I don't even know where to begin. At the beginning you say? Fine, except I really don't know where that is. My weight is such an issue. I'm depressed and loathe seeing myself in the mirror or, god-forbid, a photograph. I feel....desperate...lost...confused. I have tried so many things over the years and the only one to give me the best success was eating low carb. See, my struggle with weight is much like an alcoholic's struggle with the bottle. I can say this because my mother is an alcoholic and I've witnessed first-hand her battle to quit harming herself with booze. It's tough and, while I do not drink, I do eat. My self-medication is food and I will use it and abuse it like nobody's business. Now though, I'm actually afraid. I'm afraid that my health is going to get to a place of no return and I will die at an early age. It would be devastating for my boys to lose their mother so now is the time for me to get my shit together. Even though Thanksgiving, with all it's glorious, carb-laden side dishes is right around the corner I have to do something. Even though Christmas, with it's stocking's full of chocolate bounty, is only a short time away, I have to do something. I am unable to do a modified portion size lifestyle. That just doesn't work for me. I have to go back to doing low carb.
This time, low carb eating is going to be different. I'm going to do it differently in the respect that I'm not going to eat a bunch of fake foods to replace the ones I'm omitting. I will only use artificial sweetners in my tea or in a sauce if need be and I'm not going to eat a bunch of candy full of sugar alcohols. Believe me when I say this alone will make my family happy. My low carb days were some of the gassiest in history, all because of sugar alcohols. TMI. Sorry.
I will continue to document my journey and hope you will continue to join me. This site is about food and eating, too, and even though I'm cutting out flour-based meals and desserts, I'm still going to get my delicious grub on.
Now, I'm off to make up a meal plan for the upcoming week. I have roasted red pepper soup on my mind and may have to whip up a batch!!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches!
Wow, isn't this exciting?! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be a part of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community! Here is a copy of the press release:
"LAUNCH OF GLOBAL FOODBUZZ BLOGGER COMMUNITY
LEVERAGES REAL-PEOPLE, REAL-TIME POWER OF FOOD PUBLISHING
San Francisco – October 13, 2008: Foodbuzz, Inc., officially inaugurates its food blogger community with more than 1,000 blog partners, a global food blogging event and an online platform that captures the real-people, real-time power of food publishing in every corner of the world. At launch, the Foodbuzz community ranks as one of the top-10 Internet destinations for food and dining (Quantcast), with bloggers based in 45 countries and 863 cities serving up daily food content.
“Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Food bloggers are the new breed of local food experts and at any minute of the day, Foodbuzz is there to help capture the immediacy of their hands-on experiences, be it a memorable restaurant meal, a trip to the farmers market, or a special home-cooked meal.”
Foodbuzz is the only online community with content created exclusively by food bloggers and rated by foodies. The site offers more than 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly, including recipes, photos, blog posts, videos and restaurant reviews. Members decide the “tastiness” of each piece of content by voting and “buzz” the most popular posts to the top of the daily menu of submissions. Foodbuzz currently logs over 13 million monthly page views and over three million monthly unique visitors.
“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc.
The Foodbuzz blogger community is growing at a rate of 40 percent per month driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs and the addition of over 100 new blogs per month. “The Foodbuzz.com Web site is like the stock of a great soup. The Web site provides the base or backbone for bloggers to interact as a community, contribute content, and have that content buzzed by their peers,” said Mr. Dehan.
Global Blogging Event
Demonstrating the talent and scope of the Foodbuzz community, 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs offered online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity. The new feature showcased blog posts from 24 Foodbuzz partner bloggers chronicling events occurring around the globe during a 24 hour period and included:
• Mid-Autumn Festival Banquest (New York, NY)
• The "Found on Foodbuzz" 24-Item Tasting Menu (San Francisco, CA)
• Aussie BBQ Bonanza – Celebrating Diversity (Sydney, Australia)
• The Four Corners of Carolina BBQ Road Trip (Charleston, SC)
• Criminal Tastes – An Illegal Supper (Crested Butte, CO)
• From Matambre to Empanadas: An Argentine Dinner (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• A Sweet Trompe l’oeil (Seattle, WA)
“24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs” captures the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shared it with the world,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community. “It illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about – real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”
About Foodbuzz, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, Foodbuzz, Inc., launched its beta Web site, foodbuzz.com, in 2007. In less than a year, Fooduzz.com and its community of over 1,000 exclusive partner food blogs have grown into an extended online property that reaches more than three million users. "
Please go to Foodbuzz.com and check out what the "buzz" is all about!
"LAUNCH OF GLOBAL FOODBUZZ BLOGGER COMMUNITY
LEVERAGES REAL-PEOPLE, REAL-TIME POWER OF FOOD PUBLISHING
San Francisco – October 13, 2008: Foodbuzz, Inc., officially inaugurates its food blogger community with more than 1,000 blog partners, a global food blogging event and an online platform that captures the real-people, real-time power of food publishing in every corner of the world. At launch, the Foodbuzz community ranks as one of the top-10 Internet destinations for food and dining (Quantcast), with bloggers based in 45 countries and 863 cities serving up daily food content.
“Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Food bloggers are the new breed of local food experts and at any minute of the day, Foodbuzz is there to help capture the immediacy of their hands-on experiences, be it a memorable restaurant meal, a trip to the farmers market, or a special home-cooked meal.”
Foodbuzz is the only online community with content created exclusively by food bloggers and rated by foodies. The site offers more than 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly, including recipes, photos, blog posts, videos and restaurant reviews. Members decide the “tastiness” of each piece of content by voting and “buzz” the most popular posts to the top of the daily menu of submissions. Foodbuzz currently logs over 13 million monthly page views and over three million monthly unique visitors.
“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc.
The Foodbuzz blogger community is growing at a rate of 40 percent per month driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs and the addition of over 100 new blogs per month. “The Foodbuzz.com Web site is like the stock of a great soup. The Web site provides the base or backbone for bloggers to interact as a community, contribute content, and have that content buzzed by their peers,” said Mr. Dehan.
Global Blogging Event
Demonstrating the talent and scope of the Foodbuzz community, 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs offered online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity. The new feature showcased blog posts from 24 Foodbuzz partner bloggers chronicling events occurring around the globe during a 24 hour period and included:
• Mid-Autumn Festival Banquest (New York, NY)
• The "Found on Foodbuzz" 24-Item Tasting Menu (San Francisco, CA)
• Aussie BBQ Bonanza – Celebrating Diversity (Sydney, Australia)
• The Four Corners of Carolina BBQ Road Trip (Charleston, SC)
• Criminal Tastes – An Illegal Supper (Crested Butte, CO)
• From Matambre to Empanadas: An Argentine Dinner (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• A Sweet Trompe l’oeil (Seattle, WA)
“24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs” captures the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shared it with the world,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community. “It illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about – real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”
About Foodbuzz, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, Foodbuzz, Inc., launched its beta Web site, foodbuzz.com, in 2007. In less than a year, Fooduzz.com and its community of over 1,000 exclusive partner food blogs have grown into an extended online property that reaches more than three million users. "
Please go to Foodbuzz.com and check out what the "buzz" is all about!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sharking
That's what I call it when I keep going into the kitchen and looking for something to eat repeatedly, without finding anything. I keep circling the kitchen, and circling the kitchen until I'm so hungry I'm ready to take a bite out of the fridge itself to see if it tastes good. Thankfully, these days, my sharking has been cut back extensively. I've been eating good food, in proper small portions, and haven't been snacking in-between meals. Now though, I'm sharking in a different way - via the internet.
Yes, now I circle the world wide web looking for new and delicious recipes to try. Especially since the holidays are right around the corner, I want to experiment and try some new things. The holidays always find me mired down in the regulars but this year, I'm going to step out of the box and try something new. If you know of any websites that have some wonderful things I might try, please feel free to leave a link here. I just don't want Green Bean Casserole this year. GASP!!! Did those words actually just escape my fingertips?? Blasphemy, I tell you. Long has GBC been one of my favorite foods, indeed I am known in my family for making it better than anyone else. A strange feat considering the ingredients but HEY! I'm going to take the accolades however I can get them, okay?
Somethings for which I'd like recipes are:
Yes, now I circle the world wide web looking for new and delicious recipes to try. Especially since the holidays are right around the corner, I want to experiment and try some new things. The holidays always find me mired down in the regulars but this year, I'm going to step out of the box and try something new. If you know of any websites that have some wonderful things I might try, please feel free to leave a link here. I just don't want Green Bean Casserole this year. GASP!!! Did those words actually just escape my fingertips?? Blasphemy, I tell you. Long has GBC been one of my favorite foods, indeed I am known in my family for making it better than anyone else. A strange feat considering the ingredients but HEY! I'm going to take the accolades however I can get them, okay?
Somethings for which I'd like recipes are:
- different way to prepare sweet potatoes, my new love
- brussels sprouts
- stuffing (I use my mom's cornbread dressing recipe which is to die for but want to try something else)
- zucchini, squash, broccoli, or cauliflower
Thursday, October 9, 2008
OMG People
Last night, I decided to get a little jiggy with my menu. See, I tend to be one of those people who gets in a cooking rut and will cook the same things week after week. It's easy for me to blame it on my husband's work schedule but I'm not going to do that anymore. I want to step out and experiment in the kitchen, get adventurous! Last night was the first step down that path.
While out and about yesterday I stopped off at one of our more chichi grocery stores and bought 2 snow crab clusters. Sean and I spent last weekend in MD and had some of the best crab we've ever eaten and I wanted to try and fix it myself. What I didn't know about the snow crab you buy at a store is that it's already fully cooked, just frozen afterwards so all you're really doing is heating it up. Ok, so that sounds like a no-brainer! I'm liking it already! I asked the butcher how it should be prepared and he said I had my choice of either boiling the clusters for a few minutes or baking them at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. I chose to boil them. This is so simple, y'all.
Take these ingredients here:
and place them in a large stockpot filled 3/4 full with water. Don't use the whole container of Old Bay, only use about 1/2 cup. Bring the water and Old Bay to a boil and add the crab to the pot, boil for about 5-7 minutes and voila! Crab legs! They were really delicious, easy, and low on the mess in the kitchen. Serve with melted butter and you will think you've died and gone to heaven. I must confess that, although I melted a couple of tablespoons of butter, Sean and I really ate most of the crab plain. It's so sweet and delicate that it doesn't need much adornment. I was quite pleased with how it turned out!
Fast forward to breakfast this morning. No, it didn't involve crab at all, just pancakes. Buttermilk pancakes that is. A couple of nights ago, the boys and I were watching "Good Eats" on Food TV with Alton Brown and he was showing viewers how to make the perfect pancake. Admittedly my pancakes always just turn out so-so, as a result I watched the episode with interest. This morning I was inspired to make some buttermilk pancakes and by using some of Alton's tips they were the best I've ever made!! Here is the recipe:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
3 Tbs sugar (i used turbinado sugar)
1 1/2 cups to 2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
If you have a countertop griddle with a thermometer setting, bully for you! I don't so I had to heat up a large skillet, sprayed lightly with Pam and then wiped clean. If you're one of the lucky saps with a griddle, heat it to 350 degrees.
In the meantime, mix together the egg, 1 1/2 cup of buttermilk, vanilla extract, and oil in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, place the 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry and mix, counting to 10. According to Alton, over-mixing is the reason pancakes turn out badly so I was very carfeul NOT to over-mix! The batter was still lumpy but that was ok. It was a little too thick and I didn't catch it until I got the first few cakes in the pan. I went back and added a splash or two of buttermilk to thin the batter out and the results were beautiful!
See how thick they are? Yummmm. I used a cookie dough scoop to measure out my batter in the pan so this recipe made at least 24 small pancakes. I served myself three, topped with pure maple syrup...
No, that's not butter on top, it's the reflection of the light over my stove. These were so moist they didn't need a lick of butter. My only complaint was they were a touch gummy. Anyone know why that might be? Please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know!
While out and about yesterday I stopped off at one of our more chichi grocery stores and bought 2 snow crab clusters. Sean and I spent last weekend in MD and had some of the best crab we've ever eaten and I wanted to try and fix it myself. What I didn't know about the snow crab you buy at a store is that it's already fully cooked, just frozen afterwards so all you're really doing is heating it up. Ok, so that sounds like a no-brainer! I'm liking it already! I asked the butcher how it should be prepared and he said I had my choice of either boiling the clusters for a few minutes or baking them at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. I chose to boil them. This is so simple, y'all.
Take these ingredients here:
and place them in a large stockpot filled 3/4 full with water. Don't use the whole container of Old Bay, only use about 1/2 cup. Bring the water and Old Bay to a boil and add the crab to the pot, boil for about 5-7 minutes and voila! Crab legs! They were really delicious, easy, and low on the mess in the kitchen. Serve with melted butter and you will think you've died and gone to heaven. I must confess that, although I melted a couple of tablespoons of butter, Sean and I really ate most of the crab plain. It's so sweet and delicate that it doesn't need much adornment. I was quite pleased with how it turned out!
Fast forward to breakfast this morning. No, it didn't involve crab at all, just pancakes. Buttermilk pancakes that is. A couple of nights ago, the boys and I were watching "Good Eats" on Food TV with Alton Brown and he was showing viewers how to make the perfect pancake. Admittedly my pancakes always just turn out so-so, as a result I watched the episode with interest. This morning I was inspired to make some buttermilk pancakes and by using some of Alton's tips they were the best I've ever made!! Here is the recipe:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
3 Tbs sugar (i used turbinado sugar)
1 1/2 cups to 2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
If you have a countertop griddle with a thermometer setting, bully for you! I don't so I had to heat up a large skillet, sprayed lightly with Pam and then wiped clean. If you're one of the lucky saps with a griddle, heat it to 350 degrees.
In the meantime, mix together the egg, 1 1/2 cup of buttermilk, vanilla extract, and oil in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, place the 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry and mix, counting to 10. According to Alton, over-mixing is the reason pancakes turn out badly so I was very carfeul NOT to over-mix! The batter was still lumpy but that was ok. It was a little too thick and I didn't catch it until I got the first few cakes in the pan. I went back and added a splash or two of buttermilk to thin the batter out and the results were beautiful!
See how thick they are? Yummmm. I used a cookie dough scoop to measure out my batter in the pan so this recipe made at least 24 small pancakes. I served myself three, topped with pure maple syrup...
No, that's not butter on top, it's the reflection of the light over my stove. These were so moist they didn't need a lick of butter. My only complaint was they were a touch gummy. Anyone know why that might be? Please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Pork Tenderloin
Have you ever prepared Pork tenderloin? many people are intimidated about cooking pork because, let's face it. It can get pretty dry if you don't do it right and, there have been many, many, times when I didn't do it right. But a couple of nights ago, I prepared the most juicy, succulent pork tenderloin I've ever cooked.
When I buy the meat at the store, it comes in a package with two long pieces. I take the "tail" end, where it tapers down to a thin narrow strip and fold it under, tying it off with some cooking twine to insure even doneness. Is that a word? I don't know. I'm not a pro, people. Anyway, usually, I season the meat with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and herbs de provence, then sear all sides in a pan, and then put the pan in the oven to finish it off. Well, this time, I only seasoned it with some garlic salt, pepper, herbs de provence, put it in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes and took it out when the temp read about 170 degrees on a meat thermometer. I let it rest for about 15 minutes and people? Let me tell you, this was the best pork tenderloin I've ever eaten. it was perfectly cooked all the way through and each piece was so tender and juicy I thought my husband was going to ask me to marry him all over again. It was that good. If you haven't tried this cut of meat, do it ASAP. You will not be sorry. It is also a pleasantly nutritious meat. here are the facts for a 3 oz serving, roasted:
Amount Per Serving
Calories
122
Calories from Fat
27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
3.0g
5%
Saturated Fat
1.0g
5%
Trans Fat
0.0g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.4g
Monounsaturated Fat
1.1g
Cholesterol
62mg
21%
Sodium
48mg
2%
Total Carbohydrates
0.0g
0%
Protein
22.2g
Serve it with some wild rice cooked in beef broth and some steamed broccoli topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper and you've got a winner of a meal.
On the personal front, I have been doing quite well with getting back on track with portions and eating whole foods instead of processed. So far so good!!
When I buy the meat at the store, it comes in a package with two long pieces. I take the "tail" end, where it tapers down to a thin narrow strip and fold it under, tying it off with some cooking twine to insure even doneness. Is that a word? I don't know. I'm not a pro, people. Anyway, usually, I season the meat with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and herbs de provence, then sear all sides in a pan, and then put the pan in the oven to finish it off. Well, this time, I only seasoned it with some garlic salt, pepper, herbs de provence, put it in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes and took it out when the temp read about 170 degrees on a meat thermometer. I let it rest for about 15 minutes and people? Let me tell you, this was the best pork tenderloin I've ever eaten. it was perfectly cooked all the way through and each piece was so tender and juicy I thought my husband was going to ask me to marry him all over again. It was that good. If you haven't tried this cut of meat, do it ASAP. You will not be sorry. It is also a pleasantly nutritious meat. here are the facts for a 3 oz serving, roasted:
Amount Per Serving
Calories
122
Calories from Fat
27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
3.0g
5%
Saturated Fat
1.0g
5%
Trans Fat
0.0g
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.4g
Monounsaturated Fat
1.1g
Cholesterol
62mg
21%
Sodium
48mg
2%
Total Carbohydrates
0.0g
0%
Protein
22.2g
Serve it with some wild rice cooked in beef broth and some steamed broccoli topped with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and cracked pepper and you've got a winner of a meal.
On the personal front, I have been doing quite well with getting back on track with portions and eating whole foods instead of processed. So far so good!!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Harsh Realities of Losing Weight
This blog is called the Incredible Shrinking Whimsigal. It is so titled because I've long been on a journey to shrink my size. That has been slow in happening. :) It's not just my dress size that I want to shrink though. If I can shrink the portions I serve on my plate, if I can shrink my grocery budget, those count as little successes, too. The harsh reality is, I have not been focused on reducing my portion size and as a result, my own size has not reduced in any way. That must change. I absolutely believe that you can eat delicious food and lose weight, it just requires a little more sense when you eat and some activity as well. For the last few months, I've been lying to myself because I eat McDonald's once a week and just plain eat out a lot. In order to lose weight that cannot continue. In order to be healthy that cannot continue. There is just so much junk in processed, prepared food that no one can live a healthy lifestyle by eating that all the time. It's time for me to get serious and be brutally honest with myself. As long I as I don't make any changes, I won't see any changes and it's as simple as that. It's time to get back to basics. Eat good, whole food. Prepare as much as I can on my own, even snack foods like chips. This is not a difficult task, I just haven't been serious about it for a while and have been lazing along, telling myself, "Oh I'll start tomorrow," and that tomorrow never comes. Until today. Today, I'm making a commitment to myself to be serious about getting healthy. No excuses, no procrastination. You will continue to see delicious meals here and I will break down for you what size portion I ate. I am going back to the tenets of Dr. Will Clower and am going to slow down when I eat. So many times, my meals are rushed, or eaten in the car and that has all got to change. Will you join me in living a more mindful life? Can you commit to sitting down at the table at least once a day and enjoying a slow meal? That is the commitment I'm making and I hope you'll stick around to watch me do it. For those of you who are in the same boat I am and need to lose some weight, don't give up. It's so easy to get frustrated and we tend to be harder on ourselves than anyone else but please, don't do that. It's a recipe for failure. If you fall down, just get back up. You can do it and I can, too. We just have to honor the commitment to ourselves to do so. Now that all of that is out of the way, would you like to see what I made for lunch yesterday? Great! Right this way!
One of my favorite things to do with beef and beef leftovers is make Shepherd's Pie. It's a dish that I grew up eating and have long loved and whenever I make it, the house smells amazing and transports me back in time to my childhood. Usually, I make it with ground beef because it's not often that I have leftover roast beef on hand On this occasion though there was leftover London Broil so I decided to give it a shot as the star of one of my favorite meals.
Because the meat is described as London Broil, one might think that those words describe the cut of meat when, in fact London Broil describes the manner in which the meat is cooked. The cut of London Broil is usually Top Round and here is the nutritional info, in case you're interested, as noted by The Daily Plate:
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 ounce (28g)
Amount per Serving
Calories 49 Calories from Fat 11
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 12mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 9g 18%
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 4%
Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 18.4% Carbs 0.0%
Protein 73.5%
You can see that it is a fairly lean cut of meat and it is generally prepared in the following manner:
marinate the beef
broil or grill to medium rare
slice across the grain at a 45-degree angle
If not prepared correctly, it an be a horrible dining experience. On this particular occasion, I did not marinate my London Broil and it was fine but I did cook it under the broiler for 6 mins per side, after generously seasoning it with McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning. I was the only one home to eat it so there was quite a bit leftover and that's when I decided to use it in shepherd's pie. It was divine! The montreal steak seasoning really added a lot of kick to a dish that can be comfortable but less than exciting to eat. I wholeheartedly recommend that spice blend and use it ALL the time. Here is my recipe:
Shepherds Pie
Serves 6-8
1-1.5 lbs top round, London Broil, cooked, seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning (i was using leftovers)
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 - 3/4 cup of frozen chopped onion, (or fresh)
1 Tbs olive oil
salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 yukon gold potatoes, prepared as mashed potatoes
3/4 can beef broth
flour
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a casserole dish with Pam.
First, cube the leftover london broil, not too fine, but into very small, bite-size pieces. Next, over medium heat in a large saute pan, heat up the 1 Tbs of olive oil. When it's hot enough, add the onions and saute until the begin to soften. At this point, add the cubed london broil and the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. This gives the beef some time to warm up and release some of the fat that has grown cold in the fridge. At this point, begin adding flour in 1 Tbs increments until the meat is covered well but not too much. You're going to add the beef broth to make a gravy but you don't want it too thick. Cook for a couple of minutes to give the flour a chance to cook down a bit and then add the beef broth. Continue to cook and add the frozen peas. You can microwave them first but it's not necessary if you want to skip that step. Once the mixture begins to thicken, it's ready to go into the casserole dish. Carefully transfer it from the pan to this dish, if it splatters you'll get burned so watch out! Once the mixture is in the dish, top it with the mashed potatoes you made, or, if you're lucky you can use potatoes you had leftover, too! Sometimes, I take 2 Tbs of butter and dice it and place it on top of the potatoes before putting it in the oven. This time however I did not do that and it was still delish. One other thing, I always place my casserole dish on a foil covered cookie sheet because sometimes the gravy will bubble over the top. This will prevent a messy oven! Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes then take it out and let it cool down for about 20-30 minutes. Serve in a small bowl and enjoy!
One of my favorite things to do with beef and beef leftovers is make Shepherd's Pie. It's a dish that I grew up eating and have long loved and whenever I make it, the house smells amazing and transports me back in time to my childhood. Usually, I make it with ground beef because it's not often that I have leftover roast beef on hand On this occasion though there was leftover London Broil so I decided to give it a shot as the star of one of my favorite meals.
Because the meat is described as London Broil, one might think that those words describe the cut of meat when, in fact London Broil describes the manner in which the meat is cooked. The cut of London Broil is usually Top Round and here is the nutritional info, in case you're interested, as noted by The Daily Plate:
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 ounce (28g)
Amount per Serving
Calories 49 Calories from Fat 11
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 12mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 0g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 0g
Protein 9g 18%
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 4%
Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 18.4% Carbs 0.0%
Protein 73.5%
You can see that it is a fairly lean cut of meat and it is generally prepared in the following manner:
marinate the beef
broil or grill to medium rare
slice across the grain at a 45-degree angle
If not prepared correctly, it an be a horrible dining experience. On this particular occasion, I did not marinate my London Broil and it was fine but I did cook it under the broiler for 6 mins per side, after generously seasoning it with McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning. I was the only one home to eat it so there was quite a bit leftover and that's when I decided to use it in shepherd's pie. It was divine! The montreal steak seasoning really added a lot of kick to a dish that can be comfortable but less than exciting to eat. I wholeheartedly recommend that spice blend and use it ALL the time. Here is my recipe:
Shepherds Pie
Serves 6-8
1-1.5 lbs top round, London Broil, cooked, seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning (i was using leftovers)
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 - 3/4 cup of frozen chopped onion, (or fresh)
1 Tbs olive oil
salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 yukon gold potatoes, prepared as mashed potatoes
3/4 can beef broth
flour
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a casserole dish with Pam.
First, cube the leftover london broil, not too fine, but into very small, bite-size pieces. Next, over medium heat in a large saute pan, heat up the 1 Tbs of olive oil. When it's hot enough, add the onions and saute until the begin to soften. At this point, add the cubed london broil and the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. This gives the beef some time to warm up and release some of the fat that has grown cold in the fridge. At this point, begin adding flour in 1 Tbs increments until the meat is covered well but not too much. You're going to add the beef broth to make a gravy but you don't want it too thick. Cook for a couple of minutes to give the flour a chance to cook down a bit and then add the beef broth. Continue to cook and add the frozen peas. You can microwave them first but it's not necessary if you want to skip that step. Once the mixture begins to thicken, it's ready to go into the casserole dish. Carefully transfer it from the pan to this dish, if it splatters you'll get burned so watch out! Once the mixture is in the dish, top it with the mashed potatoes you made, or, if you're lucky you can use potatoes you had leftover, too! Sometimes, I take 2 Tbs of butter and dice it and place it on top of the potatoes before putting it in the oven. This time however I did not do that and it was still delish. One other thing, I always place my casserole dish on a foil covered cookie sheet because sometimes the gravy will bubble over the top. This will prevent a messy oven! Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes then take it out and let it cool down for about 20-30 minutes. Serve in a small bowl and enjoy!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Recent Eats
This week has been filled with good eats. On Sunday, I had big plans for watching football, even though I would be doing it by myself. The planned menu was homemade buffalo wings with ranch, chips and dip, and chocolate cake. None of that came to fruition because I spent all of Sunday morning helping my two boys clean their rooms. By the time that chore was done, I sat on the sofa with a ham sandwich and a pickle and watched the games. Fine by me, I really didn't need all that food to myself anyway. On Monday though, Ryan (my youngest) and I decided to get in the kitchen and make some chocolate cupcakes. He and I sat together on the sofa and looked through Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking, and picked a recipe that looked pretty scrumptious to us both. Baking generally is not my forte. In the kitchen my tendency is to be haphazard and not measure things exactly. Cooking is forgiving of this method where baking needs precise measurements. As a result, I don't bake things from scratch very often. These cupcakes though were simple and absolutely divine when they were done.
Here is the recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes as adapted form Dorie Greenspan in the book, Baking From My Home to Yours.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 12-cup muffin pan, fill each mold with a paper cup.
In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa, whisking them together. Then in another bowl or in your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed. Add sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Then add the egg, mix well then add the yolk and beat until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between egg additions. Beat in the vanilla, reduce speed on mixer to low and add half of your dry ingredients. Again, scrape down your bowl, add the buttermilk and mix well, then add the rest of your dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl once again and add the cooled, melted chocolate. Using a cookie scoop or your choice of instrument, scoop the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups.
Place on the center rack of your oven and bake for a minimum of 22 minutes. In my oven this was plenty so be sure to keep your eye on them. Let them cool on a wire rack and frost if you desire. We just have been eating them plain!! Y'all, the batter alone was heavenly.
The cupcakes were beautiful and delicious. So simple to make and I will absolutely make these again. Why use a box when you can create something so good from scratch?
If you've read here before, you know I love to eat biscuits. Now that the temps are cooler in the morning, it's hard to beat the fresh, steamy goodness of a made-from-scratch biscuit. Again, why use biscuits in a can when you can quickly whip up a good, wholesome biscuit yourself. I use White Lily flour, which is the BEST, and their recipe on the back of the package. Simplicity defined. 2 cups White Lily self-rising flour, 1/4 cup butter or shortening, 2/3 to 3/4 cup of buttermilk or milk. They say to bake them at 500 degrees but in my oven, that will cremate your late Uncle George so instead, I cook them at 450 or 475. Know your equipment. It will help you get wonderful results. One thing that is interesting about these biscuits is, depending on what the weather is like, you may need more or less liquid. Today I think I probably used a cup of buttermilk and my dough was almost too sticky to roll out. ALMOST...it worked out wonderfully.
Oh, the smell of your house once you bake these in the oven is to DIE for!!! When my husband is home and I make these while he's still sleeping, the smell alone will wake him from the deepest slumber and lure him downstairs.
My favorite way to eat these is with a touch of salted butter on each half, and then a bit of either grape or cherry jam:
Oh...mercy day. So, SO good!!!
On the weight loss front, right now, I'm at 198. My goal is to lose 5 lbs a month and I think that seems pretty doable. I just have to get my butt in gear and start walking on my treadmill. NO more excuses! It's time to get it done!
Tomorrow I'm going to show you what I do with leftover london broil and mashed potatoes. It's a recipe you've seen here before but a teensy bit different because of the meat.
See you then!
Here is the recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes as adapted form Dorie Greenspan in the book, Baking From My Home to Yours.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 12-cup muffin pan, fill each mold with a paper cup.
In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa, whisking them together. Then in another bowl or in your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed. Add sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Then add the egg, mix well then add the yolk and beat until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between egg additions. Beat in the vanilla, reduce speed on mixer to low and add half of your dry ingredients. Again, scrape down your bowl, add the buttermilk and mix well, then add the rest of your dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl once again and add the cooled, melted chocolate. Using a cookie scoop or your choice of instrument, scoop the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups.
Place on the center rack of your oven and bake for a minimum of 22 minutes. In my oven this was plenty so be sure to keep your eye on them. Let them cool on a wire rack and frost if you desire. We just have been eating them plain!! Y'all, the batter alone was heavenly.
The cupcakes were beautiful and delicious. So simple to make and I will absolutely make these again. Why use a box when you can create something so good from scratch?
If you've read here before, you know I love to eat biscuits. Now that the temps are cooler in the morning, it's hard to beat the fresh, steamy goodness of a made-from-scratch biscuit. Again, why use biscuits in a can when you can quickly whip up a good, wholesome biscuit yourself. I use White Lily flour, which is the BEST, and their recipe on the back of the package. Simplicity defined. 2 cups White Lily self-rising flour, 1/4 cup butter or shortening, 2/3 to 3/4 cup of buttermilk or milk. They say to bake them at 500 degrees but in my oven, that will cremate your late Uncle George so instead, I cook them at 450 or 475. Know your equipment. It will help you get wonderful results. One thing that is interesting about these biscuits is, depending on what the weather is like, you may need more or less liquid. Today I think I probably used a cup of buttermilk and my dough was almost too sticky to roll out. ALMOST...it worked out wonderfully.
Oh, the smell of your house once you bake these in the oven is to DIE for!!! When my husband is home and I make these while he's still sleeping, the smell alone will wake him from the deepest slumber and lure him downstairs.
My favorite way to eat these is with a touch of salted butter on each half, and then a bit of either grape or cherry jam:
Oh...mercy day. So, SO good!!!
On the weight loss front, right now, I'm at 198. My goal is to lose 5 lbs a month and I think that seems pretty doable. I just have to get my butt in gear and start walking on my treadmill. NO more excuses! It's time to get it done!
Tomorrow I'm going to show you what I do with leftover london broil and mashed potatoes. It's a recipe you've seen here before but a teensy bit different because of the meat.
See you then!
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