Recipes for success

Alright, so the first episode of SWAGourmet has officially been filmed! If you guys read my first two posts, I'm sure you saw that Ahi Tuna Burgers and a Spicy Asian Slaw would be the recipes featured on our pilot episode, and sure enough, I did indeed whip up a perfect tuna burger and a bowl of zesty coleslaw last night- in front of the camera, that is! Cooking on camera is a lot more awkward than I expected... talking to a mechanical device about food is silly enough, so you really do have to pretend that you're talking to a living breathing soul. On top of that, my aim is to produce a swag, hip show for youngsters that at the same time is stuffed with culinary insight. So I have to balance informative with fun, and conveying those essentials to viewers through a camera and screen is a tough job, but one which I'm getting the hang of! I hope to have our pilot episode posted on my YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/swagourmetcooking) this week...since it's my first one, it will need a lot of editing, so give me some time if you would be so kind! In the mean time, it's finally time for me to post the recipes! It's the moment you've all been waiting for...drumroll please....

Ahi Tuna Burgers (this recipe is pretty easy to alter to suit the number of people you want it to serve...I'll write it out to serve four)

These burgers feature beautiful Ahi tuna and incorporate many Asian flavors and ingredients, such as hoisin sauce and pickled ginger. When topped with the spicy slaw, the savory and spicy flavors from the soy sauce, spicy mustard, and wasabi complement the barbecue-ey flavor from the hoisin. The slaw also adds a crunch to give the burgers great textural depth. A bite of these burgers truly is a perfect bite.

Ingredients:
4 fresh Ahi tuna steaks (remember, Ahi is the same as Yellowfin)
4 tbsp canola oil
Sprinkles of salt and pepper
4 tbsp Hoisin sauce (No fear, you can find this in the ethnic foods aisle at your local supermarket- it is basically an Asian barbecue sauce)
4 sesame seed buns
Asian slaw (recipe follows)
Spicy mayo (recipe follows)

1. Preheat your grill: I use a grill pan a lot so I can stay in the A/C of my house, so grill pans do indeed work very well- as long as you make sure you oil it first. I also spray my pan with non-stick.
2. Unwrap your tuna and marvel at its beauty, then pat the steaks dry with a paper towel.
3. Brush oil on both sides of the tuna steaks.
4. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper.
5. Once your grill is smoking-hot, place each steak on the grill. Don't fiddle with the fish once you put it on the grill, until you...
6. ...Cook for two minutes on the first side, then here's the trick to getting perfect grill marks: rotate the steaks 90 degree, to form cross-hatch square grill marks. Then, let the fish cook for two more minutes to complete the cross-hatch pattern.
7. Flip the fish, and spoon the Hoisin sauce on the top side. This will allow the sauce to caramelize right on top of the fish during the cooking process.
8. Repeat the cross-hatch procedure for the second side, again turning 90 degrees after two minutes.
9. Remove the fish from the grill once they are done cooking. You don't want to overcook Ahi tuna; in fact, most people prefer medium-rare, so as long as the fish reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees, you will be good to go.
10. Toast your sesame buns, if that floats your boat.
11. Here's how to serve the burgers: Place the steak on the bottom of the bun, then scoop some of the Asian slaw on top of the tuna. Spread some of the spicy mayo on the top of the bun, then close the sandwich! Close your eyes, take a bite, and prepare to enter the world of perfection.

Asian Slaw (This will make a large bowl, so you will have plenty to put on your burger, with a lot left to eat on the side too)

This slaw is a traditional coleslaw, but at the same time, it isn't at all. It features traditional ingredients like the coleslaw mix, and mayonnaise in the dressing, but it serves up the unexpected with the pickled ginger, wasabi, and cilantro- all Asian ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 bag coleslaw mix
6 strips of sliced pickled ginger
2 stalks of thinly chopped green onion
A bunch (five pieces) of cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Toss the coleslaw mix, pickled ginger, green onion, cilantro, and salt/pepper in a large bowl.
2. Add the spicy mayo and mix the coleslaw thoroughly.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for as long as you can before succumbing to the unavoidable urge to eat this slaw!
4. Top the burgers with the slaw, then place some more on the side of your plate, because you will definitely want a lot of this stuff!

Spicy Mayo (This will make enough to dress the slaw, and will leave you with a bit to spread on your burgers too)

This mayo has coolness from the mayonnaise, savory from the soy, spiciness from the wasabi and mustard, and sweetness from the sugar. Finishing it with the lime juice gives the mayo a final fresh component.

Ingredients
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup spicy Chinese mustard (you can find this in the ethnic aisle of your local supermarket too)
2 tbsp soy sauce (I'm sure you've heard of that one)
1 tsp sugar
Squeeze of lime juice
2 tsp prepared wasabi paste (you buy wasabi in the powder form, and you must mix the powder with water to end up with a paste. To yield 2 tsp of paste, mix 1.5 tsp powder with 2 tsp water)
Dash of salt and pepper, to taste

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2. Refrigerate until you're ready to dress your slaw and to spread on your bun.
3. This mayo has a great flavor profile, so you can use it as a dip for veggies, or you can put it on all of your sandwiches!

To watch me whip up these recipes, watch the pilot episode of SWAGourmet next weekend! Tell your friends also, and spread the joy of cooking with them! Happy reading, watching, and cooking!
Swag out,
Gevin