Day 250: This Dish Has it All

I had a craving for swordfish tonight, but there was none to be had at the store, so I bought ahi tuna instead.  I was also craving carbs, so I decided to cook up some whole grain pasta and mix in the fish and some veggies.

I boiled the pasta in salted, oiled water until it was al dente and then drained it, keeping about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid aside.

While the pasta was cooking, I roasted a yellow bell pepper.  Of course, you can buy a jar of roasted peppers, but it's so easy to do it yourself.  Just cut a pepper into quarters, removing the seeds and white tissue, and place skin side up under your broiler.  Once the skins are black, toss the pepper into a paper bag  or a covered bowl and set aside for a few minutes.  Then you can easily peel the skin off and slice up the peppers.

While waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, I slowly sauteed 3 minced cloves of garlic, 1 large sliced shallot bulb, and a tsp of red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium low flame.  I also defrosted about a cup of sweet baby peas.  You can do this quickly by placing them in a bowl of cool water.

All of these ingredients, including the pasta water you set aside, back into the pot in which you boiled the pasta.  Add some olive oil and fresh thyme leaves and gently mix everything together.

Begin to sear your tuna steak(s) in hot olive oil and slowly reheat the stuff in the pot, stirring occasionally.  When the tuna is cooked to taste, cut it up into bite sized pieces and add it to the pot.

This dish has it all:  lean protein (tuna), good fat (olive oil), fiber (whole wheat pasta), and veggies.  It takes a little time to put together, but it's worth it.  Enjoy!