Monthly Archives: April 2013

Menu Plan, Uber Healthy

The Healthiest Meals on Earth

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That’s the title of the book I picked up the other day…and I say, bring it! The book is based on the concept of a Polymeal, basically, a perfectly balanced diet or as they state: ” Fish, garlic, almonds, fruit, vegetables, dark chocolate, all polished off with a nice little glass of red wine.” They snagged me with those last two.

One thing I noticed but wasn’t expecting when we had Lila was that you start thinking about your mortality and how much you yearn to stick around to not miss one precious moment. This desire lead me to wanting to eat better, get back on my exercise regimen (it’s much harder than I thought it would be after having a baby) and just being good to ourselves so we can be here for her. I picked this book up as a means to end. A way to get us on track and start thinking about everything we are eating and, in the long run, keep our tickers going.

I tried the first Polymeal with like-minded friends last night and gosh, it was good. The meal consisted of Broiled Salmon with Tamari-Orange Marinade; Wild Rice and Green Beans with Shitake Saute and Dandelion Greens with Warm Sesame Dressing. There is also a suggested Spiced Pear Sorbet but I didn’t have five hours of freezing time available so, we scratched that. As promised in the book, the recipes were easy to follow, simple in approach and super delicious. We all agreed that it was perfect portions and felt full but not busting a gut full.

I don’t think I have to tell you all of the health benefits of salmon since they have been touted time and time again (love those Omega-3s) but did you know dandelion greens rank among the top four green vegetables in terms of their overall nutritional value? According to the book, “…and its Latin name – taraxacum officinale – actually means ‘official remedy for the disorders.’ Probably at the top of the list of things dandelion is good for is helping the liver do its job of detoxifying.” I know we could all use that, right?

I can’t share the recipes here, but highly recommend you scoop up a copy right away and follow along with me as I plan to make all the recipes in the book and I’ll keep you posted on how it goes!

 

 

Beefy McBeefy, Quick and Delicious

The Absolute, Hands Down, Best Way to Cook a Steak…

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Sooooo, I’m a red meat lover, big time. I recall when I use to travel a lot for work, the one thing I wanted when I got off the plane was a big, juicy steak, well, and a glass of wine (or two). I’ve tried cooking steak every which way you can imagine – on the grill; on a myriad of pans on the stove or in the oven; broiling, blah, blah, blah, blah, and it never seemed to really get it just right. A few years ago we went for a blogger tour of Ruth Chris’ Steak House and THAT was a perfect steak. We kept searching for a similar method of how they cook their steaks until one night my husband came across this brilliant one from the oh-so-loved Sir Alton Brown. Yes, I Sir’ed him because if this man was British he would be knighted for his contributions to the food community.

What I love about this method, is that while it works beautifully on a big ol’ ribeye, it can work on just about any cut of steak. You get a nice crisp sear and a perfectly cooked interior. If you want a little more well done, just up to cooking times on each side and in the oven to get it to your desired degree of doneness. We actually have tossed out all other methods since this one nails it every time. Fair warning though, turn off your smoke detector for the duration of cooking because there will be some smoke from you oven with it being that high in temperature. Trust me, you won’t mind once you’ve taken one bite of your perfectly cooked steak. Wow, I really want a steak right now, who’s with me?

Chicken, David Favorite, Dose of Veggies, Quick and Delicious, Vegetarian

Sweet Potato and Cheese Gratin

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Sweet potato

So, we’ve had a tumultuous past few weeks with my husband and I both attacked by RSV/sinus infections but even way worse, our little one was admitted to the hospital for an infection. Hospitals are never fun, but watching your four-month old being set-up with an IV and poked and prodded made me an absolute basket case. Thankfully, we are all home and on the mend but oy lambs. I’m hoping for a lot of normal (whatever that means right?), for the next few months after this little sickness dance we’ve been doing.

With said sinus infection, I couldn’t taste or smell a thing. I kept telling David this should be the time that I just eat kale at every meal since I can’t tell the difference one way or another. Today, I finally got back some of my lost senses and actually could taste the dinner I made! Now, you might be taking this review with a grain of salt considering I haven’t tasted my food in four days and therefore cat food might actually taste good, but fear not y’all, I can tell you that this Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Gratin was all that and then some.

This was an absolutely satisfying vegetarian dish and perfect for all the sickness going around. Did you know a sweet potato has more Vitamin C than an orange? Perfect timing! There were two changes I made to this. First, I had some fresh thyme on hand and included it in the milk/cheese mixture and placed some on top after baking and second, I used panko bread crumbs since I forgot to pick some up the store and I was not packing up the baby and all that jazz for breadcrumbs when crunchy panko would do the trick. I served this with a simple hearts of romaine salad and my lemon shallot dressing. Yum!

I did make another recipe on Monday but since I couldn’t taste it I really can’t tell you much about it, however my husband raved on and one and said I should let you know from a flavor standpoint it rocked. From a assembly standpoint, it was easy breezy so, hey, give this Tarragon Chicken with Spring Greens recipe a try too!