Recreating My Restaurant Favorite at Home with Microgreens

When all of the restaurants closed down in March, I found myself out of a job. In addition to the struggle of getting laid off, dining out was no longer an option. This turned out to be a real issue for me. While I’m no stranger to restaurant culture, I am a disaster in the kitchen. Everything I cook is either raw, burnt or... inedible. Consequently, I eat a lot of my meals outside of the house. Stuck at home, I have no choice but to cook for myself.

Long story short, if I never see another grilled cheese sandwich, it will be too soon.

I needed a new lunch option; something that wouldn’t make me feel sluggish. Something so simple I couldn’t mess it up. This would prove to be a challenge.

When I was waiting tables in Harvard Square, there was only one meal at work I didn’t get tired of: a Yellowfin Tuna BLT. This sandwich was a lunch staple at the chic pub I worked at, and for a good reason. Always adverse to seafood, this sandwich made me fall in love with Tuna. Not the canned stuff your mom makes a mayonnaise “salad” out of. This is sushi-grade stuff.

I was determined to recreate that sandwich myself and today, I did. I didn’t have to spend sixteen dollars for it, either. I’ll give you the run down on how I made this super simple sandwich even BETTER with fresh microgreens.

Ingredients:
6 oz Yellowfin Tuna
Two strips of Bacon (or your favorite substitute)

1 cup Spicy Salad Microgreen Mix
1⁄2 cup Radish Microgreens
Two slices of Fresh Tomato
*Optional- Mayonnaise
1 Ciabatta roll

Listen. We’re not going to deprive ourselves here. If you ask me, a BLT needs mayonnaise. I mixed in a healthy squirt of sriracha into the mayo, but that’s up to you.

As for the Yellowfin, the fresher, the better.

I was pleased to find that the Yellowfin Tuna at Star Market was not only fresh but on sale as well. I picked up some cilantro on my way to the self-checkout, taking inspiration from the BCT (Bacon Cilantro Tomato) sandwich at Iggy’s Bakery. I actually swung by Iggy’s on the way home to grab a fresh ciabatta roll this morning. Everything else (bacon, mayo, tomato, microgreens), I already had at home.

Making the Sandwich:

I started by frying up the bacon on low heat, to prevent the strips from shrinking. While that was cooking, I washed my cilantro and tomato. My mother taught me to soak produce solution made from white vinegar diluted in water. This gave me time to flip the bacon and whip up my sriracha-mayonnaise concoction.

Locally grown and organic, the microgreens are ready to go. No trimming or chopping necessary. For this sandwich, I chose to use both the spicy salad microgreen mix and the radish microgreens. Tuna and Radish are no stranger to each other. I’m a big fan of a niçoise salad, which pairs Ahi Tuna with radish and egg. The radish gives a nice crunch, something I hope the radish microgreens will replicate. As for the Spicy salad microgreens, they add way more flavor than your run of the mill romaine lettuce.

Once my bacon was nice and crisp, I drained the extra grease from the pan and began cooking the tuna at a low-medium temperature. I like a seared tuna steak, with a juicy, red middle. Achieving this is as simple as pan-searing the tuna on each side for about two minutes- or until the tuna steak is white on both sides.

Once your tuna is cooked, it’s ready to plate! I spread a little sriracha-mayo on the bottom slice of my ciabatta bread and layered the microgreens on top, as if to glue them in place. They made a nice bed for the tomato slices (and kept the bread from getting soggy). After the tomato, just pile on your tuna and finish with the bacon.

I went for a side salad of the spicy microgreens dressed in lemon juice. These microgreens are flavorful to stand on their own, but I can imagine them pairing with just about any dressing. Maybe a spicy ceaser... that’s for another day.

This homemade Yellowfin B”L”T was even better than I remember. Maybe I’ve been deprived of protein and veggies, or maybe I’ve found my new favorite lunch. I would take these microgreens over their soft arugula, hands down. The purple radish microgreens look really pretty in there as well.

After this sandwich, I felt like I could conquer the world. No more grilled cheese belly. No more napping the day away. Sure, there was bacon (and mayonnaise), but it’s all about balance, right? I had the microgreens to help even the score. While my grilled cheese habit threatens long term problems like heart disease, these microgreens take preventative measures to help your immune system combat disease! They have up to forty times the nutrition as their mature counterparts, and you can eat the whole plant, too! I’m excited to find more ways for these microgreens to enhance my favorite foods...

Off to find more lunches!