I have been so thrilled to be able to get high quality fish shipped to the house thanks to companies like Sizzlefish (affiliate link). Now I can order scallops, shrimp, and ahi whenever I would like. And so I did and I would like to share this ahi recipe with you today. The fish is sushi grade so I had no worries about just searing it for this rice salad.

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Ahi Recipe: Rice Salad with Seared Ahi and Cherries

Serves 2

1 8oz ahi fillet
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS olive oil
2 cups cooked jasmine rice
1 cup pitted cherries
1 cup mandarin oranges
2 TBS toasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
several pieces of pickled ginger, minced

Sprinkle the ahi fillet on both sides with salt
Heat a heavy bottomed fry pan over medium heat until . Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.

Place the ahi in the pan and sear for 1 minute. Turn the fillet and sear on the other side for one minute. My fillet was not that thick – if yours is thicker you might have to sear it for a little longer. A little judgement goes a long way here – just don’t overcook your fish.

Remove the ahi to a cutting board and let sit while you mix the rest of the rice salad. Then cut into bite sized pieces
Mix together the rice vinegar and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Season to taste with salt.

Put the rice in a medium bowl – add the cherries, mandarin oranges, ginger and half of the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Then add the seared tuna. Drizzle about half the dressing and toss gently.

Split between two bowls and sprinkle with remaining pumpkin seeds. Serve with additional dressing.

How Was the Seared Ahi Recipe?

Darn tasty if you ask me. Same thing if you ask the hubby – he licked his plate clean! The fruit and the fish paired so nicely together; the cherries were sweet and the Mandarin oranges still had a little bit of tang to them. The pickled ginger added little pops of wow and the pumpkin seeds gave the salad some needed crunch.

If you are a regular visitor you know how fond I am of rice salads; they are a wonderful vehicle for leftovers and a delightful way to bring disparate ingredients together for a delicious meal. That is why when I make rice I always make extra! I have made grilled shrimp rice salad, vegetarian rice salad, and even deconstructed sushi rice salad.

As you can see, rice salads are very versatile. You can pretty much do anything you want with ingredients!