February 19, 2014

Tuna Chermoula

We bounce off the toe of the Italian Peninsula into North Africa this week to score our second recipe from around the Med. We take with us Dr Devries mantra “More fish…less meat…” and marry it with our penchant for herbs and spices from the region.

My husband Graham talks buoyantly about his time in Morocco before starting college. Having navigated a trail through the Atlas mountains and recently recovered from heatstroke by sitting in a cold mountain stream sipping mint tea, he made his way across country to Essaouira to work at his cousin’s windsurfing rental on the beach. The fresh sardines that landed daily right before his eyes were cooked up on a makeshift grill by a local man and packed into a newspaper cone to devour. Simple pleasures make for an enticing routine!

It’s with a little guidance from Claudia Roden’s Arabesque that we chose this week’s Chermoula marinade, specifically Moroccan and used in fish dishes. Tuna Chermoula has a vibrant lemony flavor, packed with Omega 3 essential fatty acids for brain and heart health. The white beans make it complete and provide a valuable amount of daily protein and dietary fibre.

The marinade uses garlic and warm North African spices blended with fresh herbs which really can and should be used on any white meats, fish or vegetables as a marinade or a dressing over warm potatoes and green beans. To enjoy this recipe at it’s best, choose 1 inch thick tuna steaks so that they maintain their firm texture but are not overcooked.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time 2 hours LOW
Servings 4

Ingredients

1 large unwaxed, organic lemon or 2 Meyer lemons, zested/peeled

4 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves / 2 tsp of garlic, minced
1 cup fresh cilantro
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp salt

cayenne pepper
1 1/2 lbs or 4 tuna steaks, 1 inch thick

2 x 14 oz cans Great Northern Beans

Spray the insert of your slow cooker with non stick spray. Slice half of the lemon into thin slices and lay on the bottom of your slow cooker.

In a blender or a pestle and mortar blend the lemon zest and juice of the remaining half lemon, olive oil, garlic and coriander until smooth. Stir in the cumin, paprika, salt and cayenne.

Rub the chermoula marinade mixture onto your tuna steaks. This can be covered and marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours or used immediately.

Place the tuna into your slow cooker along with the beans, cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours.

Zen Toolkit

It can be a challenge to squeeze in cooking dinner after school when I’m helping my girls with homework. This recipe fits perfectly into that 2 hour window so I don’t have to keep going back to the stove.

Zen Moment