Grilled Herbed Ahi Steaks With Saffron Pomegranate Rice And Grilled Asparagus

It's pomegranate season! Hip hip hurray!!!

This annual event happened to coincide with a peek I got at a Food Network recipe for rice with saffron, shallots, cardamom pods, star anise, cilantro and pistachios. Sounds like a yummy meal unto itself, but we do like our protein here, so the other happy coincidence was that Sprouts had ahi tuna and swordfish steaks on sale for $5.99 a pound. I picked up both, but tuna was up first.

The tuna is marinated in a simple mixture of a little garlic, rosemary, thyme, dried oregano, crushed red pepper and olive oil. It is grilled until still rosy pink in the middle.

I also grilled some asparagus, tossed with olive oil and salt and pepper before grilling, and a little good balsamic vinegar afterward.

Man, was that rice delish!

Mangia!

Grilled Herbed Ahi Steaks with Saffron Pomegranate Rice and Grilled Asparagus
Rice adapted from Food Network

For the rice:

4 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups basmati rice
3 cups water (I substituted chicken broth for one of the cups)
3 each cardamom pods and star anise
1 teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup each chopped cilantro, pomegranate seeds and roasted pistachios

Saute the shallots in the butter over medium high heat, 1 minute. Add water, rice, cardamom, star anise, saffron, red pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Toss with remaining ingredients.

For the asparagus:

1 pound thin asparagus spears
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar

Wash spears and break off bottoms where the spear breaks easily. Toss with olive oil and seasoning. Grill on a hot BBQ for 3 to 4 minutes, turning every minute or so, until blackened in some areas. You can start them on the grill at a higher temperature than you'll want for the tuna, and after they are cooked, the coals can continue to burn down to a medium high heat for the tuna. Remove from grill and toss with balsamic vinegar.

For the ahi:

1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 pounds fresh ahi tuna steaks, 1 1/2 inches thick

Toss all ingredients together along with salt and pepper and marinate for several hours. Grill on medium high heat for a minute or two, then rotate each steak 90 to 180 degrees to get cross grill marks. After about one to two minutes, turn the fish over and repeat with timing and turning. Fish should still be pink in the middle. Remove from heat and serve with rice and asparagus.