Pan Seared Tuna Steak

Years ago, I ordered tuna steak at a restaurant for the first time. I had never eaten it before, so I had no idea what it was supposed to taste like. When the kitchen delivered a bone-dry piece of tuna, I thought that was the way it was meant to taste, and that was it for me. I had no interest in ever eating it again. Fast forward a few years and I was watching an episode of Chopped on the Food Network. They mentioned one of the competitors websites so I checked it out. I happened upon a video of the chef preparing a pan-seared tuna steak and it was the most beautiful piece of fish I had ever seen. The very next day I was off to the fishmonger. I heated up my skillet, and in 5 minutes flat I had the most juicy, mouth-watering piece of fish. I can’t say enough how simply delicious this is. No need for spices, sauces or fancy marinades – just a sprinkle of salt and pepper and you’ll be blown away!

Pan Seared Tuna Steak

1 tuna steak
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Method:

Rinse tuna steak and pat dry on paper towel. Heat up a frying pan over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle tuna steak with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and add seasoned-side-down to the pan. You should hear it sizzle (if you don’t, your pan is not hot enough). Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper. Sear for 2 minutes and flip, searing the second side for 2 minutes as well. Using tongs, hold the fish on its side and sear all around. Remove from pan and slice into 1/4″ slices. If you like your tuna more well done, continue to cook until desired doneness.

Simple Cabbage Salad

1/2 head cabbage, sliced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp safflower oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
black sesame seeds
scallions, for garnish

Method:

Slice cabbage into thin strips. Mix with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and sesame seeds. Garnish with scallions.

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My Diet Journey

With the chagim behind us, and a few extra pounds later, it’s time for me to face the music. All that honey-sweetened food was as satisfying as it was delicious, but it wasn’t as friendly to my figure. Not to mention the extra pregnancy weight I’ve been carrying around (did I mention my baby is almost 1?)…And so the time has come for me to take the diet plunge.

I’ve been dieting ever since I can remember. Weight watchers, Somersizing, Atkins, The Blood Type Diet…I’ve tried them all. The good news is that I’ve learnt which diets work for me and my body type and I pretty much have it down to a science.

To jump start my weight loss, I do PHASE 1 of the South Beach Diet. This is no easy feat. For two whole weeks, one cannot eat any bread, oatmeal, pasta, rice, cereal, fruit, certain veggies, and some dairy. This phase of the diet is a sort of cleanse, where you eliminate cravings and stabilize your blood sugar.

After completing PHASE 1, where I typically lose about 10 pounds, I move onto a low glycemic diet (which is more or less Phase 2 of the South Beach diet, but I don’t follow it by the book). Without getting into too much detail, I basically only eat foods that have a low GI value (this is a value assigned to all foods that contain carbs to indicate how fast and how high that food can raise your blood sugar level). On this phase, I typically lose about 2 pounds per week. The last time I did this, I lost 40 lbs. This time, I have my sights set on 50.

If I hit a plateau and I don’t seem to be losing any more weight, I just do Phase 1 of the South Beach diet again to jumpstart my weight loss.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is my diet plan in a nutshell.

So. Being the generous spirit that I am (jk!), I thought I’d make you guys an offer to follow along with me. If you’ve got weight to lose and you’ve been pushing it off, join me on my diet journey! I’ll lay down the rules and provide the meal plans and recipes. All you have to do is follow along! Don’t worry, non-dieters, my blog will continue to feature delicious recipes that you can use too!

I’ve created the following pages to help guide you. There are also handy shortcuts under the BIB Diet Tips (just below the categories).

Getting Started
Phase 1 Rules
Phase 1 Menu
Phase 2 Rules

If you have any additional dieting tips or recipes that you’d like to share, feel free to post a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

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Creamy Pareve Mashed Potatoes

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, what’s a kosher girl to do? Those turkey drippings have got to be sopped up by something. Enter my perfect pareve mashed potatoes – creamy, fluffy and oh so delicious. Traditionally, butter and milk are used to bind the potatoes, while some include sour or cream cheese for added creaminess. With turkey as the main component of Thanksgiving dinner, dairy is not an option. Of course margarine, soy milk and toffuti cream cheese/sour cream can do the trick, but you’ll be left with an overwhelming taste of soy. I know some people who use mayo, but that just doesn’t work for me. Instead, I opt for a healthy dose of olive oil to bind the mixture, while chicken stock stands in as a flavorful creamer. The results are lighter, yet still smooth and delicious (which leaves room for the smorgasbord of calories awaiting you).

Now that you’ve got your mashed potatoes nice and creamy, it’s time to talk about add-ins. When I was growing up, my mother never made mashed potatoes without a side of caramelized onions. Not surprisingly, that’s my go-to every time. Still, there are some other options out there, so go ahead and mix up your favorite version.

– spices: garlic salt, smoked paprika, curry powder, lawry’s seasoned salt
– pepper (some people like to use white pepper so the potatoes don’t have black flecks)
– fresh herbs: oregano, parsley, basil, cilantro, thyme, rosemary
– caramelized onions and/or mushrooms
– roasted garlic cloves
– horseradish or wasabi
– chipotle or poblano chilies
– lemon juice and/or zest
– sundried tomatoes
– pesto or tapenade
– spinach
– chives
– truffle oil
– mustard

Have you got your own version of pareve mashed potatoes that you’d like to share? Tell us about it in the comments below!


Creamy Pareve Mashed Potatoes

4 Idaho potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil (use full-bodied or extra-light depending on your taste)
1/3-1/2 cup vegetable stock (I like Imagine)
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
chives, for garnish

Method:

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Do you best to keep the pieces the same size so they will cook evenly. Add potatoes to a pot, cover with water and sprinkle with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then lower the flame slightly so that the water maintains a rolling boil. Continue to cook the potatoes until they fall apart when poked with a fork. Pour potatoes into a strainer and drain well. Return potatoes to the pot and turn the flame on low. This will evaporate any leftover water so that the potatoes won’t be mealy. With a potato masher, mash the potatoes well, making sure that no lumps remain. Remove from heat and mix in olive oil, chicken stock, salt and pepper. If needed, add more chicken stock. Mix in your fillers of choice and serve.

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Vintage Buttons Earrings

Lets get crafting! It’s been a while since I posted a craft on my blog, and I’m super excited about this easy way to turn basic buttons into beautiful jewelry!

Buttons are a versatile and inexpensive embellishment that adds a custom touch to clothing, pillows, jewelry, shoes, and more. They can be found in thousands of colors, prints, and materials, opening the door to endless possibilities.

Recently, I began expanding my button collection. When I saw these exquisite vintage buttons on Etsy, I knew I had to do more to them than throw them into my button jar. Turning them into earrings was the perfect way to showcase their beauty. So, the next time you feel like throwing away an old blouse, take a second look at the buttons! You may just find yourself a new pair of earrings!

Some other great ways to use up old buttons:

embellish hats
embellish hairclips
decorate a giftcard
use for scrapbooking
make button napkin rings
decorate a picture frame
update an old pair of shoes
create artwork for kids rooms
glue them to magnets or thumbtacks

How do you recycle old buttons? Share your crafting ideas with me!

How to:

You will need:

pair of buttons
*flat pad earring posts and backs
**button shank remover
glue gun

How to:

Using a button shank remover, remove the shanks off the back of the buttons. Be careful as they tend to fly when you snip them. Hold the buttons up to your ear to double check where to glue the posts (for larger buttons, you’ll need to glue it higher, for smaller buttons, you’ll need to glue it in the center). Using a bit of glue, attach the posts to the back of the buttons.

*Earring posts are available at jewelry supply stores (or Etsy) and can be purchased in metal, gold plate or sterling silver.
**Button shank removers are also called flush cutters, side cutters, or simply cutters and are available at jewelry supply stores.

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Hasselback Sweet Potatoes


Hassleback potatoes are the Swedish version of a baked potato, and are named for Hasslebacken, the Stockholm restaurant where it was first served. Traditionally, hassleback potatoes are made with white potatoes and are sometimes stuffed with garlic cloves. I came up with this sweeter version, using thin slices of apples, and topping it off with some sweet maple syrup and a sprinkle of brown sugar. The sweet potatoes came out soft on the inside, and crispy on the outside while the apples caramelized and crisped around the edges. With the autumn colors, rustic styling, and sweet taste, hassleback sweet potatoes make the perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving feast!

Hassleback Sweet Potatoes

4 organic sweet potatoes
2 crispy sweet apples, such as honeycrisp
3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
kosher salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes well and pat dry. Lay them flat on a cutting board and set one chopstick on each side. The chopsticks will ensure that you don’t cut all the way through. Starting from one end, make slits about 1/8″ thick. Peel and core apples and slice very thinly. Place apple slices in between each slit in the potatoes. Brush potatoes with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. Drizzle with maple syrup and finish with a sprinkle of kosher salt. Bake, uncovered for about 1 hour, until the insides are cooked through and the outsides are crispy. If the apples begin to burn around the edges, and the sweet potatoes are still not soft, cover the pan with foil to prevent more burning.

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