Tuna Kebabs with Caesar Salad and Pesto Pasta Salad

Although the weather has been hit or miss this spring it is unquestionably grilling season.  Ethan is the man behind the grill but we make a great team pulling together a complete meal.  Yesterday he came home from the Union Square Farmers market with 2lbs of fresh tuna and it was quickly decided to make tuna kebabs.  On the side we agreed on a pesto pasta salad and Caesar salad with fresh croutons - a slightly random combination but it seemed appropriate on one of the first summer days of the year.  With a crew of hungry yet very appreciative guys, I wanted to keep it healthy but also make sure no one walked away unsatisfied.  

Tuna Kebabs
Serves 6

Ingredients:

2lbs fresh tuna, cubed
1 red onion, quartered
1 carton button mushrooms, washed and de-stemmed
2 green peppers, chopped in larger pieces
olive oil

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
salt & pepper

Method:

Combine ingredients for marinade and add tuna in bowl; let stand for 30 minutes.  Soak wooden skewers if using.  Add vegetables large bowl and cover in olive oil.   Build kebabs by alternating tuna, onion, mushrooms and green peppers.  Grill for 10 minutes or until fish is cooked. Serve hot.

Pesto Pasta Salad
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 box of pasta, I used bow ties
3-4 Tbsp fresh pesto sauce
Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp olive oil
Pine nuts (optional)

Method:

Because I wanted to give the pasta time to cool, I cooked the pasta about an 1 hour before dinner.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain and put in bowl with a little olive oil (so the noodles don't stick to each other) and place in the refrigerator to cool.  Immediately before serving mix in pesto sauce, grated parmesan, pine nuts (is using) and cherry tomatoes.  Make sure pesto evenly coats the pasta. 

Caesar Salad with Fresh Croutons
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 heads of Romaine lettuce
Caesar salad dressing, to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 loaf of bread, diced
salt & pepper
1 tsp italian herb seasoning
olive oil

Method:

Wash and dry lettuce and cut into bite side pieces, set aside.  Meanwhile dice bread into bite size pieces.  Toss with olive oil, herb seasoning and salt & pepper.  Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Make sure to shake the pan a couple times to ensure all an even browning.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Add to lettuce with parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Toss with salad dressing and add fresh cracked pepper if desired.