Orange Muffins

I purchased the Bob's Red Mill Baking Book a couple of years ago, during one of my "healthier" cooking kicks, but unfortunately convinced myself that the recipes were probably too healthful and not tasty. It sat in a box in my basement until Sunday night, when I was sorting through stuff to donate to garage sale fundraiser. I decided I should try at least one recipe before getting rid of the book . . . and I am so glad I did! These muffins are super easy to mix up and they bake very quickly as well. Don't be alarmed by the spelt flour - it is easy for me to find (in Quincy). However, if you can't find it easily, I think regular flour would work equally well - you might want to reduce the amount by one or two tablespoons. P.S.The muffins are delicious!



Orange Muffins
2 cups spelt flour (can substitute regular flour - might want to reduce it by 1-2 tbsp.)
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
zest of 1 orange
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
optional: 1/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners (I like the If You Care brand baking cups).
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, orange zest, allspice, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, beat together orange juice, applesauce, oil, sugar, vanilla, and eggs until well combined. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined (batter will be lumpy). Stir in dried cranberries, if using.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins rest 5 minutes, then transfer out of muffin pan onto a wire rack to cool.

Flash Chicken and Glazed Carrots

Two good recipes to share . . . and one that was a flop. Flash chicken saute with cider and almonds has a long title, but it was actually a relatively quick and easy recipe. It was so good . . . it makes me sad, thinking about all the people who eat tasteless, plain, boring chicken breasts. With just a little effort, a chicken breast can actually become flavorful and something you look forward to eating. The carrots were also good, if you're a fan of carrots. With the exception of carrots cooked with pot roast, I've always had a cooked carrot aversion (by the way - boiling peas and carrots and serving them plain is great way to make sure your kids never want to eat either vegetable when they grow up). However, when I saw glazed carrots in Everyday Food and realized I had all the ingredients, I decided to give cooked carrots another try. I'm glad I did, because they actually can be good . . . I no longer feel obligated to hate cooked carrots.

Honey Glazed Carrots
1 tsp. oil (olive or canola)
2 lbs. carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces, halved if thick
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
coarse salt and ground black pepper
1 tbsp. unsalted butter

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots and cook, stirring once, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
2. Add broth, honey, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until crisp-tender (about 10-15 minutes). Uncover and cook over medium to medium-high heat until carrots are tender and liquid is syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes more (there should not be much liquid remaining).
3. Remove skillet from heat; add butter and swirl skillet until melted. Season with salt and pepper. - Everyday Food
   
   Notes: to make this dairy free, leave out butter or substitute with a dairy-free butter alternative. The carrots are pretty sweet, so it might seem strange to add salt at the end, but I encourage you to give it a try - I think it enhances the flavor.

Flash Chicken Saute with Cider and Almonds

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (the original recipe calls for 4)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup cider vinegar
optional: 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tablespoons whole salted almonds, coarsely chopped

1. In a 10-inch saute pan (not nonstick), boil down broth until it is reduced by about two-thirds. Pour it into a container (a bowl or glass measuring cup) and set aside. Rinse and dry pan.
2. Lightly coat pan with olive oil and heat over high heat. Place chicken breasts in pan, season with salt and pepper. Lightly brown them on both sides. Lower heat to medium low and cook uncovered for about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Make the sauce by adding cider vinegar and garlic to the pan. Boil, scraping up the brown bits in the pan, until the vinegar is reduced to 1/4 cup (hint: place 1/4 cup of water in the pan before you begin cooking to have a reference point for estimating 1/4 cup vinegar). Stir in the reserved broth and boil 2 minutes, or until sauce is rich-tasting. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in butter (if using). Immediately pour sauce over chicken, top with almonds, and serve.

Note: I didn't add butter to the sauce and I thought it was really good without it. I imagine it might be even better with butter, but if you want to cut fat and calories, you won't miss the butter. - The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper

About the macaroni and cheese . . . the recipe was from Ellie Krieger and included a lot more butternut squash puree than cheese . . . I made it a while back and froze it, then baked it to go with this meal. Ken ate his, but mine went in the trash. Yuck. I usually like Ellie Krieger's healthy recipes - not sure what happened with this one!

Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon

Although this recipe was quick and easy, it also proved to be a major test of patience. Here's why: I got The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper in the early summer. As usual, I flagged some recipes, including this one. Of course, I'm sure you guessed by now that I couldn't find preserved lemons . . . not even in St Louis. So, with a little help from Google and Simply Recipes, I made my own. This project was a test of my patience because I really wanted to make this recipe . . . in July . . . and preserving things takes time! However, I placed the in-progress lemons in the very back of the refrigerator, thus forgetting about them for quite a while, which made it easier. When I finally uncovered them last weekend, I knew I better try this recipe while the lemons were at the front of the fridge. This recipe is not for the faint of heart, and not for lemon or garlic-phobes either. It really packs a punch, and is quick and easy too (with the exception of preserving lemons!). Roasted Chicken Breasts with Preserved Lemon
1/2 preserved lemon, lightly rinsed
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. thyme (original recipe calls for fresh coriander sprigs)
1 tsp. cumin (original recipe calls for whole cumin seeds)
1 large garlic clove
2 large chicken breasts
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, finely chop together the lemon, olive oil, herbs/spices, and garlic.
2. Cover a large, shallow roasting pan with heavy duty foil. Arrange chicken breasts on the foil, spread 1/4 lemon mixture on each, flip and spread remaining lemon mixture evenly over them. Grind black pepper over the chicken, place in oven. Reduce heat to 325 degrees.
3. Roast chicken 45 minutes or until it reaches 170 degrees internally. Chicken may be placed under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes per side to increase browning (optional, I didn't do this).
4. Serve immediately. Chicken reheats well and may be kept in refrigerator up to 2 days. Yield: 2 servings. - Adapted from The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper

Preserved Lemons

8-10 Meyer lemons OR 4-6 regular lemons, scrubbed very clean (I used regular lemons)
1/2 cup kosher salt, more if needed
Extra fresh squeezed lemon juice, if needed

Sterilized quart canning jar

Instructions:

Place 2 Tbsp of salt in the bottom of a sterilized jar.

One by one, prepare the lemons in the following way. Cut off any protruding stems from the lemons, and cut 1/4 inch off the tip of each lemon. Cut the lemons as if you were going to cut them in half lengthwise, starting from the tip, but do not cut all the way. Keep the lemon attached at the base. Make another cut in a similar manner, so now the lemon is quartered, but again, attached at the base.

Pry the lemons open and generously sprinkle salt all over the insides and outsides of the lemons.

Pack the lemons in the jar, squishing them down so that juice is extracted and the lemon juice rises to the top of the jar. Fill up the jar with lemons, make sure the top is covered with lemon juice. Add more fresh squeezed lemon juice if necessary. Top with a couple tablespoons of salt.

Seal the jar and let sit at room temperature for a couple days. Turn the jar upside down occasionally. Put in refrigerator and let sit, again turning upside down occasionally, for at least 3 weeks, until lemon rinds soften.

To use, remove a lemon from the jar and rinse thoroughly in water to remove salt. Discard seeds before using. Discard the pulp before using, if desired.

Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months. - Recipe from Simply Recipes

White Chili

I am a big fan of white chili, but have not been able to find the perfect recipe. This recipe turned out really well, if just a bit too thick (maybe because I didn't really measure out the chicken stock and the chicken). I think I'll keep working with the recipe, but here is the current version:

White Chicken Chili
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 15-ounce cans great northern beans, rinsed
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar OR fresh lime juice
optional: 1 tablespoon butter

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chiles, oregano, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Stir in beans and broth; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add shredded chicken, butter (if using) and vinegar; cook for 5 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Optional toppings:
Shredded jack cheese
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Avocado
Lime Slices

Note: this recipe could easily be dairy free - just leave out the butter (which won't hurt anything!) and don't garnish with cheese or sour cream.

- Adapted from Eating Well

Bethany's Challenge

Bethany left me a note recently asking for suggestions for dairy free recipes. Apparently her new baby boy doesn't like it when she eats dairy - and she's getting tired of salad, meat, and fruit! I went through my old posts and made a new "dairy free" tag - but I didn't realize how many of my recipes contain dairy - yikes!

Bethany's challenge aside, I am actually interested in reducing the amount of dairy I consume. (I've been reading the Eat Right 4 Your Type books and according to their philosophy, dairy isn't compatible with my blood type. You don't have to believe in this - in fact, I'm not sure I do, but it is an interesting philosophy)

So, Bethany - I'll try to make some dairy free recipes this fall. In the meantime, here are some links you might find helpful:

All Recipes Dairy Free Page

Godairyfree.org

Recipe Zaar Dairy Free Page

Eating Well's How to Eat Around Food Allergies

Dairy Free Recipe Blog

Links to a few yummy-looking dairy free recipes on blogs:

• Stuffed Bell Peppers
• Pumpkin Pecan Quick Bread
• Some of the apple-influenced recipes on this post either are dairy free or could easily be made dairy free
• Bacon Sloppy Joes
  

Quick Dinner and Why I Almost Ate Donut Holes Instead

It was after dark when I got home this evening (commute+errands+grocery store), so I had to fix a quick dinner to keep us from eating too late. I made a bourbon-honey-mustard glazed shoulder tender steak for Ken and trimmed a little of the end of the steak off to cube up for stir fry meat for my dinner. No real recipes, but here are some rough guidelines:

Steak:
Combine equal parts bourbon, honey, chicken stock, and spicy brown mustard (I used about 2 tbsp. each); cook in a saucepan until well combined (allow to reduce if you have time). Brush over both sides of steak; season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet (or grill pan) over medium-high heat. Sear each side of the steak (this was grass-fed, so I gave it a little less than 2 minutes per side). Remove steak from skillet; transfer to oven-safe baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over steak and bake in a 350 degree oven to desired doneness (I didn't check the time - maybe 10-15 minutes).

Super green (and yellow) (and brown) stir fry:
I cooked the small cubes of beef (seasoned with salt and pepper) in the grill pan with the steak (above), then set the meat aside. In another skillet, sauté asparagus and bell pepper (chopped pieces of both; I used a yellow pepper) in olive oil. Meanwhile, steam green beans (using your favorite steaming method). When tender, add equal parts soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, and spinach, green onions, fresh basil, cooked beef, and steamed green beans. Add toasted sesame ginger seasoning to taste (1-2 tsp.). Cook until sauce and seasoning have coated vegetables (about 1 minute). Serve immediately.

I got the inspiration for adding fresh herbs to my stir fry from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking (she also has a good healthy cooking blog - 101 Cookbooks). It was so good, it almost made me think I could eat low-carb! However, I used a little too much sesame seasoning and by the time I got to the last couple of bites, I was wishing for rice!

Stir Fry

Honey-Bourbon-Mustard Shoulder Tender Steak

About the donut holes . . . I went to a decent-sized grocery store in Hannibal to shop for ingredients for my recipes for the rest of the week and weekend (normally I like to go to Quincy for groceries, but I had to run errands in Hannibal, so I thought it would be more efficient to get groceries there) . . . since it has been rainy and cloudy, I wanted to make a quick Mediterranean soup. However, [this particular grocery store] didn't have HALF of the ingredients I needed - and they weren't all that exotic! I was also unable to find a couple crucial items for the risotto I'm making this week . . . and to top it all off, the liquor dept. didn't even have champagne, which I need for cupcakes this weekend! By the time I made it to the checkout, I felt pretty defeated and really wanted to pick up the strategically-placed sugared donut holes for dinner . . . sometimes it is hard to attempt to eat well in the rural Midwest! However, I did get gas for less than $3/gallon, so that made me feel a little better about living in a place with no eggplant, shallots, or champagne.

Barefoot Bloggers: Butterflied Chicken

The second August Barefoot Bloggers recipe was Butterflied Chicken, chosen by Stephany of Proceed with Caution. I had to make some modifications . . . the original recipe (below) calls for grilling the chicken, but since we were having monsoon-like rain, grilling wasn't an option. So I decided to roast it in the oven, and also decided not to debone the chicken.

Ina Garten's Butterflied Chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus 2 sprigs
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 roasting chickens (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), deboned and butterflied
(or 1 chicken - about 4.5 lbs. - butterflied but not deboned)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Mix the chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl to make a paste.

Place the chickens on a sheet pan, skin side up, and loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers. Place 1/2 of the paste under the skin of each chicken. Rub any remaining paste on the outside and underside of the chickens.

Turn the chicken skin side down and scatter the lemon slices and sprigs of rosemary over each chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

I followed the recipe up to this point (see below for my alternate cooking method).

Roll each chicken up, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat a grill with coals. Spread the coals out in 1 dense layer and brush the grill with oil. Unroll the chickens, place them on the grill and cook for 12 minutes on each side.

My method: Instead of proceeding as directed, I put the chicken in a roasting pan, skin side up, baked it at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then 325 degrees for about 40 minutes. I made sure it reached at least 165 degrees internally.

I was happy with the end result - the chicken was seasoned well, slightly crispy on the outside and moist inside. I'm sure it would have been equally good on the grill!

(Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten/www.foodnetwork.com)

"Tell me what you eat . . .

. . . and I'll tell you who you are." ~Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

If the saying holds true, you should know me pretty well (after the past 99 posts). But just in case you have some doubts about that theory, I have a few things to share with you:

1. I hate fish and seafood. HATE it. Even shrimp. Even lobster. Even lobster dipped in warm butter. I know, it's weird . . . but it's true.

Tonight, in honor of the 100th post on Kenzie's Kitchen, and because I want to stop hating fish, I tried salmon.

2. I talk to my parents a lot. In fact, I called my mom to tell her I was eating salmon tonight. I should have asked her to sit down first . . . I swear I could hear her jaw drop all the way through our cell phone connection.

3. I'm afraid of using the broiler. Approximately 9 of the 10 things I have tried to broil have burned to a crisp. I thought by broiling fish, maybe I could overcome two fears at once.

4. I love my dog. Love her so much that she's also going to have salmon for dinner. Well, at least that's what I'm telling her about why she gets salmon for dinner. (Shh . . . don't tell her it is really because, although I tried, I didn't like the salmon)

So there you have it: after selecting the best piece of wild caught salmon I could find and a recipe that actually sounded like it would be appetizing, I tried salmon and confirmed what I knew all along: I don't like it! However, if you do like salmon (and you should - it is good for you), you might like this recipe:
















Miso-Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons miso (soybean paste)
4 (6 ounce) salmon filets (about 1 inch thick)
olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

Instructions

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Arrange fish in a shallow baking dish coated with olive oil. Spoon miso mixture evenly over fish.

Broil 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting twice with miso mixture. Sprinkle with chives. - Adapted from RecipeZaar

5. I love to bake, which is really no secret at all. I like to try new recipes, but I also like old/simple recipes, too. And I really like giving old recipes a new twist; here is one of my new favorites:














Pan Toasted Rum Cake
In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1-2 tbsp. butter. Add slices of rum cake. Turn after 3-4 minutes (or when cake begins to turn brown and crisp). Toast opposite side 3-4 minutes. Serve with fresh whipped cream. I added almonds, both in the cake and over the whipped cream.

So, since you know what I'm eating and therefore who I am, I would love it if you would leave a comment and let me know who you are . . . or at the very least, let me know what you're eating and I'll try to guess!

[Kind of] Homemade Granola Bars

My husband acts like a crazy person in the spring. In addition to farming, he has been getting up at 4:00 a.m. to go turkey hunting. When I get up a few hours later, I always find remnants of his breakfast left in the kitchen. Pop Tart wrappers, the plastic from a package of vending-machine-type-cinnamon rolls, or - on a good day - a bowl that contained Lucky Charms. I have to admit that if I got up at 4:00 a.m., I would be so disoriented there's no telling what I might consider a good breakfast, but . . . seriously, I thought it was time for him to have something a little more nutritious for breakfast.

I was looking through an old copy of Everyday with Rachael Ray (getting ready to throw it away) and found a recipe for No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars - perfect. They're portable, so he can even eat one while he's driving [to the farm where he hunts], and I had control of the ingredients. This certainly isn't a health food recipe, but I think it's a big step above Pop Tarts.












Granola Bars

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 cups granola (without fruit)
1 cup Rice Krispies
Your choice of add-ins:

I added:
Almonds, flax, wheat germ, and peanuts to the base recipe. I topped some bars with chocolate chips, some with fruit (dried cranberries and golden raisins), some with pretzel stick pieces, and left some plain.

Other options:
Coconut, pecans, walnuts, raw sunflower seeds, raisins (or any type of dried fruit), peanut butter chips, etc.

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, and butter. Bring mixture to a boil over medium to medium-high heat; lower to medium-low heat and simmer until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Add granola, Rice Krispies, and sturdy non-melting ingredients (nuts, fruit, pretzels, etc.) to the saucepan; stir until ingredients are evenly coated. Add flax and wheat germ at this point, if using. Transfer to 9x13 ungreased baking pan and press firmly to fill pan evenly (or use 9x9 pan for thicker bars). Press in toppings (chocolate chips). Refrigerate for 15 minutes to help set bars, then cut to desired size.
3. Optional: Once bars are cut, place on parchment paper and label each variety; cover; cross fingers and hope husband will eat granola bars instead of Cap'n Crunch in the morning. If not, consider incorporating Cap'n Crunch into granola bars next time. Just kidding. Kind of.

Note: Although this recipe calls for butter, it could easily be made dairy free if you use a substitute for butter

Pork and Green Bean Stir Fry

I should call this recipe "Happy Stir Fry," because, well, it made me very happy!

I got home from the grocery store just a few minutes short of 8:00 p.m. I was already kind of in a rush to get dinner ready because I don't like to eat too late . . . so I enlisted help from Ken. He rinsed and cut the green beans; while he was helping he said "Isn't it Grey's Anatomy on?" This doubled - no, make that quadrupled - my hurry! In 30 minutes, I prepped, cooked, served, and photographed this dish. Everyday Food had the prep time listed as 45 minutes. Apparently their test kitchen staff wasn't missing the first half of Grey's Anatomy!

As soon as the picture was taken, I ran downstairs, plate in hand, to watch the second half of Grey's. Ken, who was on the phone, stayed upstairs. As soon as I took a bite of this "happy" pork and green bean stir fry, I knew the recipe was a keeper. It had great flavor and just a touch of heat. Plus it has lots of vegetables and lean meat, and it was FAST! However, I worried that Ken might not feel the same way. He's not a very experimental eater. I thought he might balk at the vegetables, the sesame, the ginger, and/or the heat from the red pepper flakes. During a commercial break, I checked on him - still on the phone, but getting a second serving from the skillet! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to find a healthy, fast new recipe we both love.Pork and Green Bean Stir Fry

1 lb. pork chops or tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4 inch slices
coarse salt
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. oil (olive or vegetable)
1 tbsp. toasted sesame ginger seasoning (I used Victoria Taylor's)
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lb. green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, sliced into thin strips
1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
cooked brown rice, for serving

1. Season strips of pork with salt. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and sesame ginger seasoning; set aside.
   
2. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add red pepper flakes and pork. Cook, stirring, until pork is no longer pink and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate.
3. Meanwhile, cook green beans 2 1/2 minutes in a Zip n' Steam bag in the microwave.
   
4. Add remaining oil to the skillet, then add green beans, red pepper strips, and 2 tbsp. water. Cook until peppers are tender, 2-4 minutes.
   
5. Add pork, peanuts, and sauce mixture to the skillet; cook until pork is coated with sauce, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately over brown or white rice.
   

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food.

Focaccia

I can't even begin to describe this focaccia. It was so good I want to throw around words like fantastic, wonderful, amazing, outstanding, incredible . . . but I'm afraid no amount of multisyllabic words will help you understand, so I think you should make it yourself. Yes, even if you "can't make bread" or "don't have the patience" or whatever excuse is stopping you from trying this recipe. If you start with the right ingredients and follow the instructions, this recipe will guide you through the process, and it's sure to make you feel like a professional bread baker when you taste it.
I found the recipe on Annie's Eats (via Amber's Delectable Delights, and originally from The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart). I'm not going to post the recipe here, so you'll have to check out Annie's blog or Amber's blog to get it (trust me, it's worth the extra click or two)!
I will add a few tips . . . first, my gas stove is too hot to simmer the oil and herbs together (I fried . . . literally . . . the herbs), so if you have a gas stove, I recommend using a double boiler - or just combining the oil and the herbs without heat. Second, I floured my silpat and used it as a spot to fold, stretch and shape the dough. When it was ready to transfer to the rimmed baking sheet, I just picked it up and placed both silpat and dough in the pan, eliminating the need for parchment paper.
Finally, the focaccia keeps fairly well - but it is definitely best to eat it the day you bake it! Oh, and don't cut into it too soon after you take it out of the oven (even though you will REALLY want to)!

A Beef Lesson + Bistro Beef Kabobs

Did you know there are five basic tastes? Sweet, sour, salty, bitter . . . and . . . umami. Yes, that's right, umami. A Japanese word, Umami (oo-MOM-ee) is a savory/meaty taste . Since we're on the subject of beef, you would be correct to assume the umami taste is found in beef. Additional umami-rich foods include red wine, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, soy sauce, truffles (not the chocolate kind), potatoes, seafood, and more.
When umami-rich foods are paired together, a magnification of flavors occurs, which explains why beef is commonly paired with many of the foods listed above.

My daily dose of umami came in the form of Bistro Beef Kabobs, another recipe from the Healthy Beef Cookbook. While this recipe may not be at the very top of my all-time favorites list, it is good - and extremely easy to prepare (unless you have an irrational fear of using the broiler, as I do . . . more on that later).








Bistro Beef Kabobs
1 1/4 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. coarse-grain Dijon-style mustard
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Combine oil, mustard, vinegar, garlic, and pepper in a medium bowl; add beef and toss to coat.
Thread equal amounts of beef onto four 12-inch metal skewers, leaving a small space between each piece. Place kabobs on rack in broiler pan; broil 8-10 minutes (for medium-rare to medium beef), turning occasionally. Let stand a few moments before serving. Enjoy with a glass of red wine, which will enhance the umami . . . okay, that wasn't really in the instructions. But it should have been!

The recipe calls for serving the kabobs with broccoli pilaf . . . but Ken would probably be scared off by the name alone, so I didn't make the broccoli pilaf. Consequently, I'm not sure about the nutrition facts for the kabobs on their own. I also substituted tri-tip steak for the sirloin, and regular Dijon mustard instead of coarse-grain Dijon mustard, because that's what I had in stock.

Beef Tortilla Soup

My last poll - "Which recipe from the Healthy Beef Cookbook should I feature next?" - resulted in a three-way tie between Beef Tortilla Soup, Bistro Beef Kabobs, and Pot Roast with Maple Sweet Potatoes and Cider Gravy. Poor Thai Noodles with Beef & Broccoli - it was left all alone with only one vote.

I've never had a poll result in a tie before, so I decided I will feature all three recipes. I chose Beef Tortilla Soup as the first, because soup sounded like a good antidote for today's snow storm. As mentioned above, this recipe is from the Healthy Beef Cookbook. If you love beef, have a freezer full of beef, eat beef occasionally, or even eat beef only rarely, you should buy this cookbook. I truly think everyone should own this book, even vegetarians. Because I think it might even make vegetarians want to eat beef (and no, I am not getting paid to say this . . . I think my seven readers are already beef eaters, and half of them have received the cookbook from me as a gift). But consider yourself warned, I'll probably continue to gush about this book throughout the next three features.

Without further adieu, here is the recipe:

Beef Tortilla Soup
1 pkg. refrigerated fully cooked boneless beef pot roast
1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz.) beef broth
1 cup frozen corn
Optional: 1 tbsp. hot sauce
Optional: 2 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
Optional: 1/4 c. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Crunchy tortilla strips (recipe to follow)

1. Heat pot roast according to directions on package, but for half the amount of time suggested. Remove beef from package, discard gravy/juice. Shred beef with 2 forks. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan (or small stockpot) over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 3-5 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add cumin, cook and stir one minute. Stir in beef, beans, tomatoes, broth, corn (and hot sauce, if using); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Meanwhile, make Crunchy Tortilla Strips: Cut corn tortillas into 1/4-inch-wide strips, place in a single layer on a baking sheet and lightly mist with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees or until crisp.

4. Ladle soup into bowls; top each serving with cheese and tortilla strips. Garnish with cilantro, if desired (or add avocado slices if you have an avocado you need to use!).

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: Calories 405; fat 11 g; cholesterol 85 mg; fiber 10.3 g. 8 points.
This soup is an excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamins B6 and B12, iron, selenium, and zinc and is a good source of niacin.

Possible substitutions:
1. Substitute 3 cups shredded, fully cooked traditional pot roast for the packaged pot roast.
2. Substitute 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced, for the hot sauce. Cook peppers with onions and garlic.

Note: Next time, I think I'll use an additional cup of liquid - maybe more beef broth or some tomato soup or juice, or maybe a combination. Or maybe not, because it was pretty good the way it was!

Shortcut ingredients . . .









Make this soup easier to prepare than to photograph =) . . .








Note: this recipe could easily be dairy free if you omit the cheese (and it does taste good without the cheese!)