Ahi Tuna Wonton Tacos

Fun food alert!

Do you know people who don’t seem to care one way or another about food? I’ve heard people say that they’d take a PILL for nourishment if they could. What?! This is not me. I love food. I love poring over menus, reading descriptions, imagining what the flavors will be like in each dish. The first bite of something yummy is heavenly- my eyes close, a happy “Mmmm” escapes my lips. I love learning about the food and cooking styles of other cultures. I love creating new things in my own kitchen. A good meal is one of the great pleasures in this life. And it’s even better when it’s creative and fun! Enter these Ahi Tuna Wonton Tacos with Pineapple Salsa. YUM! The wonton is basically a vehicle to bring deliciousness to your mouth, like a taco shell!

Before I started on the shells, I made a simple pineapple salsa: chopped pineapple, white onion, Sungold cherry tomatoes, a jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic salt. It’s basically a pico de gallo with pineapple thrown in, and it’s delicious in summertime and pairs well with fish. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more flavorful it becomes.

Taco time! I picked up wonton wrappers in the refrigerated part of the Asian food aisle. As I learned from the show, I brushed each one with a bit of vegetable oil on both sides and tucked them into the cups of a 12-cupcake baking pan. I baked them for 5 or six minutes until they were nice and browned, and the result was a cute little cup, ready for filling!

John and I have been eating lighter lately, so I’d picked up a thick ahi tuna steak. I seasoned it well with salt, pepper, some cumin, paprika, and chili powder. John seared it in a hot pan but left it rare. (Note to my mother and other sushi-haters: you could easily use steak, chicken, or shrimp instead!)

John chopped up the tuna and I put a little in each wonton taco shell.

Then I added a little arugula and spinach, and a little green onion.

I topped each one with pineapple salsa. How gorgeous are these?

I had leftover cilantro-lime quinoa, to which I added charred corn and chopped green onion to go with our cute little wonton tacos. The shells were crisp and light, and did a good job of holding the filling together. The ahi was a little pricey, but these would be an ideal party food for a group. You could really fill them with anything you want! They’d be scrumptious filled with chicken salad, chopped shrimp, even traditional taco meat.

The best part? They’re FUN- each one is a tasty, self-contained food party!

So much better than taking a “food pill”…

Ahi Tuna Wonton Tacos 

To make the pineapple salsa, you’ll need:

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/3 white onion, chopped
• ½ jalapeno, chopped (more if you like spice!)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• ½ cup pineapple, chopped
• Juice of ½ of a lime, to taste
• Garlic salt to taste

Combine the ingredients in a bowl, stir well, and let it sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!

To make the wonton taco shells, you’ll need:

• 12 square wonton wrappers
• Vegetable oil for brushing

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush each wonton wrapper on both sides with a little bit of oil. Press gently into the cups of a 12-cupcake pan. Bake for 5 minutes or until they get golden brown. Keep an eye on them because they burn quickly! Allow the shells to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the pan and adding the filling.

For the filling:

We grilled a tuna steak seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. You could also use grilled chicken, seasoned ground beef, or grilled veggies. We also chopped some arugula, spinach, and green onion for our tacos.

To assemble the tacos:

Scoop in some of your filling, add some greens, and top with pineapple salsa. Serve a tray full for an al fresco cocktail party appetizer, or plate a few tacos with some cilantro-lime quinoa for dinner. Yum!

Hungry for more? Check out the FOOD BLISS page for more delicious recipes.