“Mom! Come here!” said that eight-year-old girl of mine. Yesterday crabby. Today she was thrilled bananas. Go figs. She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the front of the house where ten little green buds were pushing through the cracked, winter-worn soil of our front yard.
“There!” she pointed triumphantly at a single red tulip. There was a a toothy grin, a little leg kick, a whimsical side-hug. The joy of a single tulip. The promise of Spring.
Spring. It’s coming, isn’t it? About gol-durned time, I say. I appreciate Winter’s attempt to whiten the earth and chill the ground, but if I could choose, I’d choose Springtime fourteen times over. Because of tulips. Because of t-shirts. Because tonight we had tuna and it was light and perfect. Just like Spring.
With the hubbub of this new season buzzing itself into our schedule, this fresh & healthy-ish meal won’t just get your bellybutton ready for bikini season, it’s 6-minute prep time will give you plenty of time to sit outside and soak in the impending sunshine. Plus, it’s good. Tremendously good. Almost as good as finding a single tulip in front of your house on an April afternoon.

Seared Ahi Arugula Salad With Ginger Soy Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds tuna steaks
- sea salt & fresh ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive or sesame oil
- 1 1- inch hunk of ginger
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon wasabi or 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 4-5 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup edamame
- 3-4 clementines peeled and sectioned
- 3-4 cups sticky rice
Instructions
- Sprinkle both sides of the tuna with coarse sea salt and pepper. Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat, drizzle the pan with a bit of olive or sesame oil.
- Place the tuna steaks on the hot griddle and brown them for 1-2 minutes per side to give the meat a nice cooked edge. Remove the pan from heat and allow it to sit for a few minutes before slicing with a very sharp knife.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the ginger, garlic, wasabi or mustard, honey, soy sauce, and mayonnaise until very pureed. Drizzle over everything.
- Toss together the arugula, edamame, and clementines. Serve with sticky rice and sliced seared tuna.
- Enjoy!
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