Our condo at the beach may be one of my favorite places on this earth.

I love the fact that the waves and the sand are only an hour or so from my hometown. Salty air, a soft sea breeze, painted sunsets, and late-night dinners are only a few of the reasons why I can’t get enough of this place. There is so much here that just isn’t as good back at home. One of things would have to be the fresh seafood. We recently found an awesome little seafood place called Blue Ocean Market. It’s filled with all kinds of fresh fish and other delicious sea jewels – and when I say fresh, I mean caught that day.

I couldn’t resist buying two beautiful tuna steaks the other weekend when I stopped by the market. They were a radiant ruby red with a sweet scent of the ocean. Basically, they looked good enough to eat raw, but I figured I should cook them up and pair them with a super delicious fruity purée.

A huge plus with tuna is it’s high content of protein. Why is protein good for the body, you ask? Protein is basically a “builder”; it creates bone, muscle, skin, blood, hair, nails, etc. Without this essential “macronutrient” your body would truly start to break down. Protein is especially important for non-meat eaters like myself – the majority of protein in the diet of an average American comes from lean meats. I love tuna because not only does it provide me with all the protein I need for the day, but it also is a hearty addition to any meal which won’t leave you searching for something on your plate with a little more substance.

The next best thing about tuna is that it’s a rich source of omega-3 essential fats, which are strongly deficient in the standard American diet. These fats are so important to consume because they are necessary for our health, but cannot be produced by the body. On the other hand, omega-6 essential fats are plentiful in a wide variety of foods, so much so that they are consumed far too much in proportion to omega-3s. This imbalance promotes inflammation, which can lead to numerous chronic diseases.

Tuna is not only healthy in countless ways, but it also is a delicious fish. It’s heavier texture and fresh flavor make it a 10 in my book, and with a drizzle of spicy mango sauce it easily becomes an 11.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1-2 tuna steaks (1-1.5 inches in width)

Salt and pepper for seasoning

4-5 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks

3 tablespoons of reduced sodium vegetable stock (or chicken stock)

1/2 large or 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

1 1/2 teaspoons of honey 

1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, grated

Allow your tuna steaks to come to room temperature before seasoning and cooking.

To prepare the garlic, place the back of the knife on each clove, one at a time, and press down hard in a swift motion with the palm of your hand. This will allow the outer paper skin of the garlic glove to cleanly separate from the garlic itself.

Mince the garlic and then add about a tablespoon of kosher salt. Use the back of your knife to smear the salt rocks into the garlic pieces. The salt will draw the moisture out of the garlic, and a paste will start to form.

 Smear the garlic and salt mixture on both sides of the tuna steaks. Heavily season with grated black pepper.

In your blender, combine the mango, vegetable stock, jalapeño pepper, honey, and ginger. Blend the mixture together until it is completely smooth. Pour the mixture in a small saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is heated through.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (I like to use cast iron) with a small amount of olive oil to prevent the fish from sticking. Cook for 4 minutes on one side and then 2 minutes on the other (cooking time will depend on thickness). Tuna is best eaten medium rare, which means there should still be a bit of redish-pink color in the middle.

 Drizzle the sauce over the steaks or serve with a dish of sauce for dipping.

I served my tuna steaks over a bed of cauliflower mash with a spinach salad. I think it’d also be delicious with some tasty sugar snap peas or maybe even an Asian coleslaw. You can also save the leftovers to make a scrumptious tuna melt panini for lunch the next day – yum!

I hope you enjoy!