As I was saying, I’ve been trying to eat super healthy at the minute. Although I’m finding it difficult to avoid chocolate and other tempting snacks, cooking healthy dinners has always come pretty easy to me. I cooked another lovely fish dish during the week, which included a super comforting bean ‘stew’. I was getting pretty fed up with the permanent December food baby and I’m currently enjoying the guiltless feeling I have after eating a decent portion of something scrummy and healthy.

Now in this recipe I used Tuna steaks. I admit they are pretty expensive to buy but after a much loved visit to the reduced aisle in Sainsbury’s I managed to grab two decent sized steaks for £3.00. I couldn’t believe my luck! If you can’t afford Tuna, you could try salmon or even a nice piece of smoked haddock, which won’t break the bank.

To make this dish for two you will need:

Two tuna steaks (or fish of your choice)

the oil from the pepper jar

eight asparagus spears

a tin of cannellini beans

half a tin of chopped tomatoes

one large grilled pepper from a jar

six cherry tomatoes

a handful of fresh basil

squeeze of lemon juice

a small glug of white wine

salt and pepper

I began by making the bean ‘stew’. I call it a stew for want of a better word. It doesn’t need to cook for hours, like a stew but I couldn’t for the life of me think of another term that would suit it.

In a pot I fried some cherry tomatoes in a drizzle of olive oil. I managed to pick up a jar of large red peppers in oil in a home bargains style shop for 99p. If you can get your hands on these then buy in bulk. They are perfect in salads and pasta dishes and definitely a cupboard essential. I chopped the peppers in to medium sized chunks and fired them in with the tomatoes. I then added the beans including the juice and the chopped tomatoes. Add a glug of white wine, lemon juice, some salt and pepper and leave to cook for about twenty minutes until the liquid reduces.

To prepare my tuna steaks I rubbed some of the oil from the jar of peppers into them and some seasoning. Tuna should be served slightly pink in the middle so its important to ensure they aren’t overcooked. I was using a griddle pan for the steaks so they didn’t need any more than two minutes on each side. Once the bean stew has reduced, turn down on a low heat to ensure it stays warm.

I didn’t add oil to my griddle pan as I was cooking the asparagus at the same time as the tuna and like to dry cook asparagus. I think it has a better flavour. The oil on the steaks itself should be enough to ensure they don’t stick. After two minutes on one side, add the asparagus and turn the steaks over for another two minutes.

Add the basil to the bean stew and serve in a pasta bowl. Place your tuna on top and add the asparagus. There you have it, a beautifully presented, tasty guilt free dish. With the bean stew acting as the perfect ‘comfort food’ accompaniment.

The meatiness of the tuna makes this a perfect dish for those who tend to avoid fish. I think its such a shame to hear people cast off (pardon the pun) liking fish when there’s such a broad range out there to suit every taste.

I’ll be back soon with some healthy winter warmers.

Dom

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