Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi with Onion Quinoa and Asparagus

This recipe is my go to recipe for when we have company over, because it is reliably good, somewhat impressive, and pretty healthy.

Onion Quinoa

*1 large yellow onion
*1 T Olive Oil
* 1/2 C. White Wine

* 1 t olive oil
* 1 - 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 C Quinoa (rinsed)
* 2 1/4 C. Chicken Broth
* 1/2 t. onion powder
* 1/2 t. garlic powder

The quinoa should be started first, as it takes the longest to cook.

To begin, caramelize cut up one large, yellow onion into small pieces. Place onion into a heated pan, coated with olive oil. Put a lit over onions and let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once onions have started becoming translucent, add about 1/2 a cup of white wine and recover, cooking another 10 minutes or so, until the wine has cooked off. Once the onions look caramelized, take off the heat and place to the side. I usually only do this step before guests arrive, as from here on out, it is very simple and takes only about 25 minutes for dinner to be ready.

Once you are ready to start cooking dinner, take a medium saucepan and add a small amount of olive oil (1 tsp or so). Heat the pan over medium heat until oil has warmed, then add chopped garlic (1 -2 cloves). Let cook for about one minute and then add 1 cup of rinsed quinoa and the caramelized onions. Cook for another minute, to toast quinoa, and then add 2 1/4 cups of Chicken Broth, and the onion and garlic powders. Stir a few times to mix, and then put on the lid. Continue cooking until liquid has been absorbed (20-30 minutes).

Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi

* Seared Grade Ahi Tuna Filets
* Sesame mixture from whole foods (A mix of black and tan sesame seeds would also work)
* 1 T sesame oil

The Ahi is the easiest part of this recipe. I start with sear grade Ahi filets from Whole Foods (though any good produce store will work). Whole Foods is best, though, because when you buy their Ahi, you can get complementary sesame mix that works perfectly for encrusting the filet.

The Ahi is a very quick cooking fish and should be started about 5 minutes before you would like to eat. To prepare, cut the Ahi into filets. Then, take a stainless steel pan and heat over medium high heat. After pan has heated, at a few tsp of sesame oil to pan, swirling to coat. Once oil has heated, take each filet and dip one side and then the other in the sesame mixture. Place filets in pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. The filet should still be pink around the center, with a tan color around each edge.

Asparagus

* 1 lb. Asparagus, trimmed
* salt and pepper, to taste

The asparagus goes well with this dish, and can be roasted in the oven (with a little olive oil, salt and pepper) or steamed on the stove.

Enjoy!