Showing posts with label other. Show all posts
Showing posts with label other. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Italian Beef Sandwiches and other Super Bowl Type Food
I must admit that I dont watch very much football. I grew up in a 49er household, and thats pretty much the only football Ill watch, and even then I kind of daze in and out unless its a rather exciting game. I did watch last weeks game, and followed along until the bitter end.
when we lost.
That said, Im a sucker for parties, and for hearty comfort food. We arent hosting a super bowl party this year because 1) it snuck up on me, and 2) Im not even sure exactly who is playing. Those East Coast teams all look/sound the same to me.
(~~ ducking~~)
BUT! You should TOTALLY have a party. And make these sandwiches. Because they rock.
The Ingredients.
serves 8-10 for sandwiches, 6 if spooned over rice
3 to 4 pound beef rump roast
1 onion, sliced in rings
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon anise
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes (undrained)
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (Redbridge, by Anheuser Busch is gluten free)
8 hoagie rolls (I use gluten free bread)
8 slices of mozzarella cheese
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the meat into your cooker (frozen is okay). Top with sliced onion, and all the dried herbs and spices. It will seem like there are way too many herbs—try not to worry. Add the entire can of tomatoes and bottle of beer. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until meat shreds easily with two large forks. Shred the meat completely, and stir well.
Serve on toasted rolls with melted mozzarella cheese.
The french bread shown here is gluten free--its from the Against The Grain Gourmet, and comes frozen. I can only find it at one of our fancyish family-owned grocery stores, but there are distribution phone numbers on their website.
All I did was thaw the bread, slice it down the middle, then bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the bread felt toasty, and the cheese was melty, I took it out.
The Verdict.
Having a party? This is a fantastic pot-luck meal, or game day feast. The resulting meat is fall-apart tender and nicely seasoned. The cayenne provides a bit of a kick, but not enough to bother sensitive palates. If you’d like more heat, sliced pickled jalapeño peppers works great as an additional sandwich topping. I sent the leftover meat home with my friend Sharyl, and she reported back that her three kids LOVED their sandwiches the next day.
other rocking sandwiches and football-type fare:
peperoncini sandwiches
bbq beef and bean
bbq beef and bean
pulled pork
french dip
portobella mushroom
loose meat
buffalo chicken dip
buffalo wing soup
party little smokies (two recipes here)
Thursday, March 12, 2015
My Diet Friendly Freezer and Other Things Im Thinking About on Tuesday 1 6 15
Having diet-friendly options in the freezer can really help!
One of my goals for the new year is to be more consistent about sharing these Things I'm Thinking About on Tuesday posts, so I'm kicking off 2015 with something I should have shared long ago! Above is a shot of my diet-friendly freezer, which is so helpful when I need a few days or weeks of more carb-conscious eating. I always have heat-and-eat dinners in the freezer, and I love having labeled bins of leftovers that I've labeled for Phase One (lowest-carb) or Phase Two (carb-conscious but less strictly low-carb).
Of course if you're a food blogger it's probably easier to keep the freezer stocked up like this, but cooking on the weekends and freezing things is how I started out on South Beach (back in 2004!) and it still works well for me. (You can use the photo index page for Can Freeze if you'd like to know what recipes on this site will freeze well.)
Now here are a few more things I've been thinking about this week . . .
Click to continue reading
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Make a Healthier Hot Dog Raw Sauerkraut and Other Ideas
Low fat, vegan, non-GMO tofu hot dogs with zero cholesterol.
Uncured chicken hot dogs without nitrites.
High fiber, organic, sprouted hot dog buns.
Raw, unpasteurized, probiotic-rich sauerkraut.
Muir Glen organic ketchup without high fructose corn syrup.
Is "Healthy Hot Dog" an Oxymoron?
It doesn’t have to be. Just because you prefer healthy food or became a vegan or vegetarian, doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy eating a healthy version of one of America’s favorite foods. Don’t get me wrong, hot dogs can be very unhealthy. Often filled with “mystery meat”, they are generally full of nitrites, salt and fat and placed on a white bun with zero fiber and little or no nutritional content.
First, the Dog:
#1 Avoid hot dogs containing nitrites. Used as preservatives, sodium nitrite (or nitrate) can be converted into the carcinogenic chemicals called nitrosamines. These have been associated with various cancers. The healthier hot dogs will specifically say, “UNCURED, NO NITRITES”.
#2 Avoid red meat. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends limiting the consumption of red meat to 18 ounces per week. Today there is a wide selection of tasty hot dogs made from non-GMO tofu, chicken and turkey.
# 3 Watch the sodium content. The RDA for sodium is 2,400 mg per day and people at risk for high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes, should limit their consumption to 1,500 mg per day, according to the CDC.
#4 Select one low in fat, especially saturated fat. Just because a hot dog is made from chicken or turkey, don’t assume it’s low in fat. Some of them are just as high in fat as their beef and pork counterparts so it’s best to read the label. Try to select one with 2 or less grams of saturated fat. Some tofu hot dogs are extremely low in fat and contain zero cholesterol.
Then, the Bun:
#5 Choose whole grains over processed white bread. The fiber content is key. Although some tout “whole grain”, they are mostly made from white flour. Try to find one that has at least 2 to 3 grams of fiber per bun. Sprouted wheat is the best choice as it is made from “germinated” wheat.
#6 Avoid high fructose corn syrup. Although the amount of HFCS in a bun wouldn’t cause much harm, I personally do not support an industry that has contributed so greatly to the obesity epidemic in this country.
#7 Avoid trans fats. Most baking companies have removed trans fats from their products but you should check the ingredients for partially hydrogenated oils. Trans fats have been associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Finally, the topping:
#8 Try raw sauerkraut, rich in probiotics. I’m very happy to see “unpasteurized, raw sauerkraut” in the refrigerated section of Whole Foods and other health food stores. Get all the benefits of cabbage (a cruciferous vegetable that is known to protect us from various cancers), while obtaining healthful probiotics (beneficial bacterium found in our intestinal tracts). Look for brands with lower sodium content. You could even try making your own with a simple sauerkraut maker .
#9 Opt for mustard or organic ketchup over high fat, high cholesterol mayonnaise. Beware, some ketchups are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.
#10 Or top the hot dog with low fat, vegetarian bean chili. This heart healthy topping is known to help control blood sugar and lower cholesterol due to its high content of soluble fiber.
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