If you are looking for a light, tasty, fast weeknight dinner, try this seared tuna with warm tomato, bean and olive salad from the Holiday 2013 issue of the LCBO’s Food & Drink. Inspired by one of our summer favourites, salade Nicoise, seared tuna is paired with a salad of cherry tomatoes, olives, capers and blanched green beans tossed in a tangy vinaigrette.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olives and capers can contain artificial ingredients. I use Eden Organic brand vinegar, which has no sulfites added, and PC Old-Fashioned Dijon, which is all-natural. Check the label on the olives; I used Pilaros brand from Costco. Unico capers are preservative-free.

Make the tarragon-flavoured vinaigrette

Blanch the green beans

Combine beans, tomatoes, olives and capers

Use tuna steaks that are 1 to 1.5 inches thick

Sear the tuna for 1 to 2 minutes per side

Seared tuna with warm tomato, bean & olive salad

Ingredients:

Vinaigrette

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tsp (10 ml) red wine vinegar

1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard

1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil

2 tsp (10 ml) chopped fresh tarragon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 cups (750 ml) fresh green beans, trimmed, about 10 oz (300 g)

Tuna

3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil

2 cups (500 ml) cherry tomatoes, about 9 oz (280 g)

½ cup (125 ml) pitted, dry-cured Moroccan-style black olives

1 tbsp (15 ml) capers

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tuna steaks, each 10 oz (300 g), approximately 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) thick

Preparation:

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.

Combine garlic vinegar and Dijon in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil until combined. Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

Cook beans in boiling water for 3 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add tomatoes and cook, shaking the pan often, until tomatoes are wilted and skins have golden edges, about 4 minutes. Add olives and capers and cook until flavours have combined, 1 to 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl with beans.

Wipe same pan clean and return to high heat. Add remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil. Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper. Sear tuna for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until golden and crisp on the outside and rare in the centre. Remove to a cutting board. Slice tuna into ½ -inch (1 cm) slices, cutting across the grain.

Pour vinaigrette over warm vegetables and toss to combine. Divide vegetable salad onto 4 plates. Top with seared tuna. Serves 4.

From the Holiday 2013 Food & Drink magazine