he is back on the road the thing he will miss most is the nightly family dinners. Even when the kids have sports since there are two of us to tackle the duties we have managed to sit together as a family and I too will miss that aspect of it. 

So this month for Secret Recipe Club I decided to share Sarah of Everything  Kitchen Sink this amazing Cilantro Cashew Pesto Crusted Tuna Steaks with Mango Avocado Salsa   Fortunately my kids love seafood so this would be a great family meal. Unfortunatley feeding a hungry family of 5 on good tuna steak might be pricey but this is one of the best Tuna recipes I have tried.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting the pesto ready

The thing I most liked about this recipe was the pesto. I am used to making a typical basil pesto, but the mint and cilantro in this recipe really takes this to a new level. Yummy. I could really eat this straight out of the food processor from a spoon!

 
 
 

Our Tuna steaks were nice and thick.





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Doesn’t this look amazing?
 
 
 
 
This may sound like a sophisticated meal but really it was simple and  can easily be made on a weeknight. Fish is surprisingly quick to cook and I think too many people are intimiated to cook with it.

 
 
Cilantro Cashew Pesto Recipe
 
  • 3/4 cup roasted, unsalted cashews( I used pine nuts as well  I did not have as many cashews as I thought in the freezer)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, rough chopped
  • 1/4 cup basil, rough chopped
  • 1 tablespoon mint (I went heavier on the mint since it grows prolifically in our garden.
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • 1/2 jalapeno
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine the cashews, cilantro, basil, mint, jalapeno, and garlic by pulsing until a coarse grind is acheived. Add the lime zest and juice, pulse to combine. Finally, drizzle in about a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
(can be made ahead of time) 

Taste and season your tuna steaks with with salt and pepper. Use 1 tablespoon of the pesto to coat a tuna steak. We used two large steaks so we divided our mixture over the two steaks. 
 
Let sit for at least an hour in the fridge. (Our fish monger suggested we let our steaks sit out 30 mins before cooking so this is when we covered our steaks)  Cook over medium high heat, being sure that the oil is hot before adding the fish.

I cooked mine for 3-4 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the second side to keep the middle rare. Make sure the pesto topping gets a nice browned and crispy top. Tricky when trying to keep a fish rare.

Top with this salsa.


 
Mango Avocado Salsa Recipe
 
  • 2 champagne mangos ( I used one champagne and one regular mango)
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced jalapeno (skipped for the kids)
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • salt and pepper

After peeling each mango, cut off the two faces and dice into bite sized pieces. Cut up the avocado in similar small pieces. Combine in a bowl with the cilantro, jalapeno, and lime. Taste to season for salt and pepper.

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HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR TUNA COOKED? DO you have any favorite tuna recipes?
 

Check out the other great recipes this month

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17 Comments

  1. Stacey @ Newlywed Survival on May 18, 2013 at 12:11 pm

    I LOVE cilantro and I am always looking for new recipes that use it… thanks!

  2. Tumbleweed Contessa on May 17, 2013 at 6:55 pm

    I am struggling with putting fish into my diet or lack thereof. Foodblogging is not diet friendly! This looks like one to try. I love Cilantro. Coming over from your Friday hop. Have a good weekend.

  4. Diane (@SimpleLivingEat) on May 17, 2013 at 8:23 am

    Wow both the tuna and your salad look amazing… really love the pesto.

  7. Maria @ Close to Home on May 13, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    It is such an easy fish to prepare it is just important to get fresh fish for best flavor.

  9. Miz Helen on May 13, 2013 at 8:59 pm

    Hi Maria,
    What a beautiful combination for the tuna, it looks delicious. This is a great recipe choice for the SRC.
    Have a fun week!
    Miz Helen

  10. betchacanteatjustone on May 13, 2013 at 7:25 pm

    This looks really good. I have never cooked Tuna before, only ever ordered it out 🙂 The pesto sounds delicious!

  11. Shelley C on May 13, 2013 at 6:08 pm

    Oh my gosh, everything about that meal looks amazing. The colors, the flavors, the freshness of it all – amazing. Great choice!

  12. Jeanie on May 13, 2013 at 5:55 pm

    Sounds delicious. I love cilantro.

  13. Heather @ Join Us, Pull up a Chair on May 13, 2013 at 12:47 pm

    Looks amazing and so refreshing! Great SRC choice!

  14. SeattleDee on May 13, 2013 at 2:04 pm

    You have a perfect cook on the tuna and the crust and salsa take it over-the-top delicious. Yummy!.

  15. Judee@ Gluten Free A-Z on May 13, 2013 at 12:48 pm

    Love all the wonderful flavors in the pesto and salsa.. yum

  16. Rebekah on May 13, 2013 at 12:34 pm

    My husband adores tuna steaks – but he hates cilantro with a passion. Do you think this would be equally good if I substituted extra basil?

  17. danielle on May 13, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    Yum – I am thinking of all the different things I could put this yummy pesto on.