SW – so good!

If your house is anything at all like mine, then you’re always waiting for that last person to get home before dinner can be served, or finish being made. All of the components for these tacos need to finish at the last minute. Although not as hard or as much of a pain as it sounds!

You can prep everything for the salsa well ahead, just don’t dice or mix in the avocado until the last possible moment. The slaw and its dressing can also be made well ahead, don’t mix together until just before serving though, or it’ll get soggy.  And the spice mix for the tuna should be ready to go, but since the tuna only takes a couple of minutes to sear, again wait until the very last moment.  As proof of how far ahead it can be done, I had plenty of time to prep everything, take and Photoshop the picture of the prepped stuff, and write this entire blog post and recipe, while waiting for that elusive family member to arrive… maybe I’ll call now and begin my nagging … “What time DO you think you might be home? We are hungry!”

Southwestern Ahi Tuna Tacos

Salsa
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup minced cilantro
1/3 cup diced red onion
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Haas avocado, diced

Slaw
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup thinly sliced and chopped yellow bell pepper

Tuna and Tacos
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound Ahi tuna (sashimi grade)
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 taco shells, corn tortillas, or flour tortillas
2 limes, halved

Salsa: Combine all ingredients, except avocado, in a medium bowl. Dice and stir in avocado, just before serving.

Slaw: Place the mayonnaise, sour cream, chilies, and adobo sauce in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.

Just before serving toss together the cabbage, cilantro, bell peppers, and all but 1/4 cup of the dressing.

Tuna and Tacos: In a small bowl, combine cumin, chili powder salt, and pepper. Rub spice mixture generously on both sides of the tuna.

Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat. When the pan is smoking hot, add olive oil and roll the pan to coat. Sear tuna for 1 minute per side, or until fish is cooked on the outside, but rare on the inside. Transfer to a cutting board. Dice tuna into 1/4-inch cubes.

Divided slaw between taco shells/tortillas, spoon in salsa, and then top with tuna. Squeeze each with lime juice and a drizzle of the remaining dressing.

Makes 8