Sea Breeze

Food advice for people on special diets is often dismal. Recommended recipes may be healthful but they often taste awful. This menu, though designed for people with diabetes, is terrific for anyone who likes good food, healthful or not.

Following the general guidelines for managing diabetes from the American Dietetic Assn. and consulting with registered dietitian-nutritional therapist Mary Donkersloot, we created a meal that is low in fat, sugar and salt.

Firm, sweet-tasting ahi tuna is coated with a mixture of sesame seeds and cayenne pepper, then briefly cooked to maintain a rare center. It’s not only attractive, it’s very flavorful, especially drizzled with the wasabi sauce. Accompanied by a crunchy, chewy and highly nutritious seaweed salad, it’s a menu for anyone who enjoys the flavors of the sea.

Menu / 30 minutes or less

Seared Black and White Ahi Tuna With Wasabi Sauce

Seaweed Salad

Steamed Short-Grain Rice

Sliced Asian Pears

Countdown

30 minutes before: Steam rice.

25 minutes before: Reconstitute seaweed. Combine salad ingredients. Set aside.

20 minutes: Slice pears and refrigerate.

15 minutes before: Combine salad ingredients and set aside.

10 minutes before: Coat tuna. Heat oil and sear tuna.

5 minutes before: Make wasabi sauce. Slice tuna.

Staples

Cayenne

Chicken broth

Cornstarch

Light soy sauce

Oil

Pepper

Rice vinegar

Salt

Sesame oil

Short-grain white rise

Shopping List

1 ounce mixed, dried seaweed

1 (3-ounce) package white sesame seeds

1 (3-ounce) package black sesame seeds

1/2 pound ahi tuna

1 (.88-ounce) can wasabi powder

2 Asian pears

Cook’s Tips

* All of the ingredients in these dishes can be purchased in Japanese markets.

* There are many different types of seaweed. For the salad, choose a package that contains a few varieties.

* Those who can tolerate a little sugar in their diet can try mirin, a sweetened Japanese rice wine, in place of the rice vinegar in the salad.

SEARED BLACK AND WHITE AHI TUNA WITH WASABI SAUCE

1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound piece ahi tuna

1 tablespoon oil

1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder

1/2 teaspoon water

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine black and white sesame seeds, cayenne, salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly on plate or cookie sheet. Coat tuna with mixture on all sides.

Heat oil in medium-sized skillet over high heat. When oil begins to smoke, add tuna and cook 15 seconds on each of the 6 flat sides. Set aside.

Mix wasabi powder with water to make paste. Combine broth and cornstarch and mix well. Heat until just below simmer and add paste. Remove from heat and stir until blended.

To serve, cut tuna on bias into 1/2-inch pieces. Drizzle with wasabi sauce.

2 servings. Each serving:

246 calories; 430 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 0.27 gram fiber.

SEAWEED SALAD

1 ounce mixed dried seaweed

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

Reconstitute seaweed in warm water to cover 10 minutes. Drain. Add sesame oil, sesame seeds, vinegar and soy sauce and toss to combine. Chill until ready to serve.

2 servings. Each serving:

36 calories; 114 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.23 gram fiber.

STEAMED SHORT-GRAIN RICE

1/2 cup short-grain white rice

3/4 cup water

Rinse rice through colander three times to remove extra starch. Put rice in small saucepan and add water. Bring to boil, cover and lower heat. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and steam, covered, 10 minutes.

2 servings. Each serving:

112 calories; 0 sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.10 gram fiber.

Charles Malin oval leaf plates from Freehand, Los Angeles.