Oak-Planked Peppercorn Tuna Steaks with Orange Mayonnaise with Stone Fruit Salad with Toasted Almonds and Cracked Pepper-Seed Bread

I must dedicate this entire meal to Cooking Light. Does that make me uncreative or just in admittance that I know a good thing when I find it? Either way, this is a fantastic, savory meal when you're looking for something heartier rather than sugary. The pepper in the bread pairs nicely with that on the tuna, and the nuttiness of the salad fits in nicely with both. Enjoy each piece of this meal separately or make all at once for a delicious-tasting and delicious-looking presentation!

Keep in mind, however, that as healthy as we attempt to make the bread it will still remain fairly high in carbohydrates due to its basic nature. Eat it after a big work out or earlier in the day to give your body maximum burning-off time! Especially enjoy if you're a long-distance runner... (Since those are so common!)

Cracked Pepper-Seed Bread
Although the picture above is for the fish, we'll start with the bread since it is an involved recipe. Keep in mind it will take nearly 3 hours to make this bread since it needs to rise twice and then bake. Start early! But while the bread is rising and baking you can cook something else or even (gasp!) neglect cooking altogether and get something else done. It's a long process with long downtime.

I generally followed this recipe and it turned out well! Keep in mind that this is a savory bread, to be served with a meal and perhaps some butter. It is not a sweet bread or a focaccia that you would want to eat entirely on its own.

Also note this makes two loaves. If you are cooking for a smaller number of people you might want to cut the recipe in half! Only make as much as you will eat in a few days since bread tastes the best when it is fresh.

Finally, while most bread recipes want warm environments for rising, most households do not randomly have an 85 degree area. I simply place the dough in the microwave (with the microwave off) figuring it's slighly warmer than the rest of the house and free of drafts. This always works well for me!

Oak-Planked Peppercorn Tuna Steaks with Orange Mayonnaise
And now for the entree! So get out and buy yourself some nice tuna. And I really do mean that. While tuna varies widely in price it is almost always worth it to buy the higher quality one. This is especially important if you prefer your tuna rare since you especially do not want to get sick!

Follow along with the fish pretty closely, cooking to taste. Not a fan of mayo? This recipe is just as good without it. Or, if you are making for a mix of people who do and do not like it, adjust the amounts accordingly. A small amount of mayo goes a long way! Make sure not to drown your fish.

Stone Fruit Salad with Toasted Almonds
Mmmmmm, this was good! Not sure what a stone fruit is? I wasn't either. But I took a leap and made it and it was worth it!

And then I learned that stone fruits apparently mean peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots. What amazing powers of deduction I have!

This recipe is about as straight forward as you can get, so mix up your salad and enjoy. Make extra and take to lunch for the next few days as well.