This 20-minute tuna steak proves a recipe can be speedy and tasty

The problem with many quickas-a-flash recipes is that they fall flat. You trade flavor, freshness and/or variety in texture and temperature for that efficiency.

But some fast dishes rise to the occasion, as evidenced by this Tuna with Basil-Mint Oil and Cucumber Salad.

The first time I made it, I gathered my ingredients and jotted down my starting time, as I often do. As I sprinkled the pistachios over the plate of food — the final step — I glanced at the clock. Less than 20 minutes had passed.

But would it be good? We dug in. It was. The minty basil oil added grassy freshness and richness that balanced the lightly seasoned, warm tuna and the cool, thinly sliced cucumber. The chopped pistachios added crunch.

So, I made it again, cutting the oil a bit and adding a little water and vinegar to the sauce to lighten it a touch. Same thing. Twenty minutes.

The recipe comes from the “April” chapter of “365: A Year of Everyday Cooking & Baking” by Meike Peters (Prestel, 2019). The 12 chapters, one for each month, offer a recipe a day so you can cook your way through the changing seasons. Some are savory; some are sweet.

I’ve had the cookbook on my shelf for some time but only recently gave it the attention it deserves. I’ve now added it to my retirement bucket list: My goal is to cook my way through it.

(Based on the number of sticky notes I’ve already added to the book’s pages, I will have made quite a dent in the 365 recipes by the time I retire.)

Scott Suchman / For the Washington Post Tuna with Basil-Mint Oil, Cucumber and Pistachios is on the table in 20 minutes.