Food Network... A Love/Hate Relationship.

   As a former uh... "robust woman", I will freely admit that I have always loved food. And I still LOVE food. Whether I weigh 80 pounds or 800 pounds, ain't nothin gonna change that! I was born into a very Italian household, where the focus of every holiday (and most weekends) was/is on food. What is being served? How much? At what time? Who's bringing dessert? On and on and on...you get the point. So now that I have been losing weight, I struggle with still fostering a passion for the culinary arts, but trying to balance it so that it isn't a focus of my life. Though I may fight it, I still enjoy watching the Food Network and acquiring new recipes to try; however, now I just use the recipes as a framework that I can work with and manipulate into a figure friendly version of itself. Naturally, some recipes are more successful than others but just because I'm losing weight, doesn't mean I have to forfeit a passion of mine. In fact, it challenges me to adjust my passion into my new lifestyle. And I think it will be that element which will be crucial to my success and long-term maintenance.
    So today I was watching the Barefoot Contessa (of whom normally I am not so much a fan). But today she made a Tuna Tapenade, which looked pretty darn interesting. Obviously, this prompted me to immediately run out to the store to buy the ingredients, come home and whip up a batch. AND IT WAS FRIGGIN DELICIOUS! I made several "accommodations" but holy cow, it was awesome. And best of all, I am always looking for protein packed meals that don't revolve around meat; (I'm not a big meat eater.) - So this to me was a win-win.

P.S - I don't know how copyright rules and whatnot goes but I give full credit/props whatever to Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) and mean her no disrespect by tweaking her recipe a bit. Don't that say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery?

Tuna Tapenade

Ingredients

• 10 to 12 ounces canned or jarred Italian tuna packed in olive oil (I used tuna packed in water...)
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste (I didn't use this either, so if you're not a fan, you won't miss it!)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing bread
• 4 oz 1/3 less fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon drained capers (optional - I didn't use them!)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 36 slices French bread, cut diagonally (I used Carr's Table Water Crackers... a little healthier)

Directions

Drain all but a tablespoon of olive oil (or water) from the tuna and then flake the fish into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the anchovy paste, thyme, parsley, lemon zest, and garlic and pulse a few times. Add the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil (NOT the tuna oil!), and the cream cheese and process until almost smooth. Add the olives, capers, salt, and pepper and pulse just to incorporate. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat a gas or charcoal grill or preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the bread lightly on one side with olive oil. Grill the crostini on both sides until lightly browned or arrange the bread on a sheet pan and bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

Mound the tapenade on each toast, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :)