All Roads Lead to the Kitchen: chili dogs

This week's Barefoot Bloggers challenge was chosen by Kate of Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails...and it was fabulous! At first I thought I wasn't going to be able to participate because I could not find fresh tuna ANYWHERE!!! It is not 4:26 in the p.m. of the day this recipe is due to be posted and guess what? I finally found some fresh tuna...but not much. I checked a few local grocers who I thought may have it (I'm in lake territory, not ocean) but was out of luck. While the kiddos and I were heading home from the library I decided to run into a different market to grab some lemons...and decided to check the seafood counter; you know, just in case. BINGO! There sat two lovely tuna steaks. Now, the recipe calls for Ahi and this was Yellow Fin, but I decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it...or didn't it say Ahi? Hmm, where'd I get that? Anyhoo... there were only the two and they totaled just under a pound, so I went ahead and halved the recipe. I happen to love fresh tuna...heck, any fresh seafood for that matter. But, it HAS to be super fresh or I get kinda creeped out (I know, weirdo). Hubby on the other hand is not a big seafood fan...and he's even less a fan of rare meat (of any kind...makes me cringe when he orders his steak well-done). So, instead of leaving the tuna steaks rare, I cooked them through so that he would help me eat the salad. In all my tuna-euphoria, I forgot that I didn't have a couple of other ingredients called for, so I ended up subbing horseradish for wasabi (just as good, I think) and leaving out the scallions and my one of my favorite foods, avocado. Tuna Salad by Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa (halved)

1 lb. tuna steaks (1" thick)

2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling I used Himalayan Pink sea salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling

1 lime, zested

1/2 tsp. wasabi powder I subbed horseradish

3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. soy sauce

5 dashes hot sauce

1 avocado, diced I omitted this, boo hoo :(

1/8 c. scallions, sliced I omitted, didn't have

1/8 c. red onion, minced I just sliced them up thin

Brush tuna steaks with a little olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. In a piping hot pan, sear for one minute per side longer if your hubby won't do rare.

Mix the next ingredients (lime zest through hot sauce) well to make dressing I just put everything into a jar and shook like crazy.

Chunk the tuna and toss it with the onions and avocado. Pour over the marinade and toss gently. Serve.

This is seriously delicious! I almost wish I had cooked the tuna rare so that I'd have to eat it all by myself. Great choice, Kate. This paired wonderfully with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Head on over to see what the other Barefoot Bloggers did with this recipe!

And, since I did this so late in the day, I decided I'd just head on over to visit Tyler while I was at it. I was still barefoot and it was absolutely gorgeous outside, we went ahead and cooked up some of Tyler's dads awesome Chili Dogs. These were super simple, as well. Chili Cheese Dogs by Tyler Florence Eat This Book p. 186 slightly adapted Extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 pound lean ground beef 1 c. ketchup 1 tsp. chili powder 2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard Negra Modelo- few glugs Himalayan Pink Sea Salt freshly ground black pepper 4 hot dogs 4 hot dog rolls 1/2 c. grated Cheddar cheese Put a skillet over medium heat and drizzle in a 2-count of olive oil When the oil gets hazy, add the onion and cook, stirring, until it is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, and cook until nicely browned, about 10 more minutes. Stir in the ketchup, chili powder and mustard and simmer for 15 minutes, or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Don't forget to add your extra ingredients (my additions), a few good glugs of negra modelo (before simmering) and the Pink Himalayan sea salt to season. Cook your hot dogs on the grill, or know what...any way you like them. Put your dog in your bun, spoon over the hot chili and sprinkle with cheese. Dig in! I actually forgot to take any photos until I had already bitten in (I was so excited to eat them).

So, two great Food Network personalities and chefs, one post....double duty! Be sure to head over to Tyler Florence Fridays to find out what everybody else cooked up with Tyler!