Fee, Fie, Foe, Friday: Thawing My Frozen Heart

Have you ever had a personal winter? Where you went all cold and frozen inside, and it felt less like a normal winter, and more like your heart was embedded in permafrost? When my husband died, nearly 5 years ago, that is pretty much what's happened to me. Yes, as time passed, I've been able to go about my day, get through life, even have some fun. But the frozen part just stayed, and stayed. No thaw.

I started writing this blog back in 2011. That seems like another lifetime, and it was. When my life froze over, early in 2014.  A part of my heart and soul  was stolen by cancer at the end of February, in 2014.  My brave, sweet, and charmingly grumpy husband, Chuck, was taken from me and our family by a fast-spreading pancreatic cancer. I'm trying not to weep as I write, but am pretty well unsuccessful.

He was a picky eater; I've certainly made no bones about just HOW picky he was. Chuck's "no" list was much longer than his "yes" list. Strange partner for a food blogger. But he was my muse, my love, and my best friend who honestly, and often bravely tasted, and (usually) ate the recipes I've posted here. Offered astute suggestions for change or improvement, and sometimes told me to toss the whole mess. If I had to toss it, he unfailingly took me out for dinner. I tried to keep this blog going, I really did, since before his illness began, it had brought so much joy and delicious food to my extended Tribe. Then I just froze.

No apologies here, just an explanation of why I've not been writing. Grief and loss are strange creatures that come to live inside us, and when we think we have finally made peace with them, they bite us again with their tiny sharp teeth creating more pain. I think I froze hard so the little bastards couldn't keep sinking their teeth into my soft places.

So many things changed.  After a few of years rattling around in our big house, with my grand kitchen,  and big garden, I knew it was time to move. That house was about us, and the rest of it was going to have to be about me. I was thawing and I didn't even know it. I have a new home, with a new kitchen, not so grand but every bit as functional. And still a garden, but small, and equal in the pleasure it brings. I live in a townhouse in a condo community, that really is a community, with real neighbors in the true sense of the word. Even though it's early December, the thaw still is ongoing. Who knows, maybe something will even bloom. Judy 2.0

Way back when I started writing about food here, eliminating sugar and grain was so often my focus when creating delicious food that wouldn't make us fat and sick. Unfortunately, I tried to eat my grief away, and my sweet tooth got a firm grip. As my frozen heart began to thaw, I found there was a good 20 pounds more of me than there had been before Chuck got sick. My advice has always been, from my years of teaching diabetics (I'm not a registered dietitian) what to eat and how to cook, to limit carbohydrates. It was always easier, and a lot more successful than the traditional, low fat, reduced calorie programs that continue to have followers for years, even though they never lose all the weight or keep it off.

Still, the low carb approach had a few problems,  especially if you tried to align it with the low fat, low calorie song the sirens still sing. Low carb and low fat is tough, and isn't something most people can continue for life. So we were all still crashing onto the rocks.  Back in about 2008, I began to see bits and pieces appear in journals and sites about the ketogenic diet. It made therapeutic sense. I started telling clients to start adding more fat to their meals, good fat, that it would help them stay satisfied, and it did. But it never dawned on me to do what I was teaching diabetics to do, because I'm not diabetic. I'd tried several of the more popular low fat, low calorie plans after a few accidents, when inactivity cause some temporary weight gain, and they worked to a point, with a lot of deprivation and will power.

My big change came last spring. I'd been fooling with a 5 pound weight loss for months. Mostly, the weight just hung on. Since I moved, and had begun to feel settled in, I'd been reducing my carbs and calories, and had begun to lift weights.  My weight went up and down, up and down. And then a customer at work, when asked if she knew which sales person had helped her, she responded, "The chunky blond." That made something snap. Until I reached my 50s, I was always rather underweight. Menopause changed things up, and I was in the normal weight range, at least until my personal permafrost started. I'm somewhere just under 5'2" tall, and 20 pounds doesn't spread out as far as it does on someone tall. Chunky. Geez. Me, chunky!!!???

"Chunky" worked. I started reading, and reading more.  High Fat Low Carb (HFLC) or Keto seemed to be the way to go. I was going to give it a month. On traditional diets, like Weight Watchers, I'd never lost more than a couple or three pounds in the first month. I was generally lucky if I lost a whole half pound in a week, after that, tracking and going to bed hungry. So I  tweaked my already low carb diet significantly lower, and raised my fat intake. What could be bad about an eating plan that let me have a big steak and salad with blue cheese dressing, or a glass of wine with triple cream brie every day? I figured, as long as I didn't get heavier, and could keep up my jogging and weight training schedule, it would be fine. Really low cal diets leave me tired and grumpy. And while keto isn't high calorie, the fat is so satiating, you tend to eat fewer calories than you actually need.

It was near the end of June, and my pal Sharon was in Philly visiting from NOLA, and she, too, had defected from traditional weight loss plans and was attempting low carb, high fat. We discussed it over corned beef specials in the Reading Terminal Market, for gods sake. That was the last bread I've eaten, and now a little over 5 months later, I'm as lean as I was when I met Chuck. I lost 6 pounds that first month. Now I'm more than 20 pounds lighter, and in the best shape of my adult life. So all this is to tell you that most of the recipes here will be Keto/ LCHF friendly, not all, but most. Many will be Paleo friendly, too. Some also will just be traditional favorites, or damnably delicious, and while not adhering to any "way of eating" worth the splurge. It's a life, not scourge. I'll include some links below to sites I've found helpful on this journey, because it has been one lovely, strange trip so far.

So, I'm back, Tribe.  Leaner, and ...I'm nearly thawed.

The links I was telling you about:

This is the best for just getting started. It's simple,  from Eric Westman, MD,  from the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at Duke University Medical Center and no malarkey:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/se/wp-content/2014/10/no_sugar_no_starch_diet.pdf

And if video is more your style, start with Ken Berry, MD-- he's also fun to watch!
https://youtu.be/xwKmVjSXTDk

About 10 pounds down, in July, and thawing...at Chanticleer Garden

Meaty Monday Redux: Quick Sweet & Smoky Grilled London Broil

The grilling season is upon us and I just HAD to bring this oldie but goodie back. Meaty Monday is back, although I am working on ice cream recipes right now... I thought this was a great way to launch the season since we are just about at Memorial Day. Hello, Grill!!!

Quick Sweet & Smoky Grilled London Broil

First off, this whole business of calling top round "London Broil" really irks me. Somewhat of a traditionalist at heart, real London Broil, in my heart-of-hearts will always be flank steak. This new nomenclature, calling top round steak London Broil was foisted off on us supposedly by supermarket meat departments (according to my butcher) because there are only a couple of flank steaks on a steer, but a whole lotta top round. Yes, I know it's leaner, and cheaper, but it's not as tender or tasty. So if you have one of these, as I did lurking in the freezer, you need to boost the flavor, hugely. 

Whew, now that I got that off my chest, I have to say that top round can be fabulous. I picked this one up back in May, a nice grass-fed piece of beef top round while it was on sale at my local Whole Foods. Since we just returned from a vacation at the beach, and I haven't had a chance to do any marketing, it just leaped out of the freezer into my hands. Yes, it did.  So I did what any smart girl would do: I thawed it out, and dolled it up.

This wet rub has big flavor, and it's all likely to be things that live in your fridge and pantry all the time. Plain chili powder, cinnamon, black pepper, smoked paprika, jarred garlic, salt and a lime. The cinnamon makes it taste sweet without adding any sugar, and the smoked paprika adds a smoky zing. Like I said, I didn't have time to shop and we still want a good meal. Good for low carbers and paleo eaters as well as everyone else who likes good meat.

Because this meat is so lean, after grilling, a finishing drizzle of really good extra virgin olive oil, flavored olive oil or a pat of butter (flavored or not) would be nice. If you are eating Paleo, or just lazy like me, go for the olive oil. But if you have some minced green garlic scapes in your freezer, or can mince some garden garlic chives, toss them on the meat, drizzle on the oil, add a squeeze of fresh lime and dig in. This rub works really well on flank and skirt steak, too, so keep it up your sleeve.

Note: Top round isn't as tender as flank for London broil, so be sure to slice it thinly, 1/4" or thinner, with a sharp knife against the grain.

Quick Sweet & Smoky Grilled London Broil

Ingredients:

1 tsp. mild chili powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (pimenton)
1T crushed garlic (fresh or jarred is fine)
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black paper
zest of 1 lime
juice from 1/2 lime
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
1.25 lb. Top Round London Broil

Garnish:

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1T minced garlic scapes, or garlic chives
juice from 1/2 lime

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix everything through the olive oil, and then rub evenly over both sides of the London broil. Place the meat in a zip bag and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 10 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

Pretty much all from the pantry and fridge.

When you are ready to cook, preheat your grill to 550ºF. Oil the grill, and then place the meat on the grill and close the top. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn and cook for 4 minutes on the other side for medium rare. Let the meat stand for 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain. 

To serve, sprinkle over the garlic scapes or garlic chives, drizzle with the olive oil and squeeze over the lime.

Serves 3-4.

Fat Boy's Easy Alfredo Sauce

Many, many years ago, a good friend of mine told me that my Alfredo sauce is what turned him into a fat boy. Luckily, he didn't hate me for it. And now, even though he tells me he still makes it, he's no longer a fat boy. Now he's a svelte boy. It is, however, part of his low carb diet repertoire. While he likes to drizzle its cheesy goodness it over roasted cauliflower, it's a wonderful thing over pasta, gnocchi, vegetables and is dandy with some seafood like shrimp or scallops added at the last moment, or some spinach. My Alfredo sauce is low carb, gluten free and lacto vegetarian, and will make just about everyone at the table happy.

This is so easy to make that even a non-cook can do it and ditch the glop in the jar. The only stipulation is that you choose top notch ingredients. If all you have on hand is parmesan cheese in the familiar green can, please don't even consider making this until you can pick up some real Parmesan Reggiano. And grate it yourself. There aren't a lot of ingredients in this sauce, so each one has to speak well for itself.

Fat Boy's Easy Alfredo Sauce

Fat Boy's Easy Alfredo Sauce

Makes a scant cup, about 4 servings

1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
big pinch of salt
2T unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream, not ultra pasteurized
1/4 cup dry white wine or white vermouth
1 scant cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
(handful of peeled raw shrimp, optional)
extra Parmesan to pass at the table

1. In a medium to large, broad saucepan, add the garlic, cayenne, nutmeg, salt, butter, heavy cream and wine, and bring to a low boil, whisking, to keep it from boiling over. Use a saucepan bigger than you think you need. Cook the cream mixture until it is reduced to roughly half.

2. Gradually add the the Parmesan, about 1/3 at a time, whisking the sauce smooth before adding the next portion. Keep the mixture at a low simmer. If you are adding shrimp, add it now, and stir until they become pink and opaque. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Note: This Alfredo Sauce will thicken as it stands and cools, but heating and / or a splash of white wine will bring it back to sauce consistency.

Meaty Monday: Braised Pork Chops with Fennel, Tomatoes & Potatoes

It was 80º here two weeks ago, and we'll likely have our first light frost at the end of the week. Doesn't seem fair. I haven't even brought in all my houseplants yet. The ONLY thing I like about the coming winter is the hearty, comforting food. I'll just console myself with dishes like this lovely one-pot dinner  of pork chops and fennel until spring comes. Or the seed catalogs arrive...

Last year I made a slightly different version of this dish, but I think it was  too herbal, so bear with me. This is a meal that's quick to prepare, reheats well, and is so, so satisfying on a cold night with a glass of beer. Contrary to popular belief, the flavor of anise is even better in savory dishes than it is in sweet things. It's actually not as intense here as it would seem; it melds beautifully into the herbal background and lets the flavor of the pork shine.

This is a wonderful, aromatic one-pot meal, and a green vegetable or a salad will round it out nicely.  The dish gluten free, so if you want to serve bread on the side, choose accordingly to the needs of those at your table. Depending on how you feel about potatoes, you may want to modify this for a paleo dinner, and again, if you omit the potatoes, it would be a good low carb or Atkins-type meal.

We'll just serve ourselves from the pan tonight because I'm L-A-Z-Y.

Braised Pork Chops with Fennel,  Tomatoes & Potatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
4 boneless center-cut pork chops (heritage if possible), 1" thick, salted and peppered
1 large onion, diced
1 large fennel bulb, cored, sliced, both white and green parts
Fennel fronds reserved for garnish
3 cups small, yellow potatoes, halved or quartered
2 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes , OR 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes, no salt added
1 cup chicken stock
pinch hot red pepper flakes
2T Italian seasoning
2T Anisette liqueur or Pernod
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil on medium heat in a large, deep covered sauté pan until is begins to shimmer and smoke and add the pork chops. Brown the chops, about 4 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as needed.

2. Remove the chops to a plate and set aside, leaving any fat in the pan. Add the onions, fennel bulb, and potatoes. Salt lightly, and cook until the onions and fennel begin to soften. Add the tomatoes,  stir up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the stock, the red pepper, the Italian seasoning, and the Anisette liqueur.  Bring to a simmer and stir well.

3. Add the chops and any accumulated juices from the plate, return the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook about an hour, until the pork is very tender. Place the chops on a serving platte, and spoon the vegetables and juices over it all. Garnish with the fennel fronds.

Meaty Monday, Again: Quick Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Balsamic Glaze

This is a command performance. It's required by unnamed members of my household that we have this instead of the leftover chicken, so you all will have to have it again, too.


Some Mondays, its about all I can do to get myself out the door, fully dressed and caffeinated.  Not always, but on some of them, I am impressively organized and have dinner prepped and even some laundry done before I jump in the car to commute. Unfortunately,  my zombie-like Monday mornings probably outnumber the organized Mondays three to one. You too?

Those frazzled days are also the ones I'm most likely to need a good fast dinner that's both totally delicious and totally idiot proof. This succulent pork tenderloin is one of those meals. While I'm on the subject of pork tenderloin I want to complain about how they come packed from most supermarkets. Why the heck, when  they almost always pack unflavored pork tenderloins in pairs, are they so different in size and weight? Most of us will usually cook them both, and one is usually at least double the size of the other, thus letting most of us, drastically over or undercook at least one of the tenderloins? Remember, this cut is comparatively the same as a beef tenderloin. A pork tenderloin is not the same thing as a pork loin. It makes me livid when I see slow cooker recipes for pork tenderloin --after all, you wouldn't toss a filet mignon into the crock, would you?

Anyway, this couldn't be a simpler, more toothsome dish to make quickly at the end of a busy day.
This grilling technique called "7-6-5" is featured in Fine Cooking Magazine; it really is pretty much idiot proof, and I suggest you take a look at the original. It really does prevent overcooking this lovely, tender cut of pork.  We prefer ours a little less done, more of a pinkish medium rare, at just over 140ºF so we cook ours 6-5-5. The original timing should bring it to above 145º after the cooking is completed. Oh, and pork is safe to eat and juicy at 140º, even if your Mom, like mine, tended to cook it to death.

The balsamic glaze is wonderful, and you need very little per serving --just a tablespoon or two, but if you are eating paleo or primal, or counting carbs, you may want to limit how much sauce you use, or choose something else like a bit of mayonnaise mixed with a bit of Dijon mustard.

Quick Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Balsamic Glaze

Quick Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Balsamic Glaze

Serves 2-3

A 1-1/4 to 1-1/3 lb. pork tenderloin (NOT pork loin)
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

For the Sweet Balsamic Glaze:

1/2 cup all-fruit apricot or seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of salt

1. Preheat your grill to high. Unwrap tenderloin, and liberally coat with pepper and salt.

2. Place all the balsamic glaze ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring. As soon as the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, in about a minute, set it aside and keep warm.

3. Oil the grill, and then place the tenderloin on the grill and close the cover. Cook on one side for 7 minutes for medium cooked pork, just 6 minutes for medium rare. Open the lid and turn the meat over, and recover the grill. Cook on the second side for 6 minutes for medium meat, and 5 for medium rare. next, shut off the heat and do NOT open the grill for 5 minutes. If you really like well-done (and dry!) pork, leave  the tenderloin in the closed grill for 7 minutes after turning off the heat. Test with an instant read thermometer for doneness if desired.

4. Place the meat on a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes before slicoing. Serve with the balsamic glaze drizzled over each serving.

Meaty Monday: Molasses Soy Mushrooms and Steak

Ok, I know it really should be steak and mushrooms, not mushrooms and steak. But the mushrooms that are supposed to be the side with the beef are so delicious and savory they have to have equal star  billing.

The marinade is an easy homemade teriyaki that uses molasses to give it a big, deep flavor. i like blackstrap  molasses, but you can have whatever kind you have in the pantry. Most of us have unsulphured molasses and that will do fine. I like to use molasses because it packs a punch flavor-wise, but lets me sugar content in this marinade way down, and still promotes good browning and flavor. The molasses caramelizes as it cooks with the soy, making both the mushrooms and the steak absolutely swoonworthy.

The beef this week was a nice, grass fed, top round  steak cut as a London Broil. You all have heard me go on about how flank is the only true London broil, but if I had to buy a grass fed flank steak, not on sale, I'd have need a second job to pay for it.  Since we eat much less beef now than before, I try to buy only grass fed, not feed lot beef. Better for us and for the environment. Tastes better too. Helps when you can find it on sale, too.

Note: This is a reasonably low carb dish using stevia and molasses, as the molasses adds very little sugar to the marinade, and most of it is not actually eaten. If you are not watching sugar too closely, go with the honey. You'd have to bend the rules a bit to call this Paleo, though.

Molasses Soy Mushrooms and Steak

Molasses Soy Mushrooms and Steak

Serves 4

2T Molasses, blackstrap or unsulphured
1/3 cup gluten free tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic (jarred ok)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (jarred ok)
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili garlic paste or hot sauce
Liquid stevia, sugar or honey, equivalent to 1 tablespoon
1/4 cup dry sherry
Approx. 1.75 lb. beef top round London broil, grass fed preferred
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. sliced baby portabella (cremini) mushrooms

1. Mix all ingredients through the sherry in a small bowl, and then set aside 1/4 cup of the mixture in a small, covered container in the fridge. Place the meat in a zip top bag, and pour over the remaining marinade, turn the meat a few times, and chill for at least 8 hours and up to 24.

2. About 2 minutes before you want to eat, remove the meat from the fridge, discard the marinade in the zip bag, and preheat a grill to high. In a 12" fry pan, preferably non stick, heat the olive oil, and add the sliced mushrooms. Stir to coat with the hot oil, and turn the heat under the pan to medium. Cook the mushrooms in the oil until they give up their liquid, and when that has nearly evaporated, add the 1/4 cup of reserved marinade. Stir until its nearly evaporated, and then cover, turn off the heat and set aside in a warm spot.

3. Grill the meat over high heat about 4 minutes per side for rare or longer  to your taste. Let the meat rest about 5 -7 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Reheat the mushrooms if necessary, and serve with the beef. Enjoy!

Meaty Monday: Quick Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Balsamic Glaze

Some Mondays, its about all I can do to get myself out the door, fully dressed and caffeinated.  Not always, but on some of them, I am impressively organized and have dinner prepped and even some laundry done before I jump in the car to commute. Unfortunately,  my zombie-like Monday mornings probably outnumber the organized Mondays three to one. You too?

Those frazzled days are also the ones I'm most likely to need a good fast dinner that's both totally delicious and totally idiot proof. This succulent pork tenderloin is one of those meals. While I'm on the subject of pork tenderloin I want to complain about how they come packed from most supermarkets. Why the heck, when  they almost always pack unflavored pork tenderloins in pairs, are they so different in size and weight? Most of us will usually cook them both, and one is usually at least double the size of the other, thus letting most of us, drastically over or undercook at least one of the tenderloins? Remember, this cut is comparatively the same as a beef tenderloin. A pork tenderloin is not the same thing as a pork loin. It makes me livid when I see slow cooker recipes for pork tenderloin --after all, you wouldn't toss a filet mignon into the crock, would you?

Anyway, this couldn't be a simpler, more toothsome dish to make quickly at the end of a busy day.
This grilling technique called "7-6-5" is featured in Fine Cooking Magazine; it really is pretty much idiot proof, and I suggest you take a look at the original. It really does prevent overcooking this lovely, tender cut of pork.  We prefer ours a little less done, more of a pinkish medium rare, at just over 140ºF so we cook ours 6-5-5. The original timing should bring it to above 145º after the cooking is completed. Oh, and pork is safe to eat and juicy at 140º, even if your Mom, like mine, tended to cook it to death.

The balsamic glaze is wonderful, and you need very little per serving --just a tablespoon or two, but if you are eating paleo or primal, or counting carbs, you may want to limit how much sauce you use, or choose something else like a bit of mayonnaise mixed with a bit of Dijon mustard.

Quick Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Balsamic Glaze

Quick Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Balsamic Glaze

Serves 2-3

A 1-1/4 to 1-1/3 lb. pork tenderloin (NOT pork loin)
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

For the Sweet Balsamic Glaze:

1/2 cup all-fruit apricot or seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of salt

1. Preheat your grill to high. Unwrap tenderloin, and liberally coat with pepper and salt.

2. Place all the balsamic glaze ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, stirring. As soon as the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, in about a minute, set it aside and keep warm.

3. Oil the grill, and then place the tenderloin on the grill and close the cover. Cook on one side for 7 minutes for medium cooked pork, just 6 minutes for medium rare. Open the lid and turn the meat over, and recover the grill. Cook on the second side for 6 minutes for medium meat, and 5 for medium rare. next, shut off the heat and do NOT open the grill for 5 minutes. If you really like well-done (and dry!) pork, leave  the tenderloin in the closed grill for 7 minutes after turning off the heat. Test with an instant read thermometer for doneness if desired.

4. Place the meat on a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes before slicoing. Serve with the balsamic glaze drizzled over each serving.

Meaty Monday: Quick Maple Bourbon London Broil

Mondays. The day of the week when you know the weekend is over and nothing is missing from your To-Do list yet. Ugh. That's how it is for me, and when I get home from work I'm starving and about the last thing I really want to do is fuss with a meal. This is a really quick meal to cook --I actually start my gas grill on the way from the driveway to the house so the grill will be ready to use as soon as I toss my purse onto a chair and get the marinated meat out of the fridge.

I like to make London Broil, and although I'm a cranky girl and really prefer to use flank steak for London Broil over top round, either one will do fine for this recipe. The maple makes it sweet, the soy makes it a little salty and beefier and the bourbon makes it, for some reason a little more succulent. Don't leave out the anchovy paste, it's your secret umami ingredient and I promise your food will not taste fishy, just great. What would be better for dinner after a beastly day than this? Not much.

You can throw this marinade together the night before, or in the morning of the day you plan to soak the meat in it. Or even a couple of hours before, although its better for the meat to have at least 4 hours, and up to 24 hours in the marinade for the most flavor. Other than that there is no work on your part other than to heat the grill to high, and cook the beef to your desired doneness. We like ours nearly rare, and that's about 3 minutes per side on a really hot grill. For medium rare, leave the meat on the grill about 4 -5 minutes a side, for a beef steak that's about 1 " to 1-1/2" thick. Remember if you are cooking Primal or Paleo, to skip the tamari and substitute coconut aminoes, and preferably choose grass fed beef.

Now. To crank this up to a whole other level of deliciousness, you can steal an idea from Chef Adam Perry Lang like I did, and make a "board sauce" for this steak. Essentially, what you'll do is place some minced or finely chopped aromatics, and some olive oil on the cutting board or plate on which you're planning to drop the hot cooked meat for it's standing period before you carve it. The heat releases all sorts of goodness, and as you slice the meat you just mix all the flavorful ingredients into the meat like a sauce.  If you are short on time or too pooped to do the board sauce, the London broil is wonderful without it, but use a little judicious sea salt, pepper and a thin drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil after you slice it.

Quick Maple Bourbon London Broil

Quick Maple Bourbon London Broil
Serves 4-6 or (2 with good leftovers)

Be sure to slice either the cooked flank steak or top round thinly (1/2" or thinner) against the grain of the steak for the tenderest bite.

2 lb. beef flank steak or top round steak, about 1 to 1-1/2" thick
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
1/4 cup plus 2  tablespoons dark maple syrup
1/4 cup wheat free tamari soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
4 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced
1 teaspoon of coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon of anchovy paste

1. With the tip of a sharp knife, score the steak diagonally about 1/4" deep in parallel cuts about 1/8" to 1/4" deep. Repeat on the other side. This will help let the marinade get into the meat.

2. Mix all of the remaining ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl. Place the meat into a zip top bag and pour the marinade over the meat.  Zip top and place in a shallow pan in case it leaks. Chill for at least 4 hours and up to 24. Turn the bag occasionally to redistribute the marinade.

3. Heat your grill to about 550ºF, oil the grill and cook the meat to your desired doneness. Remove the meat to a cutting board or platter and let it stand 5 minutes before slicing. Drizzle with oil and season as desired.

If you want to make a board sauce:
While the grill is heating,  grate  about a tablespoon of fresh ginger, two cloves of garlic, and mince a scallion and a small handful of cilantro. Feel free to add or leave out whatever you'd like here. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Place it all on the  cutting board or platter you have ready for the cooked meat. When the beef is cooked, lay it right on top of the bed of aromatics and let it rest for 5 minutes to the juices can settle. The heat will also release an enormous amount of flavor from the ginger, garlic and herbs. After you slice the meat, mix the herb mixture through the hot meat, and season as needed. Drizzle with more olive oil if you like it.

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan

I've been trying to focus on good side dishes that don't include grains, but that are still satisfying and delicious. I promise the broccoli puree, soon, but I make this often, it's so versatile, and it goes with so many foods that it bears re-posting.

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan.
I'd rather have this than potatoes any day.

Some meals just cry out for mashed potatoes. Roast beef and gravy. Pork chops. Homey things. Then there are chic meals that need something UNDER the protein to prop it up. Any restaurant worth its salt will plop some potatoes, couscous or polenta under your meat or fish, and plate your entree at an appealing angle. The starch is the "glue" of the plate. You eat first with your eyes. And the meat on top looks great. The stuff underneath, well, not so much.  I have a much better choice.

Often those potatoes or grainy glop are hardly worth eating. Guess what? Cauliflower puree is creamy, unctuous, and decadent. If you put that under your chop, or along side it, you may just decide to eat it first, after just one taste. So good, that when you spoon it into a bowl. it'll be impossible not to run your finger through the swirl and taste. Pure heaven. Gluten-free, grain free, low carb and vegetarian (with vegetable stock or water), even cauliflower haters will enjoy this creamy, mildly cheesy puree.

There are still nice cauliflowers in your local farm market, but if you are pressed for time, two 1-lb. bags of frozen cauliflower will work, too. We had a cross between the two: the last home-frozen cauliflower from last year's garden. Especially appreciated since the critters ate all but two of my cauliflower plants this year. It was really lovely beside our grilled pork chops and some fresh, steamed haricots verts.

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan
3-6 servings

2 lb. of fresh or frozen cauliflower, cut into florets
1-1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
3T unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese
1/4  homemade crème fraîche or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
salt and white pepper
Minced chives or parsley to garnish

Place the cauliflower in a medium covered saucepan with the stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until very tender 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the stock as even in a covered pan, it may be mostly gone towards the end of the cooking time. There should be just a few tablespoons of liquid left in the pan; if not, add a bit of water.

Spoon the cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor, keeping the cooking liquid aside to use if needed. Puree until smooth, adding as little liquid as possible. Add the butter, cheese, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree again and scrape down the bowl. Serve hot. Garnish with chives or parsley if serving in a bowl instead of individual portions.

Meaty Monday: Quick Sweet & Smoky Grilled London Broil

Quick Sweet & Smoky Grilled London Broil

First off, this whole business of calling top round "London Broil" really irks me. Somewhat of a traditionalist at heart, real London Broil, in my heart-of-hearts will always be flank steak. This new nomenclature, calling top round steak London Broil was foisted off on us supposedly by supermarket meat departments (according to my butcher) because there are only a couple of flank steaks on a steer, but a whole lotta top round. Yes, I know it's leaner, and cheaper, but it's not as tender or tasty. So if you have one of these, as I did lurking in the freezer, you need to boost the flavor, hugely. 

Whew, now that I got that off my chest, I have to say that top round can be fabulous. I picked this one up back in May, a nice grass-fed piece of beef top round while it was on sale at my local Whole Foods. Since we just returned from a vacation at the beach, and I haven't had a chance to do any marketing, it just leaped out of the freezer into my hands. Yes, it did.  So I did what any smart girl would do: I thawed it out, and dolled it up.

This wet rub has big flavor, and it's all likely to be things that live in your fridge and pantry all the time. Plain chili powder, cinnamon, black pepper, smoked paprika, jarred garlic, salt and a lime. The cinnamon makes it taste sweet without adding any sugar, and the smoked paprika adds a smoky zing. Like I said, I didn't have time to shop and we still want a good meal. Good for low carbers and paleo eaters as well as everyone else who likes good meat.

Because this meat is so lean, after grilling, a finishing drizzle of really good extra virgin olive oil, flavored olive oil or a pat of butter (flavored or not) would be nice. If you are eating Paleo, or just lazy like me, go for the olive oil. But if you have some minced green garlic scapes in your freezer, or can mince some garden garlic chives, toss them on the meat, drizzle on the oil, add a squeeze of fresh lime and dig in. This rub works really well on flank and skirt steak, too, so keep it up your sleeve.

Note: Top round isn't as tender as flank for London broil, so be sure to slice it thinly, 1/4" or thinner, with a sharp knife against the grain.

Quick Sweet & Smoky Grilled London Broil

Ingredients:

1 tsp. mild chili powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (pimenton)
1T crushed garlic (fresh or jarred is fine)
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black paper
zest of 1 lime
juice from 1/2 lime
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
1.25 lb. Top Round London Broil

Garnish:

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1T minced garlic scapes, or garlic chives
juice from 1/2 lime

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix everything through the olive oil, and then rub evenly over both sides of the London broil. Place the meat in a zip bag and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 10 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

Pretty much all from the pantry and fridge.

When you are ready to cook, preheat your grill to 550ºF. Oil the grill, and then place the meat on the grill and close the top. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn and cook for 4 minutes on the other side for medium rare. Let the meat stand for 5 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain. 

To serve, sprinkle over the garlic scapes or garlic chives, drizzle with the olive oil and squeeze over the lime.

Serves 3-4.

From Garden to Plate: Spinach, Cauliflower & Cheddar Bake

Spinach, Cauliflower & Bell Pepper Bake

Now that we've joined the Big Green Egg cult, I haven't cooked a single piece of meat in the house, unless you count a pan or two of bacon. While I used to be the BBQ Girl around here, regularly loading and running a smoker full of apple logs and briskets while my disinterested DH watched baseball, I am now Kitchen Girl. The Egg has kindled a new interest in outdoor cooking in him and I am relegated to the side dishes. For the moment...I'll be back out there as soon as I can.

Meanwhile, though, it has given me a man-free kitchen to whomp up something to go with the manly burnt offerings (actually he hasn't burned anything, but it sounds good). And when you cook the meat outdoors, there is no roasting pan to wash. So it's all good and I pretty much love our Egg as much as he does, maybe more, since I've wanted one far longer. But I digress...

Remember I was whining about  the slim pickings in the garden last Friday? Well, it still is producing a little of this and that. All good.  Some shallots dug a few weeks ago, garlic, and bell peppers. And I got a very small cauliflower at the farmers market on Friday which, when you are aiming for low- carb, is a godsend. It made the base for a good cheesy dish that's somewhere between a casserole and a crustless quiche. You can add or subtract whatever you don't like here, but the eggs and sour cream proportions need to stay constant, or, well, you have an entirely different dish...possibly not bad, but different.

Note: to grate cauliflower, just scrape it on the big holes of a box grater, or chop it medium-fine in a food processor. To cook it, I just sauté it in a bit of butter until soft. If you want to keep this dish vegetarian, either use vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, or Pickapeppa sauce which has no anchovies in it.

Homegrown peppers and shallots.

Spinach, Cauliflower & Cheddar Bake

3 cups of grated cauliflower, cooked soft
1T extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced 1/2"
5 oz. baby spinach
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. Cholula or other hot sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Oil a 9" square oven-to-table baking dish. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan, and add the shallot, garlic and bell pepper. Sauté on medium heat until the pepper is soft and the shallot is limp. Stir in the spinach a bit at a time and cook until it just wilts. Turn off the heat and set aside in the pan to cool for a minute or two.

Infinite possibilities with fresh-from-the-garden vegetables.

Whisk together the eggs, sour cream hot sauce and Worcestershire in a medium bowl. Stir in the cheese, and the vegetable mixture from the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 -60 minutes until brown at the edges and bubbly. Good side with grilled meat or as a vegetarian main with a salad.

Serves 4-6.

Another Grainless Wonder: Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan.
I'd rather have this than potatoes any day.

Some meals just cry out for mashed potatoes. Roast beef and gravy. Pork chops. Homey things. Then there are chic meals that need something UNDER the protein to prop it up. Any restaurant worth its salt will plop some potatoes, couscous or polenta under your meat or fish, and plate your entree at an appealing angle. The starch is the "glue" of the plate. You eat first with your eyes. And the meat on top looks great. The stuff underneath, well, not so much.  I have a much better choice.

Often those potatoes or grainy glop are hardly worth eating. Guess what? Cauliflower puree is creamy, unctuous, and decadent. If you put that under your chop, or along side it, you may just decide to eat it first, after just one taste. So good, that when you spoon it into a bowl. it'll be impossible not to run your finger through the swirl and taste. Pure heaven. Gluten-free, grain free, low carb and vegetarian (with vegetable stock or water), even cauliflower haters will enjoy this creamy, mildly cheesy puree.

There are still nice cauliflowers in your local farm market, but if you are pressed for time, two 1-lb. bags of frozen cauliflower will work, too. We had a cross between the two: the last home-frozen cauliflower from last year's garden. Especially appreciated since the critters ate all but two of my cauliflower plants this year. It was really lovely beside our grilled pork chops and some fresh, steamed haricots verts.

Cauliflower Puree with Parmesan
3-6 servings

2 lb. of fresh or frozen cauliflower, cut into florets
1-1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
3T unsalted butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream or homemade crème fraîche
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
salt and white pepper
Minced chives or parsley to garnish

Place the cauliflower in a medium covered saucepan with the stock or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until very tender 15 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the stock as even in a covered pan, it may be mostly gone towards the end of the cooking time. There should be just a few tablespoons of liquid left in the pan; if not, add a bit of water.

Spoon the cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor, keeping the cooking liquid aside to use if needed. Puree until smooth, adding as little liquid as possible. Add the butter, cheese, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree again and scrape down the bowl. Serve hot. Garnish with chives or parsley if serving in a bowl instead of individual portions.