It's still like 80 out. Don't care. It's fall. It's stew time.

Ok, raise of hands, please. When you hear the phrase "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" do you humm along, or do you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about?

Yeah, not so much a raise of hands situation, more of a polling question, but still.

My husband and his best friend Chef (actually the opposite of a large black man...still with me? Too many cultural references in one post? You can do this.) had no idea what I was talking about when I came prancing into the living room mid-meal-making singing it. I believe the question from Chef was, "Are you singing about herbs?" And I'm like, um, the guys who sing the Mrs. Robinson song? What's their name? Simon and Garfunkel? WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT? (Possibly it was the prancing, now that I think about it)

So I play it. Chef goes, "Oh, I know that." Hubby just looks at me. We've been married 5 years. I should know his faults by now.

Annnnywho, I made stew tonight. It had...wait for it...parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. And bay leaves. And wine. And deliciousness.

Herby Beef Stew

1.5 lb stew meat, cut in bite sized pieces if needed

2 cups baby carrots

About 20-25 pearl onions, peeled

3 stalks celery, sliced in 1/2 in pieces

1.5 lb fingerling potatoes, cut in half or thirds (so all are the same size-ish)

1/4 cup Flour (I used oat flour)

Salt and pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup red wine

3.5 cups beef broth

1tsp rosemary

1tsp dried parsley
Good pinch dried thyme leaves (1/4 tsp?)
Good shake sage (1/8 tsp?)
2 small bay leaves

In shallow bowl combine flour, garlic powder, and a good pinch each salt and pepper. Add meat cubes and toss until well coated. 

In large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add meat, and brown about 3 minutes, turn, and cook another 3 minutes. Add wine, and move everything around to deglaze pot. Add broth, rosemary, parsley, sage, thyme, and about another 1/4 tsp pepper, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer. Cover and cook one hour. 

Bring back to a boil, and stir in potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, and bay leaf. Reduce to a simmer, re-cover, and cook another hour. Add salt to taste, if needed.

Remove bay leaf before serving.

I should ask the people at In N Out for some pointers.

What is it that I'm doing wrong with burgers? If I've learned anything from the Food Network, it's that pressing down your burgers on the broiler/grill makes them dry. And so I make them all pretty and flat and big, thinking they'll stay that way, and then as soon as they hit the heat, it's like a cotton sweater in the dryer type situation.

Or maybe I just need smaller buns.

Anyway, doing some Sam recipes this week, cause fast and easy prevails. I love that he cooks like I do, with super unspecific measurements, but I know that drives some people crazy, so I try my best to accommodate y'all when I do his recipes. He says to use 1/2 cup of any type of fresh herb combination (thyme, parsley, basil, cilantro etc.) here, so just know that you don't have to use what I used if you like other herbs. And all I had was dried thyme, so, you know. Use whatcha got.

*Is it gross that my photo was post-bite(s)? Sorry. My bun was dwarfing my dainty little patty, so it was the only way I could show layers.

Honey Mustard Burgers
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup total of basil leaves, finely chopped (a good handful of leaves) and mint leaves, finely chopped
About 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Good pinch each of salt (sea) and fresh ground pepper (white)
Romaine or other lettuce leaves
Tomatoes, sliced
Buns (I used Hawaiian sweet sandwich rolls)
Horseradish mayo (optional)

In small bowl, combine honey and mustard. (Voila—Honey Mustard. I know.)

In large bowl, combine meat, herbs, S&P, and 1/4 cup of the honey mustard mixture. Mix well with your (clean) hands. Divide into four clumps and shape into patties. Hopefully you're better at this than I am.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, and spray with just a bit of cooking spray. When hot, add in patties, and cook 4-5 minutes a side for medium rare. They may get a little burned looking on top, but that's ok.

Toast buns, and spread honey mustard on each. I also spread a little bit of horseradish mayo on one side. Top with lettuce, tomato and patty.

Served with a mix of really unfortunate looking (read:burned) sweet potato fries and steak fries, so I avoided getting those in the pic.

Extra Schlooppy for you.

So I have a confession...I've eaten Sloppy Joes like, twice in my life. I have no idea what they're supposed to taste like. And I have no idea what the appeal is. I mean, it's ground meat and onion and sauce...just make a burger. That way you can have lettuce and tomato on it and it's somewhat more balanced and tastes like grown up food. I just don't get it.

Me: So? Whaddya think? Are they good?
Hubby: Oh, yeah, they're good.
Me: Huh. (Examines my Joe carefully.)
Hubby:...what about you? Do you like them?
Me: I...I don't know...I'm very confused...

Anyway, he had two. One was plenty for me, but I was all over the Asian slaw I made for the side. So, you know, here are both recipes.

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes
1/2 a green bell pepper, chopped
half an onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
a good squirt mustard (2 tsp or so)
One cup of ketchup
Good pinch each of S&P (1/4 tsp each?)

Spray a pan lightly with cooking spray and sauté onion and bell pepper for a couple of minutes. Add beef, and cook over medium high heat until brown, 5 minutes or so. Place in crock pot and stir in remaining ingredients.

Cook on high for 4 hours (or however long you've got). Serve on lightly toasted buns.

Asian Coleslaw
2 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
Small piece of ginger (about the size of a garlic clove), minced
1 tbsp peanut or canola oil
About 3 cups of coleslaw mix (cabbage, red cabbage and carrot)
half a bell pepper, thinly sliced and halved
handful of cilantro, chopped

Combine peanut butter through oil and set dressing aside. Mix veggie mix, bell pepper and cilantro, then toss with dressing right before eating. It gets a little soggy for leftovers, so keep that in mind.

Blah, blah, I've been MIA, blah.

So, as it turns out, being 8 months pregnant makes me grumpy. And tired. And not particularly in a mood to cook—and even less of a mood to be in front of a computer. Not when I could be eating cookies and watching Bones lying in bed with a book.

And that is why I've been quiet. I do have a couple of good ones I've been meaning to post, though, so let's do this.

I can't believe we're already basically done with the holidays...this time of year always seems to just fly by, especially when traveling is involved. This year we did Hannukah at the in-laws in Sacramento for 3 days, then the following weekend drove to my parents' house and hung out there a couple days, turned around on Christmas day and came home to do Christmas afternoon with just the two of us (for the very last time, which is so weird), then had Christmas dinner at my Father in Law's house. (Have I ever mentioned I owe that man? A single guy who can cook up a storm...he did me a favor passing that skill on to his son, even if I don't let him use it nearly enough.)

At my parent's, however, I was in charge of Christmas Eve dinner. Hubby's mom sent us home with a 5lb prime rib roast, so we took that with us, ignoring the fact that neither of us had ever actually cooked a prime rib before. Turns out, it's pretty damn easy—you coat the whole thing down with a simple rub, and bake it. Remember that prime rib is supposed to be served rare, but you can always put individual slices back into the broiler for a couple minutes if people complain or aren't supposed to eat rare meat due to their current status as human incubators. (Grrr. I'm ready for a real steak, damnit. With a bottle of Zin. A bottle.)

Don't be nervous about the coffee grounds being bitter, either. It all melds really well. Great with roasted tomato salad (we used gorgonzola since the moms doesn't like goat) and smashed potatoes (with gorgonzola instead of cheddar to tie it all together).

You can rub the roast up to a day in advance and refrigerate, but let the meat come to room temperature before you put it in the oven-this should take 1/2 hour to an hour. (Not sure how big a roast you need? Count on roughly 1 lb per person. Bones have weight, too, so you won't actually be eating 16 oz each.)

Earthy Prime Rib
5-7 pound prime rib roast
2 tbsp ground coffee
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp pepper
1/2 tbsp chili powder
Horseradish to serve

Heat oven to 450. Combine coffee and spices in small bowl. Rub all over rib roast, putting extra on the fattiest part of the meat. Arrange meat rib-side down in a greased roasting pan.

Cook at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and cook an additional 1 to 1.5 hours. (Adjust depending on size of roast-cook 14-16 minutes per pound). Remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 20-30 minutes.

After it has rested, brush off as much of the rub as you easily can-especially any big clumps. Turn roast on its side and cut off the bone section in one fell swoop. The turn cut side down and slice into 1/2 in slices.

Serve with horseradish.

I need easy right now.

I'm tired, I'm lazy, and my freakin' belly hurts when I'm on my feet too long. Round Ligament pain. It's awesome.

Plus, I'm gaining weight right now just looking at food. I've been trying to do yoga more regularly, which really does seem to help me sleep better, but it's not exactly burning a ton of calories. I was walking a half hour after work, which felt great, but then we had the shift to winter that seriously happens overnight around here, and I'm a big pansy about working out outside when my nose is cold. (It hurts, ok?) My point is, I'm not burning as many calories as I should be, and while I'm "supposed" to be gaining weight right now, I'm trying not to over do it.

So back to depending on Cooking Light, where I can generally find recipes that are short on ingredients and prep time, and long on possibilities (I never seem to use their "as written" directions.) Oh, and their portion sizes are totally decent, so I've been better about having my one helping and then getting to give the eyeball to the hubby when he goes back for more.

This week we're doing easy. There will be some chopping, of course, but I'll keep it to a minimum, I promise. Oh, and if I haven't recommended the Garlic Zoom before, stick it in your own stocking this year. It's probably my most used kitchen tool, and makes anything with garlic a breeze. No knives, no mess.

First up—Thai Beef Stir-fry, which was delicious. I bought pre-sliced meat and frozen beans, which sped this up quite a bit. Flavors were great-tasted pretty hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant to me. Didn't take much time, either, just make sure and have everything ready to go as soon as you get the wok (or big fry pan) heated up.

Thai Beef Stir-fry
1/2 tsp salt
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili paste
about a 1 inch section ginger, minced
1 tbsp lemongrass (from a tube)
zest from one lime (quarter the lime as garnish/to top)
cooking spray
1 lb stir fry beef steak (or flank steak, sliced thinly)
1 package frozen cut green beans
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp cider vinegar
About a cup basil leaves, whole
Cooked jasmine or white rice, to serve

In small bowl, combine salt, garlic, chili, ginger, lemongrass and zest. In another small bowl, combine sugar, fish sauce and vinegar, stirring til sugar is dissolved.

In hot wok, coat with cooking spray, then add paste and stir fry quickly, about 30 seconds. Add beef, and continue stir frying another two minutes or so. Add beans and about a tsp water, and cook about 3-4 minutes, moving everything the whole time until beans are hot. Pour in fish sauce mixture, and cook another minute or until meat is cooked (Mine came out medium, so it may take longer if you want it more cooked). Turn off heat and stir in basil leaves until they begin to wilt. Serve over hot rice with lime wedges and sriracha to taste.

Per serving (add another 150 for 3/4 cup rice):
258/4 servings
345/3 servings

Man-made meatballs

Meatballs should taste like meat. Or so says Esquire magazine, anyway. And that said, their Eat Like a Man recipe this month does not disappoint. Hubby was reading the latest issue in bed the other night, and it was all he could do to not get up and start cooking right that second. (Which I would have been ok with. Spaghetti and meatballs are always welcome right now.)

The two days we ended up waiting were well worth it, however. It was absolutely fantastic—totally restaurant quality, totally time consuming, and totally appreciated. All I had to do was run to the store for him, eat and do some dishes (and not even that many! He cleaned as he went! He's learning!!). Well, and not think about how many calories are in these suckers. Bacon and olive oil are kind of in excess here...

There were some changes, of course...veal is not allowed in our house (yep, I pull that card), so that went out the window. We also wanted to use pancetta, but it was $6 per 3oz, and bacon was $6 for 16oz. So, yeah. Oh, and we did half in the toaster oven and half on the stovetop...the stovetop set ended up having a thicker sauce, but that seemed to be the only real difference.

So here you go. The man's awesome, total fat-kid, meat-heavy meatballs and sauce. It makes a ton. Make it on a night you have a handful of hungry dudes to feed.

Basic Tomato Sauce (also from Esquire)
4 28oz cans good quality whole tomatoes
6-8 garlic cloves, crushed
olive oil
a few basil leaves

Pour tomatoes and their juice in a huge bowl and squish/crush tomatoes by hand (or use a potato masher, if that's more your bag)

Heat about a half cup olive oil in large-enough sauce pan, and add garlic. Let cook until they sizzle but don't brown, a couple of minutes. Add about a third of the tomatoes at a time, letting them come to a simmer before adding more.

Lower heat, tear some basil leaves (4 or 5 big ones), and throw them in. Cook at a low simmer for about 45 minutes.

Meatballs
1 lb ground beef (85 percent lean/15 percent fat)
1 lb ground pork (as lean as you can get)
About 2/3 a package of thick-sliced smoky bacon, finely minced
2 whole eggs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried rosemary

Combine above ingredients and mix well with your hands. Just do it.

1/3 cup bread crumbs (we used seasoned)
1/4 cup 1% milk
1 heaping tsp coarse sea salt
1.5 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Slowly add milk to bread crumbs, stirring until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. Add S&P, and add to the meat mixture, mixing well. It'll be super sticky at this point-it's ok. Refrigerate the meat mixture for about 30 minutes.

canola oil for browning
your tomato sauce (above), kept warm over low heat
finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape meatballs into roughly 2 inch balls, shaping with your hands. In a large skillet, heat about a quarter-inch canola oil until very hot. Working in batches, brown all sides of each meatball ( a couple minutes a 'side').

As they finish, transfer browned meatballs to a deep, ovenproof dish. Cover meatballs with tomato sauce. (Totally submerged, if possible) Bake until done, an hour or more. They should feel firm to the touch.

If you're going the stove top route, place browned meatballs in large skillet or dutch oven—two if necessary, you don't want to overcrowd them—and cover with the sauce. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and cook, partially covered, about an hour.

Serve alone or over a bit of pasta.

I have no idea what they really eat in Cambodia.

As you know, I love me some Cambodian Kampot pepper...and I'm always intrigued by the recipes that Pepper Project posts on their Facebook page. So when I saw one for black bean and corn salad, which reminded me of a similar salad I've made and loved, I jumped on it. Plus, the parents were in town for the evening, and I wanted to try something good yet reasonably safe...my parents claim to be adventurous, but then I'll discover that my mom doesn't like fish. Or goat cheese. Or cucumber. Sooo...

I changed this up a bit from their recommended recipe (which they don't have posted for me to link to) and it was delicious and super easy. My mom went home ready to make it the very next day. The flank steak was easy, too. I rubbed the herbs and spices on the night before, let it set in tupperware over night, then handed over to Hubby, since he's the grillmeister.



Cambodian Bean & Corn Salad
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
About 3/4 carton cherry tomatoes, halved
About 1 tsp. kampot pepper (or just use freshly-ground black pepper)
About 1/2 to 1 tsp. cumin
Small handful chopped cilantro (less than 1/4 cup)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Dash olive oil (less than a tsp.)
About 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Juice from half a lime
Dash of salt to taste

Combine all, serve. I think you can handle that.


Pepper-Garlic Flank Steak
1 tbsp canola oil
3 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp fresh, chopped oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp kampot pepper
About 1 tsp salt (I actually used about 1 tsp+ course grain sea salt for the rub, and then lightly sprinkled regular salt on right before grilling, so adjust accordingly)
Flank steak (I think mine was around 20oz)

Combine oil through salt. Rub mix all over steak, place in tupperware or large ziploc, refrigerate as long as possible (at least a few hours). Spray grill with cooking spray, and cook over high about 3-4 minutes a side or until cooked as you like. Slice thinly widthwise (across the grain) to serve.

I've been holding out.

I know about something awesome, in so many ways, and I haven't gotten around to telling y'all about it. So for that, I apologize.

Man, I just got myself on the edge of my seat with that intro. No, people, it's not THAT kind of announcement (one of these days, just hold your horses)…what it is, however, is something delicious and special and virtually unknown in this part of the world: Kampot Pepper.


The boss lady and her husband are quite the world travelers, which is awesome in and of itself, namely cause they always bring me back a little something (xo!)…but it seems that they have finally chosen one place—Cambodia—as one, if not the one, of their favorite places to visit, learn from, and form a lasting bond with. They fell in love with the people, the culture, and the country's stories of perseverance, and decided to dedicate a large part of their own lives to bridging the gap between Cambodia and the rest of the world. Starting from their home in the OC.

Seriously, I can't ever write those two letters together without hearing "Californniiaaaaa" in my head. I wonder what Mischa B. is up to these days…and now I also apologize for getting that song in your heads, too. You know it's there and will be for hours...my bad. Sigh. I miss Seth.

Anyway, all that being said, let me introduce you to something that really is worth thinking about, and my whole long-winded point: The Pepper Project. The site explains what and why, but here's the gist, in their own words:

"The Pepper Project is a not-for-profit enterprise devoted to introducing the unique products of Cambodia to the United States. Pepper from the Kampot region of southwestern Cambodia is our primary offering. The pepper has long been used in the finest restaurants of Europe and our goal is to make it available at an affordable price in the U.S.

We are working with various groups, such as the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA) and Starling Farm to make this a reality. The packaging is created by Daughters of Cambodia, a fair trade organization that reaches out to victims of sex trafficking and teaches them the skills needed to live independently and achieve a higher quality of life."

In other words, my boss and her hubby are a selfless, amazing couple. Especially since they know how much I cook and sneak me some samples now and then (I can make anything about me, it's amazing...and I will be paying for my pepper next time, I swear). I have pretty much completely replaced my 'regular' pepper with kampot, and for good reason…it's so fresh and interesting tasting—far better than the store bought stuff.

If you're interested in learning more or trying some out for yourself, visit their website at pepperproject.org or find their page on Facebook. They also offer a wide range of Cambodian cooking and beauty products, so make sure and check out the products page.

They also have quite a few recipes on the site, a few of which I have tried, but for the most part, I just use kampot for my everyday cooking (I grind enough for a week or two at a time in a coffee spice grinder to keep it fresh). Especially good when you're using quite a bit of pepper in something…it's mild yet flavorful enough to actually inspire me to use more than I normally would. Last night, for example, was filet mignon with a light mushroom/stroganoff style sauce, and I used lots of pepper both as a rub on the steaks as well as in the sauce. And all was fantastic.



Filet with Mushroom Sauce
(based off of Cooking Light's Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Gravy )
Cooking spray
2 6-8oz cuts of filet mignon
Fresh ground pepper
Sea salt
1 package presliced mushrooms
1 medium brown onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
broth (about a 1/2 cup or so)
About 1/3 cup 0% greek yogurt or fat free sour cream
small handful minced fresh parsley

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks with pepper and salt, rub in just a bit. Add steaks to pan; cook about 5 minutes a side or or until cooked—we like filets rare; do the finger test to get it how you like it. But if you purposefully overcook a good piece of steak, I will hunt you down and remove your eating rights.

Remove meat from pan and loosely cover with foil. Add onion to pan, and move around a couple minutes until it begins to brown just a bit. Add mushrooms and garlic to pan, and stir in a good pinch of pepper. If it seems too dry, add a splash of broth. Add more broth now and then until the veggies are cooked—there should be a bit of liquid still in the pan when everything is done, so if there isn't, add about 1/3 cup or so before you turn off the heat.

Place yogurt and parsley in a medium bowl. Gradually add mushroom mixture, stirring the whole time until all is combined and it thickens just a bit. Season with more S&P, and serve with the steak. Good with simple mashed red potatoes.

Serves between 2 and 4 servings depending on cut size. One 4oz serving is about 200 cals. Not bad at all for steak and sauce!

Moroccan Beef and Butternut Squash Tagine

I'm still not feeling great, but after spending 18 hours in bed, I had to at least try and be productive. So I vacuumed, I cleaned the bathroom, I washed sheets...the essentials.

As a sidenote, I've also been putting the new TiVo Premiere to good use. This thing is amazing, and it's not even hooked up to cable yet! (apparently only 4 service guys in Kern County are familiar with TiVo Premiere, which requires a special cable card instead of the normal cable box. I am not joking. Couldn't get an appt for 3 weeks.)

You know I love Netflix. And I also love my TiVo. So the fact that this combines the two makes me oh-so-happy. (It streams Netflix and blockbuster on demand, pandora, YouTube, picassa, etc. etc. etc.)


Ramona helped set it up. Good god, every cat toy we own made it in this shot. Spoiled little shits.

Anyway, I have discovered the show Bones about 6 years late, and since Netflix carries the entire series on demand...it's embarrassing/disgusting how many epis I've watched this week. So to sum up, I love Netflix, I love TiVo, and I love Bones...and I'm not entirely sure what my point was there. And I love making the most of being sick? Sure. Moving on.

Being sick also means soup and not cooking. But since I bought meat for stew 3 days ago, I figured I better use it asap. So the Moroccan Beef and Butternut Squash Tagine I saw in Cooking Light it is.

I wish you could smell my house. It's cinnamony and spicy, garlicky and meaty.


(Yes, I shot from this angle so you can see my new adorable kettle. Everything in my kitchen is becoming orange and red and I love it.)

Here is the recipe I took this from. My only changes were pre-cut butternut squash, a bit of extra garlic and all spices, parsley instead of cilantro, and using a cheaper cut of meat. Problem with cheap meat, however, is that you've got to cook it differently.

Instead of only cooking 5 minutes once the tomatoes boil, I turned the heat to low, covered it, and let it cook slowly til soft for about an hour. Then I put in the squash and cooked until they were done. I also added a small mixture (a tbsp or so) of cornstarch and water to thicken it before I added the squash.



I chopped some extra shallots and garlic when I was prepping the stew, and sautéed them quickly for a couscous (below) to serve.


Herbed Couscous
1/2 cup couscous
1 cup broth
1 chopped shallot
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 thinly sliced green onion
About a 1/2 tsp fresh chopped thyme
Small handful chopped Italian parsley

Add the broth to the sauteed shallots and garlic, bring to a boil, then add couscous, turn off heat, cover, and let stand 10-15 minutes.

Add herbs. Add salt if you'd like (or are having it on its own), but with the Tagine it really doesn't need it.

Flank Steak with Sweet and Sour Shallots

Delicious. And so pretty!

Flank Steak with Sweet and Sour Shallots
Adapted from a Cooking Light Recipe

1/3c honey
About 3 shallots, peeled, halved, and thickly sliced
1/3c sherry vinegar (I mixed sherry and rice vinegar)
olive oil
salt
About 2 tsp oregano
About 2 tsp paprika
One flank steak, halved crosswise
Baby Spinach (about a half bag)
olive oil, about 2 tbsp
lemon juice, about 1 tsp
1/2 tsp or so oregano

Place honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cook a minute or two or until heated. Add shallots, stir. Stir in vinegar and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. If dry, add a splash of vinegar. Uncover and cook another 20 minutes or until syrupy. When done, remove from pan, keep warm. Don't wash pan, you'll use it for the meat.

Combine a pinch of salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle beef evenly with oregano mixture. Reheat pan over medium-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil to pan, mix with juices already in there. Add beef to pan; cook 3-4 minutes on each side for medium (I like medium-rare, about 3 minutes a side is good). Let stand 10 minutes, covered loosely with foil, before cutting across the grain into thin slices.

Right before serving, whisk together oregano, oil, and juice in a medium bowl; toss gently with spinach. Serve steak over spinach, top with a spoonful of shallot mixture.

Healthy Week, day two

This is the sound of a huge Pammy sigh.

Day 2:Yay Me!
Hmm. Must think...
Enough fiber (25g)
Balanced dinner
Lots of water
Lots of leg lifts

Day 3:Damnit, Pam!
No gym
2 Coors Lights
Tortilla chips (the hubby ate the rest of the salsa)
6 letters: D-E-W-A-R-S

Let me explain Dewar's. No, not the alcohol. The ice cream parlor. The one I avoid like the plague. I don't usually get that into ice cream...but when the hubby brings home a carton of fresh churned Rocky Road that looks like this...it's completely out of my control.

Luckily I had a big salad with my pot roast, so the evening wasn't a complete failure. And my roast turned out better than last time—I followed this Cooking Light recipe for Beer Braised Beef.

I made some minor changes—I soaked the browned meat and veggies (chunks of turnips and baby carrots) in the broth and a can of Boddington's over night, and stuck it in the crock pot the next morning. I also added a package of frozen pearl onions near the end (not on purpose...I'm just not exactly on my game at 6:45am and forgot them. But an hour was plenty of time for them). And I added salt, garlic powder, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce at the end. Not sure the hubby didn't still think it needed something (he added more salt and horseradish), but I liked it.


So tonight is Veggie Enchiladas...and I'm doing well on water and fiber, and my gym clothes in the bag next to my desk are looking at me sadly, begging to be used...which means so far, today is looking good.

It's only noon. Wish me luck.

Chilly? Chili!

What's more wintery than chili to warm you up? (The Parallel says casseroles...ignoring her for the moment...) Meat and beans and spices...yum. And I love how easy it can be. Sure, it may taste better simmered in a crock pot all day, but sometimes the best intentions go awry (like when you get everything for chicken rice salad for dinner except the chicken and have to go with what you meant to cook the next night—in the crock pot—at the last minute).

I normally brown ground turkey for my chili, but I went with stew meat this time instead...more calories, but it makes for a nice change once in awhile.

I definitely need to throw out some love for Bob's Red Mill gluten-free cornbread mix here...Normally GF bread of any kind doesn't really rise and ends up being more brick-like than bread-like, but I was impressed with this consistency. Very cornbready! It's not so great the next day (though you can always save it for cornbread stuffing), but while still warm from the oven with a little honey butter (mix honey with margarine or soft butter. Done)...mmm mmm mmmm. Super good.


Quick Four Bean Chili
Half an onion, chopped
Couple cloves of garlic, minced
olive oil
1 package beef stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can chili beans, partially drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
About 2 tbsp chili powder
About 1 tsp cumin
Salt and Pepper (large pinches)
Cayenne pepper to taste (1/2 tsp or so)
chopped onion, cheese and sour cream to top

Heat a bit of olive oil in stock pot. Add onion, garlic and meat, saute about 5 minutes until meat is browned and onion is soft. Add everything through cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cook 20-30 minutes. Add more salt and/or cayenne to taste. Serve with toppings.

Serves about 6. Roughly 350 cals, 11g fat, 16g fiber, 42g carbs, 25g protein

Or I could pay for lunch every day...

I think most people have a love/hate relationship with leftovers. I totally do-I like the act of making food almost as much as I like eating, so the prospect of leftovers is pretty unexciting. But I'm a huge fan of taking them for lunch. I mean, I make a lot of food. So we could either eat it all (no), toss it (no), or save money and eat it again the next day (fine).

But over the past few days we've somehow gotten to the point where we have far too many options that we either have to eat like, immediately, or toss. Turns out a giant pot of pumpkin soup is great for a dinner party...not so much for two people. One of whom has eaten it for breakfast and/or lunch 3 of the past 5 days. I'm done. But we also have campechana and beef stroganoff (Delicious, recipe below) to kill.
And because I can't leave well enough alone, I also added some stuffed portabellas (the dried-herb no-mozzarella version, unfortunately. Still so good) and grabbed some 3-minute Trader Joe's brown rice (which, yes, is totally fair cheating) to go with the stroganoff. Which means my whole dinner came together in roughly 6 minutes, which gave me time to sit and watch Jeopardy and enjoy my Christmas presents. (My dear, those olives are ridic. Thanks again.)

The Stroganoff picture is from when we originally ate it this week, by the way. I totally count canned veggies as side dishes. Without shame, thank you. And the hubby likes them cold, so I don't even have to heat them up...which I probably shouldn't admit. Whatever.

Stroganoff
1 package stew/stir fry beef strips
1/2 cup flour (I used Bob's Red Mill GF bread mix. Sometimes you make do with what you've got.)
salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter
2 large shallots, halved and sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup broth
1/2 cup sherry
Worcestershire Sauce
2 packages sliced mushrooms
water as needed
1 container light sour cream

Combine flour, a large pinch each of salt and pepper, and beef strips in a bowl. Toss til well coated.

In large stockpan, heat butter over medium. Saute shallots and garlic a couple of minutes til soft. Add beef, and brown about 4 minutes. Add sherry, and scrape up the browned bits in the pan. Add broth and Worcestershire. Mix well. Stir in mushrooms, reduce to medium low, and cover. Stir occasionally, and add a bit of water if it is sticking or too thick.

Let cook about 5 minutes. Reduce to low and stir in sour cream. Serve over rice or pasta.

Serves about 8. (Make extra rice for leftovers.) About 230 cals, .5g fiber, 13g carbs, 17g protein.

White or Dark?

I was the only one who wanted a turkey this year, so we compromised on prime rib and cornish game hens. Which, it turned out, everyone loved. I'm glad we made two. As for the prime rib, let's just say 6 pounds was a bit more than 4 people could eat, even over the course of 3 days.

Hens usually come frozen, so make sure and give yourself enough time to defrost before you cook them, either in the fridge for a day or two, or for a few hours in a sink full of cool water. Or both.

Prime Rib
Prime Rib, any size, with string still tied
Sage, about 3 tsp
Thyme, about 3 tsp
Salt and Pepper, about 1 tsp each
Garlic salt, about 1 tsp

Mix all the spices together and then rub all over meat. Let sit in fridge in roast pan, bone side down, until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 400, then put meat in oven. Reduce heat to 350, and cook for about 15 minutes a pound for medium rare, which prime-rib really should be. Let rest about 10 minutes before cutting string and slicing. (Excellent job for husbands/men/meat-lovers)


Cornish Game Hens

Two defrosted Game Hens
Sage, about 2 tsp
Thyme, about 2 tsp
Salt and Pepper, about 1 tsp each

Cornbread stuffing, optional

Rinse the birds, make sure the cavities are empty (sometimes the...insides...are in a baggy. Throw away immediately. Or cook, if you're into things like hearts. Buh.) Dry a bit with paper towels. Mix the spices together, and rub over birds and insides. Stuff loosely with stuffing if you'd like.

Cook breast side up, loosely covered in foil, in a baking dish or roast pan for 45 minutes, then remove foil and cook an additional 30 minutes. The legs should feel loose when they're done. If you have a meat thermometer, make sure it's about 160. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Soooo meaty.

I'm totally getting into this whole cold day, warm food thing. It's fabulous. And I'm trying to get my fill this week since the high for Sunday is projected at 81, which means I'll be back to trying my best to not overheat the kitchen this weekend. Where do I live??

But for now, it's in the mid 60s, which makes it a great time to break out the crock pot. It doesn't honestly get much use in my house...corned beef in March, chili a couple times a year, but other than that, its primary job is to take up a large amount of space in our bakeware cabinet.

Pot Roast, being a giant mass of beef, isn't usually something I go for, but once a year or so, especially when the weather's like this, it just sounds good. And what's easier than throwing one in a crock pot? The house smells awesome when you get home, and when you're ready to eat, you don't have to do much but cut it (pull it apart, actually, if it's done right). Make a salad, and you're done.

I like to make it all the night before, arrange it in the inner crock pot, cover it tightly with seran wrap, and stick it in the fridge. If you're more of a morning person than I am, you can do it all before work or whatever. I'm a fan of getting up 50 minutes before I have to be at my desk. Plugging the crock pot in is about all I can handle. Which explains why I can't even curl my hair most of the time.

I am so looking forward to tonight.

Pay attention, Mother Nature.

I'm not going to pretend nutritionists would approve of this, but I'm firmly of the mindset that you should drink while you cook. Which is why one of my favorite things to do is either pour a glass of wine or make a cocktail before I start prepping. I generally do this right after I work out, so it's like a congratulatory appetizer. Fabulous.

The cocktail of choice is generally a dirty martini. The way I like it is to combine a handful of ice cubes, vodka (I don't know, I pour til it covers the ice quite a bit), a splash of vermouth, and an ounce or so of dirty martini mix (like Dirty Sue) or green olive juice in a shaker. Shake well, and pour into a martini glass over a couple of hardcore olives. I like garlic stuffed or blue cheese stuffed. Best olives I've found are at Trader Joes-get the brine packed, not oil packed. No joke, they're amazing.

The husband's idea of a cocktail is a little easier-went the Stone Brewery route in this case. And if I could still drink beer, mine would be, too. But that's ok...shaking a martini makes me feel important and all 007'ish.

But that was just me getting started last night. I'm ready for cooler weather, so I'm trying to persuade Mother Nature to hurry things up by wearing fall clothes and making fall foods. As the high today is 80, I'm not sure she's paying attention, but I can always just crank up the a/c and pretend while I eat my stew.

My favorite stew is a Moroccan vegetarian recipe I got from Cooking Light. It's not necessarily the best choice for picky company, as we've learned, but we like spice, so we love it.

Everytime we eat it, though, one of us wonders whether it wouldn't be good with meat...so last night I tried it. Works great. Lamb would be good, too, I'm sure, but lamb is one of those ingredients I'm afraid of, so I use very sparingly.

If you want to keep it veggie, just ignore the beef part and use veggie stock instead. And make sure and give yourself plenty of time...this one's a prep cook's dream/nightmare. Though I totally cheated and bought pre-chopped onion. When I'm already dicing carrot and potato, some things are worth paying for.




Moroccan Stew
(adapted from a vegetarian Cooking Light recipe.)
Olive Oil
1 lb lean stew meat
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 serrano chile, finely chopped (use gloves)
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, rinsed (or low-sodium)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp salt, plus some
pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
dash allspice
handful cilantro, chopped
non fat greek yogurt(or sour cream)
3 cups cooked rice

Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Heat about 1 tsp oil at high heat in a large stockpot and brown meat, a couple minutes each side. Add enough chicken broth to come about 2/3 up the beef. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer, cover, and cook about 25 minutes.

Drain the meat into a medium bowl. Save the broth.

In the same pot, saute onion, carrot, garlic, and serrano in a splash of olive oil about 6 minutes. Add potato (tip, if you cut them far in advance, soak them in salty water. When you're ready to use them, drain first), spices, chickpeas, meat, and about a cup of the broth from the beef. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in tomato. Simmer another 10 minutes.

Serve 1 and a half cups over 1/2 cup rice. Sprinkle some cilantro, and add a dollop of yogurt on top. Should make 6 servings

About 375 calories, 8g fat, 50g carbs, 7g fiber, 25g protein

Braciola

So, because dinner last night was a bit of a process, and all the steps looked delicious even on their own, we're switching it up with a cooking lesson today. And since I consider myself the utmost authority on pretty much everything anyway...why not. (Wow, my sarcasm hits high notes some days.)

Once in a great while I decide to spoil the husband with food that tastes really bad for him, even if it actually isn't. It makes him happy, and I feel far less guilty about the nights he gets nothing but salad for dinner.

Last night was Braciola, from a Giada recipe I altered...I heart Giada so much. How she makes this kind of food all the time and stays so gorgeously thin makes me think she may have made some sort of deal with the devil, and I respect that. But anyway, it's got a few steps...make it on a night you have some time to wait, it cooks a long time.


Braciola
One 1-1.25lb flank steak
4 slices reduced fat Provolone cheese
2 oz(half cup) Romano cheese
handful chopped Italian parsley
1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1 cup white wine
1 jar Marinara sauce (I like Newman's Own)
Salt and Pepper


First thing to do is pound the crap out of the steak to make it tender (it makes a huge difference on this one). Unfold the steak on some wax paper, then beat it with a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, or whatever makeshift contraption you think will work...i.e. my juicer wrapped in cling wrap.

Note: I don't recommend the juicer route...the cling wrap totally broke and I got to clean smashed meat out of my juicer. But I was feeling creative. I think we own every kitchen gadget ever...but no tenderizer. Even though it was on our wedding registry...just sayin'...

Next, place the slices of provolone evenly across the steak. You may need to rip them into pieces to fit better.
Mix together the Romano, spinach, parsley, garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil in a bowl, then spread the spinach mixture over the top of the steak and provolone.
Once all the yummy inside goodies are spread evenly, roll the steak up "jelly roll fashion."

If you, like me, have never fashioned a jelly roll, just roll it up tight starting at one end, making sure not to squeeze out the insides in the process.

If you have cooking twine, use it to tie up the roll to keep it together and shaped while cooking. If not, you can use toothpicks...I used about 6, I think. Spread them out evenly, and make sure and leave enough toothpick-end sticking out so you can remove them later. Sprinkle roll with salt and pepper.

The next step is browning the roll. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet or stockpot. Place roll in pan, and let cook about 2 minutes.

Turn the meat on its side (a quarter turn) using tongs, and repeat til you get it brown all the way around. Takes about 8 minutes total. Turn the roll so it's seam side up.

Once you're all brown and it's smelling fabulous, reduce the heat to medium and add the cup of wine. Let it come to a boil, then add the jar of sauce. Stir the liquids together around the meat, and make sure plenty of sauce is on top of the roll. Cover, let it come to a simmer, and reduce the heat to low.

Just let it cook, but check it every half hour or so and spoon more sauce over the roll. If the bottom is getting too brown, you can flip it over after an hour.

After an hour and half, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let sit for a few minutes. Take it out of the sauce, and place on cutting board. Carefully remove the twine or toothpicks (get them all!), then cut roll into six slices. I served with a carb (quinoa for me, linguine for the husband—I was feeling particularly generous last night) and steamed spinach. Yum, yum, yum.


One slice with sauce= About 390 calories, 22g fat, 1g fiber, 26g protein, 13g carbs