#4 London Broil with Cherry-Balsamic Sauce

London Broil with Cherry-Balsamic Sauce

I have one more from Eating Well magazine and my first failure (that I'm posting!).  It looked good, it sounded good and it probably would have been good, but I overcooked the steak and undercooked the brussel sprouts.   The weather didn't cooperate for cooking out, so I used George Forman grill and cooked for 14 minutes, probably should have cooked for 11-12 minutes.   Shared a huge bottle of Fetzer Reserve which could have had something to do with the overdone steak and underdone brussel sprouts :)  I marinated for 8 hours, served with Emeril's brussel sprout recipe and had mashies, using the left over marinade as a sauce.  Couldn't get the pretty magazine photo to post this time, so the finished product is at the end.  Happy Cooking!

From EatingWell: Spring 2004, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)

Bottom of Form

London broil is a thicker cut of steak that benefits from the tenderizing effects of a marinade. Ours does its job and then doubles as a sauce when simmered with some shallots. Use any steak leftovers on top of a salad or in a sandwich with fresh spinach leaves.

6 servings

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes (including marinating time)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cherry preserves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds London broil, trimmed (see Ingredient note)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter

Preparation

1. Whisk wine, vinegar, cherry preserves, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Pour the marinade over the meat and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, turning several times, for at least 20 minutes or up to 8 hours.
2. Remove the meat from the marinade. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan; add shallot and set aside. Brush a ridged grill pan (see Tip) or heavy skillet with oil; heat over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness, or until it reaches desired doneness. (It may appear that the meat is burning but don't worry, it will form a pleasant crust.) Transfer the meat to a cutting board; let rest for 5 minutes.
3. While the meat is cooking, bring the marinade to a boil; cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat; add butter and whisk until melted.
4. Slice the meat thinly against the grain. Add any juices on the cutting board to the sauce. Serve the meat with the sauce.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Marinate the meat (Step 1) for up to 8 hours.

Ingredient note: London broil is a thicker cut of steak that benefits from the tenderizing effects of a marinade.

Tip: A ridged grill pan is great for indoor grilling, but you can use the broiler or, if weather permits, cook the steak on an outdoor grill.

Nutrition

Per serving: 216 calories; 8 g fat ( 3 g sat , 3 g mono ); 41 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 4 g added sugars; 25 g protein; 0 g fiber; 260 mg sodium; 429 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (33% daily value), Potassium (21% dv).

Exchanges: 1/3 fruit, 3 lean protein, 1/2 fat

Recipe #3 Cheddar Stuffed Mini Meatloaf with Chipolte Glaze

Here we are in week 3, not sure if anyone is out there and trying these, but going to plug through.  I took pics of the process this time and will be posting, hopefully~.  I used ground sirloin, but I don't know if I didn't have a pound or the recipe wanted really mini meatloaves, but I ended up with two, not four! I used all the ingredients as listed, but did not have chipotle so I used Trader Joes South African Smoke Seasoning Blend. The first pic is of course the pic from the magazine; if you make it down to mine, you'll see quite a difference :)  Happy Cooking!

Cheddar-Stuffed Mini Meatloaves with Chipotle Glaze

From EatingWell: January/February 2012

Individual meatloaves not only take the guesswork out of portion size, they cook quicker than a large loaf. Look for ground chipotle in the spice section of the market—it gives the glaze a hit of smoke and spice. Serve with roasted broccoli and brown rice tossed with cilantro.

 

4 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean (90% or leaner) ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup fine, dry, whole-wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 6 tablespoons ketchup, preferably no-salt-added
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat four 8- to 12-ounce small baking dishes, such as mini loaf pans, with cooking spray and place on a rimmed baking sheet. (Alternatively, make freeform meatloaves and bake directly on the baking sheet.)
2. Combine beef, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, 2 tablespoons ketchup, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl; mix well. Divide the mixture into 4 even portions and place in the prepared baking dishes. Make a 1 1/2-inch-deep indentation with your finger down the length of each meatloaf. Stuff each with 2 tablespoons cheese and pinch the edges closed to seal.
3. Combine the remaining 4 tablespoons ketchup and chipotle in a bowl; spread over each loaf.
4. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of a loaf registers 165°F, 20 to 30 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: 4 mini loaf pans or a baking sheet

Nutrition

Per serving: 382 calories; 17 g fat ( 7 g sat , 6 g mono ); 148 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 4 g added sugars; 37 g protein; 2 g fiber; 378 mg sodium; 468 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (49% daily value), Iron (23% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 1/2 high-fat meat

#2 Skillet Moussaka

Thanks to those of you who hung in there and found the site :).  As promised, this time I will tell you about my experience of making this dish.  I hope the picture comes through (let me know if it doesn't).  First, mine looked nothing like this, but it sure did taste good!  I used ground sirloin instead of ground lamb and I chose to use mint instead of parsley.  This is a meal that you could certainly make the day before and heat up; in fact my leftovers were delish!  I used whole wheat pasta and unfortunately it was too el dente for me.  I also bought the larger eggplant and used the tip shown below - this also helps to take some of the liquid out of the eggplant.   I coupled the dinner with a Beaujolais (yum).  Hopefully, you will become followers of the site and tell your friends (you can do it for free on google). I welcome your comments - which are shown below (unless I can figure out how to move them to the front).  Happy cooking!
Skillet Moussaka
Here's another recipe from EatingWell: September/October 2011

 

In Greece, moussaka is made with beef or lamb, layers of sliced eggplant and a creamy béchamel sauce all baked together in the oven. This variation takes plenty of liberties to make it easy, quick and healthful. Serve over whole-wheat pasta or with potatoes.

4 servings, about 1 cup each

Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Low carbohydrate | High fiber | High potassium | High calcium | Gluten free |
View Our Nutrition Guidelines »

Ingredients

• 1 small eggplant (see Tips), 8 to 10 ounces
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
• 1 pound 93%-lean ground beef, lamb (see Tips) or bison
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup low-fat or nonfat plain Greek yogurt, plus more for serving
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint or parsley

Preparation

1. If your eggplant is skinny, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; if it’s fatter, first cut it in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into slices. Using 1 tablespoon oil, lightly brush eggplant slices on both sides. Set aside. (See tip below).
2. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add meat, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, 4 to 8 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, remove meat and garlic from the pan, draining well, and transfer to a medium bowl. Add tomato puree (or crushed tomatoes), water and 1/3 cup yogurt to the meat mixture; stir to combine.
4. Pour off any liquid in the pan and wipe the pan clean. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion, the remaining garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon oregano and the eggplant; cook, stirring, until the eggplant is softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the meat mixture. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and eggplant are soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese and mint (or parsley) on top and stir to combine. Serve topped with extra yogurt, if desired.

Tips & Notes

• Tips: If you’re using large, common globe eggplant, which can be more bitter than other varieties, salting beforehand can reduce bitterness. To salt: Place prepped eggplant in a large colander over a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon salt. Top the eggplant with a plate weighted down with cans. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour before using. Rinse well with cold water, then dry with paper towels.
• It’s not always easy to find lean lamb, but it’s easy to grind your own in a food processor. Choose a lean cut, such as leg or loin, trim any excess fat and cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Pulse in a food processor until uniformly ground, being careful not to overprocess. Or ask your butcher to grind a lean cut for you.

Nutrition

Per serving: 461 calories; 28 g fat ( 8 g sat , 15 g mono ); 96 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 38 g protein; 5 g fiber; 822 mg sodium; 843 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Zinc (50% daily value), Iron (32% dv), Potassium (24% dv), Calcium (19% dv), Vitamin A & Vitamin C (17% dv), Magnesium (15% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 3 fat

Sheesh!

Ok, this blogging thing was a little hard to get off the ground.  Hopefully, some of you are finding the site.  Next time, I'll discuss how easy (or not) the recipe was and what (if anything) I added or think needs to be added.  Please share with friends.

Recipe #1 Sicilian Olive Chicken

This is my first attempt at blogging, so bear with me (whoever you may be).  I have a bazillion cookbooks and we have access to gazillions of recipes on the internet, but I find that I make the same 5 or 6 dishes.  I love to cook and I love finding good recipes that I can either lighten up or come that way already.  I decided that the only New Year's resolution I may be able to keep is to cook a new recipe per week, so here goes Recipe #1, enjoy:

1.  Sicilian Olive Chicken
From EatingWell: September/October 2011

This saucy one-skillet chicken dish is full of tomatoes, spinach, olives and capers. Try Kalamata olives in place of the green Sicilians or a combination of both. Serve over whole-wheat egg noodles with a mixed green salad on the side.

 

• 

4 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

1 14-ounce can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil or other Italian-style seasoning

• 1 1/2 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/3 cup halved Sicilian or other green olives
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 4 4-ounce chicken cutlets (see Tip)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Combine tomatoes, spinach, olives, capers and crushed red pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on one side, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn it over; top with the tomato mixture. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: If you can’t find chicken cutlets for this recipe, you can make your own. Purchase four 5-ounce chicken breasts. Remove the tenders and trim the fat. Place the chicken between pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin, meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to about 1/2 inch thick.

Nutrition

Per serving: 210 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 5 g mono ); 63 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 26 g protein; 3 g fiber; 527 mg sodium; 401 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (151% daily value), Vitamin C (32% dv), Folate (22% dv), Magnesium (17% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetable,3 lean meat, 1 fat