24 Before 24, Day One

So I'm starting my New Year's resolution over a week later. I've decided that my new motto is "24 before 24" which means I want to lose 24 lbs before my 24th birthday, which is April 8th. I hit up the grocery store tonight, and over $125 later, I came out well stocked. My plan is to eat as much low fat, healthy grains and protein as possible.

For my first meal, I've got a mixed baby romaine salad with crumbled feta, diced cucumbers, steamed seasoned shrimp, tossed in a homemade dijon vinaigrette. Served with a side of fresh blueberries and a clementine and a big glass of ice water with lemon slices.

Food like this is not only beautiful to the eye, but is honest feel good food. I'm excited to begin this journey!

Easy Grilled Pizza

Recently, a close friend invited me over to visit while she was housesitting. She warned me before I got there, that the kitchen was something of dreams. Well I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself.

Walking into the kitchen, my mouth dropped and I started to drool. DUAL OVENS. GAS COOKTOP. WALK IN PANTRY. Be still my heart. And what's even sadder is that most people that have kitchens like this don't even COOK IN THEM. For shame.

Well I decided to put it to good use. I was inspired by my gal pal Ina Garten to make a grilled pizza. It turned out so perfect and it honestly was so simple!

Things you'll need:

Package of pizza dough from your supermarket (mine sells it in the bakery)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Toppings of your choice

Preheat your grill to a medium-high heat. Make sure your grill is clean, because you'll be placing the pizza directly onto it.

Prep your dough by letting it sit out for an hour before using, giving it time to rise. Once the hour is up, shape into individual sizes.

Place it down on the grill. Cook for 1 minute on the 1st side. While it's cooking, brush the uncooked side with EVOO.

Flip the bread over and start to layer on your toppings. I used tomato sauce, caramelized onions, pepperoni, fresh buffalo mozzerella, and fresh basil. Cover grill for 5 minutes to let cheese melt. Remove and enjoy!

I tried it for my mom's birthday the following week and expiremented with pizza toppings. The crowd favorite was the BBQ chicken pizza made with caramelized onions, leftover roast chicken, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce.

Barefoot Blogging: Seared Tuna Salad

Before you don't read this post because you think it's going to be about a regular ol' Tuna Salad, stay with me. Trust me, you'll need to check it out.

This is anything BUT a tuna salad you've ever had in your life. This is not a soggy pile of canned Bumblebee tuna with chopped celery that never fails to overpower it. This is a combination of flavors that does nothing but leave you wanting more after you've had your last bite.

Here's the printable recipe so you can follow along

Here's the ingredients you'll need..... it may look like a lot, but the sauce uses it all.

First up... the tuna. I'm a big fan of fresh tuna, not canned. It may be more expensive but trust me when I say that it's worth it. Seared tuna is like a great steak. It should be rare, and if you overcook it then it's awful.

Let's take a look at this steak and you'll see why you need to make sure you don't overcook it.

Please don't cook this well done. If you even think about it, I'll come and find you and may slap you.

You can sear your tuna as is, but I enjoying taking it to the next level and I like to crust it. It adds an extra crunch and fantastic flavor. I found this wonderful toasted sesame ginger crust at Whole Foods and I'll be using that. I just patted it down all over the tuna, like this

Go to your stove and get a sautee pan searing hot. And I mean HOT. Drizzle in a few tsp of olive oil so your tuna steak won't stick to it.

Add your tuna steak to your amazingly hot pan and cook for ONE MINUTE on each side. I also like to flip it on the sides and cook for about 20 seconds on each side. Take it off the stove and let it set.

While that's resting, let's turn to the dressing and veggies.

We're going to need the zest of a lime. Grab your handy microplane and get to work.

After you're done zesting, we need the juice of it!

*** for those following the recipe, I'm making a different dressing than what's listed!***

Add in 2 TBS of olive oil, 1 TBS of soy sauce, 5 dashes of Tabasco, 1/2 tsp of toasted Sesame oil, 1 tsp of salt and pepper. I found that to balance the tartness of the lime, that a little squeeze of honey balanced it out perfectly.

Whisk this until it is all combined.

I also wanted to kick up the flavor, so I was a naughty girl and added a few drops of Sriacha for an extra bite. Where would I be without Sriacha in my life?

Next up, slice up an avocado and cut it into chunks. Take 1 stalk of scallions and slice it very thin. Then take 1/4 of a red onion and chop it into very fine pieces. Toss this all in the dressing you've made.

Turning back to the tuna. I've cut a few slices just to present it, but then I chopped the rest into cubes.

Ah, yes. Perfection. This is my kind of Tuna Salad. For those that like sushi, it reminds me of a sushi roll minus the rice!

Friday Night Fun

Picture this. It's a Friday night. You're single. You're at home. What does one do? Why cook mussels of course, who wouldn't do that? Well I finally visited a seafood shop in town that I had been eyeing for awhile but never took the plunge and went in. And I was rewarded with some of the freshest and best priced seafood I've ever seen around town. I quickly snatched up some mussels, already knowing what I'd make with them.

One of my favorite things to order in restaurants is mussels. There's something so special and delicious about those tasty bits cooked in a white wine and herb broth. I always knew that it's be so easy to make at home, so I wanted to give it a go.

Go through your mussels and remove the beard and scrub them really well to remove any dirt. Put them in a bowl of cold water with 1/3 cup of flour. Why flour? Because the mussels will absorb the flour and expel any dirt that still may be in them. Let them soak for 30 minutes, then rinse and drain.

Basically to make the broth, you take about 2 TBS of butter and 2 TBS of olive oil and cook until the butter is melted. Add a half cup of shallots (or very thinly sliced onions if you don't have shallots). Add in a half can of chopped tomatoes, a lot of chopped parsely, two cloves of chopped garlic, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a few sprigs of thyme. Oh yeah, and a cup of white wine. It's okay to have a swig or two for the chef ;)

Bring this broth to a boil.... and it will smell so amazing by this point. Add your cleaned mussels, and cover with a lid. Cook this over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until they are all opened. Discard any that did not open. Stir to make sure they don't burn on the bottom. Once finished cooking, pour the mussels and the broth into a big bowl and serve with a crusty piece of bread to soak up that delicious broth. Make sure you have a glass of wine or three for yourself as well!