Honey Dijon Tuna Steaks with Pea Puree

I found tuna steaks on sale at the grocery store this week and snagged them up for a great price- you gotta love a bargain, even when food shopping! I normally like my tuna steaks on the rare side but I knew Eric (boyfriend) probably wouldn't go for it; I'm still introducing him to foods he's never tried and I knew he wouldn't eat a tuna steak rare...so for his, I just cooked it a minute or so longer on each side. I decide to go with a pea puree because it's so easy to do, and something different besides just having a vegetable sitting on the side of the plate. Plus, it looks pretty! As for the tuna, you could of course grill the steaks; as it's already cold outside here I didn't want to grill outside and I'm in need of a new indoor grill pan, so I cooked them in a skillet. Whichever way you go, make sure the skillet/grill is well oiled so your tuna doesn't stick.
What You'll Need:
For the tuna/marinade:
- 2 tuna steaks
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
For the pea puree:
- one 12 oz bag frozen peas
- 2 small or 1 large clove(s) garlic
- 2 or 3 mint leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
What to Do:
The tuna will take just minutes to cook, so after I place it in the marinade, I make the puree so that everything is ready to plate once the tuna is finished cooking.
First, in a bowl combine the honey, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, minced garlic, and salt & pepper. Place the tuna steaks in a Ziploc bag, and then add the marinade mixture in with the tuna. Seal the bag, making sure that the steaks are covered in the marinade. Place the bag in the fridge for about 30 minutes until ready to cook.
Place the frozen peas in a colander, and rinse them with warm water; this will thaw them out. Drain well.
In a food processor, combine the peas, mint, garlic, salt, and pepper and puree. While the processor is running, add the olive oil in a steady but slow stream until everything is combined. Scoop the puree out into a bowl, and mix the Parmesan cheese in by hand.
Once the steaks have been marinating for at least 30 minutes, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the tuna steaks in the skillet, and do not move them- cook them for 2 minutes, and then flip over and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the other side. This will give you an amazing rare tuna steak. If you prefer yours to not be rare, simply cook for another minute or so per side, but I wouldn't recommend cooking much longer than that or you'll dry the tuna out.
Spoon some of the pea puree onto a plate and spread out with the back of a spoon, then place your tuna steak on top! You may have some pea puree left over- if so, I recommend putting it in the fridge, and the next day use it to make a pea puree crostini, just small slices of grilled or toasted bread, topped with the puree- it's awesome!