[Food Series] Orange Cilantro Yellowfin Tuna Salad

While most of the country is praying for spring, here in Los Angeles, we are going through a heat wave coupled with the violently dry Santa Ana winds which have been gusting up to 100 mph. The wildfire season has officially started and it's being exacerbated by the fact that we're in a drought. All of this to say, it certainly feels like summer here! So, in an attempt to beat the heat and welcome this weather with open arms, we decided to fire up the grill and what was born was a delicious and simple summer salad! Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 Yellowfin Tuna Steaks

2 Green Onions

A plethora of fresh Spinach

1 cup Grape Tomatoes

2 Oranges

A handful Cilantro

Dressing

1/4 cup fresh-squeezed Orange Juice

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

Fire up the grill and allow it to get hot. Meanwhile, lightly coat the Yellowfin Tuna steaks with a drizzle of sesame oil, salt and pepper. Chop the green onions, grape tomatoes, cilantro and peel and slice one of the oranges. In a measuring cup, combine the dressing ingredients with a whisk. Place the tuna steaks on the grill for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes. In a large serving bowl, pile up a huge helping of fresh spinach, sprinkle the green onions, grape tomatoes, orange slices and cilantro, then toss it lightly with the dressing. Arrange the tuna steaks atop the salad and dig in! I served this with my favorite summertime side dish, Cacık, a cold yogurt and cucumber soup! Enjoy!

[Food Series] Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

Sometimes our 3 year old's sweet tooth starts screaming for a bite of something yummy and when it comes, she definitely let's me know about it, in very clear terms. We don't keep sweets in our house, no refined sugary substances here, so when the sweet beast reared its curly-tressed head recently, I went digging in the pantry to see what I could come up with! Dried cranberries and some fresh orange zest and we were in business! Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup flour
1 cup Dried Cranberries
Zest of 1 Large Orange
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick of Butter (melted)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup half & half
1/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, pulverize the oats, then mix in the other dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add to the processor all of your wet ingredients; orange zest, cranberries, olive oil, half and half, water, butter and brown sugar. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and scoop teaspoon-size dollops of cookie dough onto the tray, making sure to leave at least an inch and a half in between. These cookies spread! Bake for 15 minutes, then allow them to cool. Enjoy!