My regular readers may not know this, but I used to work for the newspaper full time. It was way back when there were two – the Jackson Hole News and Jackson Hole Guide. I was the arts and entertainment editor, and it was my first official job in Jackson Hole. That era of my life was sort of my glory years. I was young, energetic and starting out in a new town. I had few responsibilities and the options to experience art, music and adventure, often for free, were abundant and regular.
There were several like me in the newsroom. Most of us were in our 20s and pretty new to Jackson Hole, so we all quickly made friends. During my two-year tenure I had many amazing adventures with this crew. There was the constant banter about our dating life in the newsroom. There was the team pig wrestling on Rebecca’s first week at the paper. A float down the Snake that ended up with me in a kayak (no I don’t kayak) going off a cliff so Ed could get a photo. And countless other experiences, some that can’t be written about now that we are all married.
Over time, the newspaper salary and the long hours got to most of us, and we moved on. Some moved and went to law school, others to bigger media markets and onto national magazines. Some got married and had kids. I started my own business. Basically, we all have more responsibilities now, and I find it harder and harder to keep up with these friends I used to see every day.
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[/twocol_one_last]Since it is off-season and I have a little more time, I planned a reunion diner for a few of us. Wildly, most of the group has stayed in Jackson Hole or ended up moving back here. I realized it had been way too long since we saw each other.
The night was more than fun. We drank too much, told stories and caught up in a way we hadn’t in years. It was fun, and it reminded me we should do this more often. I created a dinner that night that I hoped would be delicious and a little low maintenance so that I could enjoy their company. Most of this you can make ahead and I highly recommend this meal.
It is a simple, but flavorful, special dinner that has everything you need in one dish. You can prepare the rice early on before your friends come over. Marinate the fish earlier in the day. Make the vegetables an hour or so before guests come over. The only thing left to do when you are ready for dinner is to quickly sear the tuna and plate the dish. I served it in shallow bowls. I would make this again for any dinner party. The flavors were fresh and the coconut ginger rice balanced the dish out nicely.
Asian Tuna With Coconut Rice and Marinated Vegetables
Ingredients
- COCONUT RICE:
- 2 cups of basmati rice
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cups of coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons of ginger, grated
- ASIAN VEGGIE SLAW:
- 1 cucumber, peeled into thin strips with a vegetable peeler
- 2 carrots, peeled into strips with a vegetable peeler
- 1 head of bok choy, washed and chopped
- 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- a dash of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- GRILLED TUNA:
- 4 tuna steaks
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon hot chili oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons garlic chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a rice cooker and cook. Set aside until you ready to serve.
- Keep covered so it will stay warm.
- Cut all the vegetables and place in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir.
- Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and stir again. Set aside until you are ready to serve.
- Marinate the tuna in all the ingredients the sauce for several hours. Grill on a hot grill for 1-2 minutes per side.
- To plate, place about a cup of rice in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Put the grilled tuna on top and spoon a generous amount of the slaw and sauce that comes with it on top of the tuna and rice.
