Recipe: Coconut Tuna Lettuce Cups

These really can be lettuce cups or tartar or without any foliage. Whatever you want...

1 cup of coconut milk
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 lime zested and juice
1/4 teaspoon fish sauce
5 drops of chili oil
salt to taste

1 pound fresh ahi tuna steak cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 a ripe mango cut into 1/4 inch cubes (1/2 cup)
1 avocado diced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions chopped (green part only)
4 iceberg lettuce cups (leaves)

Servings: 4 as a first course or appetizer

Combine coconut milk through fish sauce in a medium saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Once half has evaporated, remove from heat and cool.

Once sauce has cooled add chili oil. Cut tuna and avocado and place in a medium bowl and pour sauce overtop and toss. Add cilantro and green onions. Place on lettuce cup and top with mango.

Recipe: Tuna & Avocado Cones

This may be the cutest appetizer I have ever made. Wonton wrappers wrapped around these fantastic little aluminum cones I bought at the Gourmet Warehouse.
http://www.gourmetwarehouse.ca/
Filled with ahi tuna, cilantro-ponzu mayonnaise and then topped with a little scoop of avocado and black sesame seeds. It is the perfect kick off to summer hors d'oeuvres. If you don't have the aluminum cones a mini muffin container will work or even just baking the wonton wrappers flat on a cookie sheet. But of course the adorable and niche factor goes down dramatically. Taste does not.

1 ahi tuna steak (approximately 1/2 a pound or 1/2 cups diced)
1 avocado
1 green onion diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons ponzu sauce (or soy sauce)
1/8 teaspoon chili oil
1 shallot
3 tablespoons sesame oil DIVIDED
1/2 teaspoon lime rind
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
20 round wonton wrappers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil in a bowl. Take wonton wrappers and brush each side with a small amount of the sesame oil and wrap around the cone or muffin tin. Bake for approximately 15 minutes rotating midway until a light golden brown.



Remove from oven and let cool.

In a food processor blend together cilantro through mayonnaise using one of the tablespoons of sesame oil.

Dice the tuna into small cubes about 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch. Add to mayonnaise and coat thoroughly.

With a small melon ball scooper take avocado and scoop out small round balls.

To assemble take a cone and fill with avocado mixture and top with a avocado ball. Sprinkle a pinch of the sesame seeds on top.