Fresh Tuna Steaks with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spanish Saffron Rice

Fresh tuna is one of my favorite fish. It is usually in season from spring to fall. Depending on the variety, raw tuna fluctuates from light pink to a reddish-brown color. I always buy the reddish, since it looks beautiful and when cooked medium well you can still see the reddish color contrasting with the caramelized top and bottom. This is not a cheap fish though. However, if you are patient, you may be lucky to find a good couple of steaks for two people at your local grocery stores for a very reasonable price.
 
Approximate Prep and Cooking Time: 20-40 Minutes
Approximate Total Cost: $10.24 (or $5.12/person)
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
2 small tuna steaks ($7.29)
1 tbsp. Angie’s Dry Rub Seasoning (my link is at the end of this post) (.30)
1 ½ tbsp. olive oil (.30)
Sun dried tomatoes (.60)
8-10 garlic cloves, sliced thick (.50)
¼ cup chopped flat parsley (.25)
1 cup or yellow Saffron rice (Sold at Sam’s, prepare according to package) ($1.00)
 
Directions
Season the tuna with ½ tbsp. of olive oil and my dry rub. Add the sliced garlic cloves.
 
Prepare the rice according to the container instructions.
 
Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to a skillet, when hot, sauté the garlic, when almost golden, add the sun dried tomatoes and cook just for a couple of minutes. Take them out, set aside.
Add the tuna steaks to the same skillet. The steaks should sizzle when added. Cook uncovered for approximate 4 minutes, until the fish begins to turn from reddish to beige from the bottom up. Then turn once to cook the other side and make sure that it changes the color as well; however, it stays pink in the center. Adjust the heat as needed if the skillet gets too hot. Your goal is to cook both sides of the fish to a light golden color, leaving the center medium well. If this fish overcooks, it will become tough to eat.
To plate this dish, add rice to a small container such as a coffee cup and press it down. Then carefully, put your serving plate on top of it and flip it.  Garnish with parsley and sun dried tomato. Now add the tuna steak to the plate and top it with sun dried tomatoes, roasted garlic and chopped parsley. Squeeze lemon juice on top before eating.
Enjoy!
Angie’s Dry Seasoning Link http://www.angieslifehacks.com/family-life/oven-roasted-bacon-chicken-and-angies-seasonings