I tried a modification of a friend of mine's recipe and really liked it. Today, I'm altering it again in an effort to make a good all around meat-base, for patties or balls.
I make a vegetable meat substitute using a recipe I got from my dear friend, Juanita Juchau's self-published cookbook: "Lean and Green Unleashed: The Peckish Pixie's Creative Approach to Low Calorie, Low Carbohydrate High Protein Fine Dining" (Get it: HERE). It gives me a GREAT way to make my veggies and my meat to go farther by using parts of the vegetable that often just get tossed in the compost. It's also a GREAT way to get additional vegetables in your daily intake.
You'll want to collect about 2 cups of mushroom stems, zucchini peels, celery tops, leek greens, broccoli stalks, onion tips, wilted carrots, even parsley and cilantro stems. Cut them into similar sized pieces and put in the food processor.
Process until you have fine ground veg.
Squeeze the juice out of the mix.
Toss the lot in a microwaveable bowl with paper towel over the top.
Microwave for 4-5 minutes, stir and cook another 4-5 minutes. Let it cool.
GROUND MEAT BASE
1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
1 c. ground veg mix
1 small apple
1/2 c. hazelnuts
1/4 c. basil
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 1/2 t. Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1 t. ground cumin
1 egg
In a large bowl, put in the turkey, the veg mix, the spices and the egg. Using a food processor, combine the apple, hazelnuts and basil until it is finely ground. Add the apple mix to the meat mix and you've got your meat base. I tried it as both meatballs and patties and it's quite tasty! I especially like the added crunch that the nuts give it.
Showing posts with label Meat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meat. Show all posts
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Day 10 - Cravings Subsiding ... and an experiment in Barbecue Sauce!
Part of the Whole30 transition is the body's response to fuel, and as a result, changes in energy levels, sleep patterns and other bodily functions. Today, I am noticing that my obsession with nut butter is subsiding. I still love it and want it, but last night when I saw it in the cupboard as I was getting supper ready, I didn't have that undeniable pull to snack on it. Maybe it's awareness, maybe it's just my body adjusting to new food patterns.
I had a pretty big day yesterday - I biked to the gym and worked out in the morning, worked, biked to the gym again to do a mini-session in the afternoon (I got some pointers on bench pressing, ab work and kip [pull] ups from my power lifting friends) and then biked home. My meals were focused on getting sufficient protein and fats with my fruit and veg, and I wasn't as desperate to snack in the evening, although I am still in love with the cracker recipe from Shasonta's blog and used them late in the evening as a vehicle for some yummy coconut butter. But again, no big surges of cravings.
As is typical in my life, just as something comes to the forefront of my awareness internally, something externally reinforces that new knowledge. I am reading two books right now: 'It Starts With Food' By Dallas and Melissa Hartwig - the creators of the Whole30 plan, and 'The Emotional Eater's Repair Manual' by Julie M. Simon. The amalgam of what I got from reading both books yesterday was right in line with what I was experiencing. I learned the difference between satiety and satiation and how our cravings satisfy our emotional/psychological desire for comfort and emotional nourishment, but that the less-than-nourishing foods we crave (like cookies, for example) will not trigger satiety nutritionally in your body, so we keep eating - it's a vicious cycle. So by addressing our emotional issues, we help temper the cravings for foods that do not satisfy our nutritional needs. Or something like that. But I am embracing a new understanding of how my emotional cravings drive my physical desire for randomly non-nutritional foods, or foods that I know to be triggers for over-eating or just generally do not make me feel good physically after eating them. So, I'm looking within to find other ways to nourish my emotional needs as well as the cravings I have for fresh, interesting flavours.
Which leads me to today's recipe.
I read a few days ago on a blog about 'Paleo barbecue sauce' and apparently that casual glance stuck in my head. I'm not usually a fan of barbecue sauce, but I've never figured out what was missing from commercial sauces (or what was added that I didn't like). When I got up in the morning and made some chicken/turkey meatballs, I figured it was worth my time and effort to attempt to create my own barbecue sauce recipe. I quickly looked up a couple recipes on the internet, but neither of the two I chose used ALL the ingredients that I wanted to use, so I used both of them as templates to create my own recipe from what I had. The result is not bad, but not perfected by any means. Next time I will rework it with tomato paste and beef broth instead of just tomato sauce, and perhaps add more vinegar and/or mustard. Give it a try and see what you think:
14.5 oz can tomato sauce
1 T. Balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. Fresh Apple juice
1 T. Honey
1 t. Trader Joe's African Smoked Seasoning
1 t. Ground Chipotle chili
1 t. Powdered garlic
1 t. Salt
1/8 t. Cayenne
1 T. Stone ground mustard
Put it all in a saucepan and simmer for 30 min (or more). Pour over cooked meats, or baste it on meats destined for the barbecue. Or both!
I had a pretty big day yesterday - I biked to the gym and worked out in the morning, worked, biked to the gym again to do a mini-session in the afternoon (I got some pointers on bench pressing, ab work and kip [pull] ups from my power lifting friends) and then biked home. My meals were focused on getting sufficient protein and fats with my fruit and veg, and I wasn't as desperate to snack in the evening, although I am still in love with the cracker recipe from Shasonta's blog and used them late in the evening as a vehicle for some yummy coconut butter. But again, no big surges of cravings.
As is typical in my life, just as something comes to the forefront of my awareness internally, something externally reinforces that new knowledge. I am reading two books right now: 'It Starts With Food' By Dallas and Melissa Hartwig - the creators of the Whole30 plan, and 'The Emotional Eater's Repair Manual' by Julie M. Simon. The amalgam of what I got from reading both books yesterday was right in line with what I was experiencing. I learned the difference between satiety and satiation and how our cravings satisfy our emotional/psychological desire for comfort and emotional nourishment, but that the less-than-nourishing foods we crave (like cookies, for example) will not trigger satiety nutritionally in your body, so we keep eating - it's a vicious cycle. So by addressing our emotional issues, we help temper the cravings for foods that do not satisfy our nutritional needs. Or something like that. But I am embracing a new understanding of how my emotional cravings drive my physical desire for randomly non-nutritional foods, or foods that I know to be triggers for over-eating or just generally do not make me feel good physically after eating them. So, I'm looking within to find other ways to nourish my emotional needs as well as the cravings I have for fresh, interesting flavours.
Which leads me to today's recipe.
I read a few days ago on a blog about 'Paleo barbecue sauce' and apparently that casual glance stuck in my head. I'm not usually a fan of barbecue sauce, but I've never figured out what was missing from commercial sauces (or what was added that I didn't like). When I got up in the morning and made some chicken/turkey meatballs, I figured it was worth my time and effort to attempt to create my own barbecue sauce recipe. I quickly looked up a couple recipes on the internet, but neither of the two I chose used ALL the ingredients that I wanted to use, so I used both of them as templates to create my own recipe from what I had. The result is not bad, but not perfected by any means. Next time I will rework it with tomato paste and beef broth instead of just tomato sauce, and perhaps add more vinegar and/or mustard. Give it a try and see what you think:
14.5 oz can tomato sauce
1 T. Balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. Fresh Apple juice
1 T. Honey
1 t. Trader Joe's African Smoked Seasoning
1 t. Ground Chipotle chili
1 t. Powdered garlic
1 t. Salt
1/8 t. Cayenne
1 T. Stone ground mustard
Put it all in a saucepan and simmer for 30 min (or more). Pour over cooked meats, or baste it on meats destined for the barbecue. Or both!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Lauren's Cheeseburger Soup
Sometimes I get myself into a position to take on odd requests. I have a young, vibrant friend who had major jaw surgery and has to wear a splint that requires her to keep her jaw closed most of the day. The few times she can take out the splint to 'eat', she can only drink her meals. I noticed a post on Facebook about her boyfriend's sweet but failed attempt to make her something that tasted like a cheeseburger after she'd been craving one for days. When I saw her the next week, I made some comment like 'I bet I could make a stew that tastes like a hamburger' - and right there, I gave myself this challenge.
I think this first attempt is pretty darn good, and in fact, my husband went back for generous seconds. The only difference for us is that we did not BLEND it - it's small pieces, but she has to have hers blended to a creamy consistency which may render this soup less than appetizing to her.
I tried to use flavours that mimic what you'd normally find on a burger. We have the obvious beef and onion, the smoked African spice to lend a 'fresh off the bbq' flavour, the flour and potato to give it a hint of a 'bun' flavour and the apple cider vinegar and mustard to imitate pickles and mustard. The tomatoes didn't have enough 'ketchup' flavour to it, but adding the paste thickens it and gives it more of a ketchup flavour. The nutritional yeast is essential to give it the cheesy, creamy flavour and the consistency of a stew. I added kale, because every burger (and in my opinion, every recipe) needs KALE! I use Lacinato/Dinosaur/Black kale because it's the best tasting and has the best consistency over-all for most cooked or fresh kale recipes. My other fave is the purple curly kale - it smells like roses to me, but I digress...
If you'd like to give it a try, this is a great recipe for someone who is on a cleanse who is craving a burger but can't have one. I made this with actual beef, but if you're off beef (which I am most of the time), you could safely replace the beef with turkey or even TVP, since the broth gives the soup some of the 'beefy' flavour. If you're still opposed to beef bouillon, then this recipe is probably not for you anyway, but feel free to make it your own 'burger'-type stew recipe. Enjoy!
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T. olive oil (or you may want to use butter for this)
2 T. almond flour (or any other kind of flour - to thicken)
1 heaping tsp Trader Joe's African Spice mix.
1/2 t. oregano
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. sage
1/8 t. pepper
1 t. ready-to-use chopped garlic (or 2 cloves pressed)
1 russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/4" cubes
2 c. water
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. rustic mustard
1 T. tomato paste
1 c. diced tomatoes
3 c. finely chopped kale
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
I think this first attempt is pretty darn good, and in fact, my husband went back for generous seconds. The only difference for us is that we did not BLEND it - it's small pieces, but she has to have hers blended to a creamy consistency which may render this soup less than appetizing to her.
I tried to use flavours that mimic what you'd normally find on a burger. We have the obvious beef and onion, the smoked African spice to lend a 'fresh off the bbq' flavour, the flour and potato to give it a hint of a 'bun' flavour and the apple cider vinegar and mustard to imitate pickles and mustard. The tomatoes didn't have enough 'ketchup' flavour to it, but adding the paste thickens it and gives it more of a ketchup flavour. The nutritional yeast is essential to give it the cheesy, creamy flavour and the consistency of a stew. I added kale, because every burger (and in my opinion, every recipe) needs KALE! I use Lacinato/Dinosaur/Black kale because it's the best tasting and has the best consistency over-all for most cooked or fresh kale recipes. My other fave is the purple curly kale - it smells like roses to me, but I digress...
If you'd like to give it a try, this is a great recipe for someone who is on a cleanse who is craving a burger but can't have one. I made this with actual beef, but if you're off beef (which I am most of the time), you could safely replace the beef with turkey or even TVP, since the broth gives the soup some of the 'beefy' flavour. If you're still opposed to beef bouillon, then this recipe is probably not for you anyway, but feel free to make it your own 'burger'-type stew recipe. Enjoy!
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 T. olive oil (or you may want to use butter for this)
2 T. almond flour (or any other kind of flour - to thicken)
1 heaping tsp Trader Joe's African Spice mix.
1/2 t. oregano
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. sage
1/8 t. pepper
1 t. ready-to-use chopped garlic (or 2 cloves pressed)
1 russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/4" cubes
2 c. water
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. rustic mustard
1 T. tomato paste
1 c. diced tomatoes
3 c. finely chopped kale
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
- Heat a cook pot on medium. Add oil or butter and let it get warm/melty and add onion. Saute a few minutes, until it just starts to brown. Add the flour and give it a stir until all the onions are covered evenly.
- Add beef and spices and continue to stir, breaking up the beef into as tiny pieces as you can and stir it all until it's browned. While it's browning, melt the bouillon cubes in the water.
- Add potato and just enough bouillon water to keep the ingredients from sticking to the bottom. Keep stirring for a minute or two.
- Add the remainder of the water and the rest ingredients except for the nutritional yeast. Cover and simmer 10-20 minutes, until the potatoes are easily mashed with a fork (the mushier, the better)
- Once it's all cooked through and looks ready, turn off the heat and add the nutritional yeast, stirring to mix it in thoroughly.
- If you 'need' to (i.e.: If you're Lauren), throw it all in a blender and don't stop until it's creamy! If you're not Lauren, you might want to add a dash of shredded cheddar and a few croutons to the top. If you like it spicy, by all means, add some hot sauce to the final product.
Oh, and if you're just looking for a dairy-free, lowfat, high nutrient hearty soup, this should fit the bill quite nicely.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Quinoa Breakfast Bites
This recipe was inspired by a number of different recipes. I had a 'moment' Tuesday morning - these moments usually result in magickal concoctions, which is why this blog exists.
So Tuesday morning, I decided to make breakfast bites. To me, Breakfast bites double as late evening snack when I've had supper far to early and I need protein to see me through to a peaceful sleep in the evening. I also have been wanting to have a more portable breakfast, as I usually have to eat my breakfast in three stages - first thing in the morning, so I can keep my morning supplements down, then in the bathroom while I drink my coffee and put my make-up on, and then when I finally get to my desk to start my office work.
Three of these breakfast bites equals about 225 calories and a whopping 24 grams of protien - a good start to the day. It helps if you have leftover quinoa on hand. Otherwise make the quinoa the day before to make this recipe quicker to put together.
12 slices 98% fat free deli sliced ham (or smoked turkey - I've used both)
1/2 c. cooked red quinoa (you can use white if that's what you've got)
1/2 white onion
1 c. chopped swiss chard
1 c. egg whites
4 whole eggs
3T. nutritional yeast
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. chipotle (alternately, you can substitue chili powder and then add a dash of cayenne)
s+p (I use Herbamare and Trader Joe's African Smoke seasoning, but use what you like)
1) Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups - I dip my finger in olive oil and swirl in each cup.
2) Chop the onion. Prep the chard by cutting the main rib out and then chop like celery. Then roll up the chard leaves and thinly slice into ribbons. Set ribbons aside. Saute onion and chard ribs on medium until they start to brown. Add the chard ribbons and the quinoa. Turn off burner, stir to combine and add s+p to taste.
3) Blend or thoroughly beat the egg whites, eggs, yeast, cumin and chipotle. I like to use my stick blender in the cup it came in so I have a pour spout to use.
4) Line each muffin tin with one slice of meat. Be gentle, as you don't want to tear the meat.
5) Add a heaping spoonful of the quinoa and veg mix to each muffin tin.
6) fill each muffin cup with the egg mix.
7) bake for 18-22 min, depending on your oven's reliability.
Each breakfast bite is 75 calories, contains 3 g fat and 8 g protein.
Optional add-ons: Add a small dollop of chevre to each cup and top with a thin slice of plum tomato. finish with a couple diagonally sliced pieces of green onion. Now it's a gourmet dish!
So Tuesday morning, I decided to make breakfast bites. To me, Breakfast bites double as late evening snack when I've had supper far to early and I need protein to see me through to a peaceful sleep in the evening. I also have been wanting to have a more portable breakfast, as I usually have to eat my breakfast in three stages - first thing in the morning, so I can keep my morning supplements down, then in the bathroom while I drink my coffee and put my make-up on, and then when I finally get to my desk to start my office work.
Three of these breakfast bites equals about 225 calories and a whopping 24 grams of protien - a good start to the day. It helps if you have leftover quinoa on hand. Otherwise make the quinoa the day before to make this recipe quicker to put together.
12 slices 98% fat free deli sliced ham (or smoked turkey - I've used both)
1/2 c. cooked red quinoa (you can use white if that's what you've got)
1/2 white onion
1 c. chopped swiss chard
1 c. egg whites
4 whole eggs
3T. nutritional yeast
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. chipotle (alternately, you can substitue chili powder and then add a dash of cayenne)
s+p (I use Herbamare and Trader Joe's African Smoke seasoning, but use what you like)
1) Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups - I dip my finger in olive oil and swirl in each cup.
2) Chop the onion. Prep the chard by cutting the main rib out and then chop like celery. Then roll up the chard leaves and thinly slice into ribbons. Set ribbons aside. Saute onion and chard ribs on medium until they start to brown. Add the chard ribbons and the quinoa. Turn off burner, stir to combine and add s+p to taste.
3) Blend or thoroughly beat the egg whites, eggs, yeast, cumin and chipotle. I like to use my stick blender in the cup it came in so I have a pour spout to use.
4) Line each muffin tin with one slice of meat. Be gentle, as you don't want to tear the meat.
5) Add a heaping spoonful of the quinoa and veg mix to each muffin tin.
6) fill each muffin cup with the egg mix.
7) bake for 18-22 min, depending on your oven's reliability.
Each breakfast bite is 75 calories, contains 3 g fat and 8 g protein.
Optional add-ons: Add a small dollop of chevre to each cup and top with a thin slice of plum tomato. finish with a couple diagonally sliced pieces of green onion. Now it's a gourmet dish!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Spicy Turkey Savoy Cabbage Rolls
This is a second attempt at this recipe. I have high hopes for it. Thanks for being my guinea-pig, Lisa!
Prep Time: 15 min.
Ingredients:
12 oz ground turkey breast
4 cloves minced garlic
1 T. sage
1/2 T. thyme
1/4 T. allspice
1/2 T. salt
1 1/2 t. cayenne pepper, or to taste (I replaced 1/2t. cayenne for chipotle)
1/2 T. black pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 head Savoy cabbage (2 3/4 - 3 pounds)
1 large onion, slivered or thinly slice (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 c. of any combination of the following:
shredded carrots
chopped sweet peppers (green, red, yellow, orange)
shredded sweet potatoes/yams
yukon potatoes
turnips
1 T. minced garlic
1 cup chopped parsley
2 cups cooked teff (can use quinoa if no teff is available)
2 c. marinara sauce
Instructions:
Prep Time: 15 min.
Ingredients:
12 oz ground turkey breast
4 cloves minced garlic
1 T. sage
1/2 T. thyme
1/4 T. allspice
1/2 T. salt
1 1/2 t. cayenne pepper, or to taste (I replaced 1/2t. cayenne for chipotle)
1/2 T. black pepper
1 T. olive oil
1 head Savoy cabbage (2 3/4 - 3 pounds)
1 large onion, slivered or thinly slice (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 c. of any combination of the following:
shredded carrots
chopped sweet peppers (green, red, yellow, orange)
shredded sweet potatoes/yams
yukon potatoes
turnips
1 T. minced garlic
1 cup chopped parsley
2 cups cooked teff (can use quinoa if no teff is available)
2 c. marinara sauce
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for cabbage.
- Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and mixed vegetables and cook until soft and barely browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Cut around core of cabbage to release leaves. Working in batches, drop leaves in boiling water; cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Gently remove leaves into a collander and rinse with cool water. Set aside to drain and cool. (You’ll need 12 large and 12 small cabbage leaves.)
- Combine turkey, spices and sautee'd vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Stir in teff (or fold in quinoa).
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Place 1/3 cup meat mixture onto 1 large cabbage leaf. Mash down slightly and lay a small leaf on top. Place another 1/3 cup meat mixture on top. Fold in sides and roll up leaf firmly from bottom. Place in a 5-quart casserole dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining leaves and meat mixture to make 6 rolls. Place tightly into pan and top with any extra cabbage. Pour marinara over top. Add chicken broth to almost reach to the top. Cover with foil.
- Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand 15 to 20 minutes, covered. Cabbage should be tender enough to cut with a fork.
PER SERVING
Calories:250
Carbs: 30 g
Fat: 8 g
Protein: 18 g
Sugar: 5 g
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)