Stir-fried Grass-fed Beef and Broccoli

Happy Chinese New Year! Mr. Picky is very excited to celebrate the holiday at his school today and the girls are happy that I’ll be making a Chinese meal for dinner tonight. I’m fun that way! My whole family loves Chinese food, especially stir-fries which are surprisingly easy to make at home and so versatile. One of their favorite dishes is Beef and Broccoli which I serve with sesame spinach salad, mixed greens with miso-ginger dressing or steamed brown rice.

Typically I make beef more in the winter than in the summer since it is such a warming food, but we have really cut back on our beef consumption in general, mostly due to animal welfare and environmental reasons. When we do eat beef, it’s always grass-fed, which is just so much more nutritious than corn/grain-fed. I am fortunate to have many local farmer’s markets where I can buy excellent quality grass-fed meat. If you don’t have a good resource for grass-fed meat, check the Eat Wild website to locate a source close to you. Grass-fed beef can be a bit trickier to cook since it has a lower fat content than grain-fed beef and it can get dried out. But with this marinade and the quick-cooking of a stir-fry, it’s terrific!

I love loading up stir-fries with lots of fresh vegetables, especially from the cruciferous family. I try not to rant and rave about all the health benefits of plant foods since they are all basically good for you. But there are some vegetables that do deserve special mention here and more regular place in your diet. The cruciferous vegetables contain loads of nutrients, including some very powerful cancer-fighting compounds. Besides broccoli, other members of this group include cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, bok choy, kale and a few others.

Don’t let the list of ingredients in this recipe discourage you. This dish is really not complicated and there are many substitutions that can be made. If you’re vegetarian, you can use extra-firm tofu in place of the beef and substitute additional shoyu in place of the oyster sauce. Gluten-free folks can use GF tamari instead of shoyu.

Here are a couple of tips to making a good stir-fry:

  • Have all your ingredients prepped and ready since stir-frying goes very quickly.
  • Cut all your vegetables the same size so that they cook evenly.
  • Don’t double recipes for stir-fries and try to cook it all in one wok/skillet. It’s important for all the food to come into contact with the surface of the pan. If you need to double, cook the recipe in two batches or in two separate pans.
  • You don’t need a wok to stir-fry. A large skillet will be just fine.
  • If you want to vary the vegetables in your stir-fry, keep in mind whether they can be stir-fried raw or if they need to be blanched first. Examples of vegetables you can throw into the pan raw are cabbage, mushrooms, thinly sliced carrots, celery, bean sprouts and snow peas. Broccoli, cauliflower, shelled edamame and big chunks of carrots should all be blanched before adding to the wok.

Although it’s tempting to celebrate Chinese New Year by ordering take-out, it’s so much better for you and your family if you can cook at home. In fact, with this recipe, they might not even know the difference.

For a few more of our favorite Chinese dishes, check out recipes for Vegetable Fried Rice, Asian Noodle Salad and Sesame Spinach Salad (perhaps only Chinese-inspired.)

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Stir-fried Grass-fed Beef and Broccoli
Author: 
Serves: 4-6, depending on what else you're serving
 
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ pounds grass-fed top sirloin or flank steak, trimmed of excess fat and cut against the grain into ⅛-inch thick slices*
  • Marinade:
  • 1 Tablespoon arrowroot or non-GMO cornstarch
  • 3 Tablespoons shoyu or gluten-free tamari
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine such as Shao Hsing
  • 1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • Sauce:
  • 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce (or substitute extra shoyu, but oyster sauce makes it taste like it's from a restaurant)
  • 1 Tablespoon shoyu or gluten-free tamari
  • 1 Tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine such as Shao Hsing (I always use sherry)
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (optional-for sweetness)
  • 1 Tablespoon arrowroot or non-GMO cornstarch
  • 1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets, stems peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined peanut oil
  • 2 quarter-size pieces of fresh, peeled ginger
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients until arrowroot is dissolved. Transfer beef to marinade and stir to coat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
  2. Make the sauce: place all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until arrowroot is dissolved. Set aside.
  3. Bring an inch or two of salted water to a boil in the wok and add the broccoli. Cover and steam until crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and reserve.
  4. Heat the wok over medium-high heat. Drain the beef in a colander. Add peanut oil and tilt to coat sides of wok. Add ½ of beef to wok, spreading it in one layer on the surface of the wok and allow to cook undisturbed for 1 minute or until brown. Turn beef over and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer meat to a medium bowl. Cook remaining beef in the same manner, adding more oil if necessary. When the last batch of beef is almost finished cooking, add the ginger, scallion and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  5. Add the sauce and reserved meat back to the wok. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Toss in the broccoli and stir to coat with the sauce.
Notes
*Freezing the meat for about an hour can make this job easier.

 

Year of the Dragon

 

Chinese New Year is this Monday, January 23rd.  Although the latest passing food and health fads don’t hold my interest all that much,  traditional cultures that have been around for thousands of years fascinate me.  To better understand the symbolism behind Chinese New Year and this year’s animal, the dragon, I turned to my cousin, Marie Amato, a board certified (and very gifted) acupuncturist and student of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Sounds like it’s going to be a very interesting year!  In my next post, I’ll share one of my family’s favorite Chinese dishes that you can make at home — Stir-fried (Grass-fed) Beef with Broccoli.  Gong Hay Fat Choy!

Marie:

New Year’s resolution didn’t stick?  Oh, your resolution starts on the Chinese New Year?  Mine too.  It’s actually a great year in which to make some lasting changes in life. This year the Chinese New Year falls on January 23, ushering in the powerful year of the Dragon.

You may be wondering what exactly this means and how should we celebrate the arrival of a Dragon year?  Well, Chinese astrology is a complex system based on ancient Chinese cosmology and the Five Elements theory.  It truly is a science in itself, but let’s talk about what the Dragon year means so you have a little something to chat about at your Chinese New Year cocktail party…. or at the playground, whatever the more likely scenario.

The Dragon is the 5th animal of 12 in the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese animal symbols are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. This animal sequence recurs faithfully every 12 years.  Why 12 you ask?  Chinese shamanistic tradition uses an ancient concept of 12 energetic patterns of all natural cycles.  In ancient times, people lived closer to the cycles of nature (sunrise, go to work; sunset, time to rest) and through their observation of nature, the ancient Chinese understood that each natural cycle has 12 different stages with varying energies.  The animals chosen to represent each annual cycle illustrate the balance of yin and yang energy of that year.

This concept of “living closer to nature” is an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  Emphasis is placed on living in harmony with the season, eating dishes appropriate to the climate (no, no ice cream in the cold winter months) working and resting in accordance with the season and dressing appropriately to be protected from the weather.  As a TCM practitioner, I teach my patients how internal disharmonies can arise from failure to conform to the season.  Sure, eating salad is healthy but it’s so much more appropriate to eat soup in the winter time when our bodies have less of that warm, activating, yang qi to digest a cold, raw meal.  Many find that energy levels dip after eating foods that simply cannot be digested as easily in the winter as in the hot summer months.  These minor changes in diet and lifestyle can make a big difference in overall wellbeing.

In accordance to living closer to nature, it’s important to be mindful of not just the season but we must also pay attention to the energy of the year.  The year of the Dragon is a bombastic and festive year.  The dragon is the only mystical and legendary animal of the Chinese zodiac.  It is the ultimate symbol of success and happiness.  The Dragon stands for transformation, connection, communication, and freedom.  In fact, it symbolizes a year of transformation.  This transformation is very representative of yang qi, or life energy, growing stronger than the previous year.  It is a time and place of power and great strength.

When powerful qi, or energy, is circulating in the body, it is possible to feel a great transformation happening within.  Energetically, this is the time to change! It is a good time to cultivate your inner qi by doing exercises like qi gong, tai chi, or meditation.  At this time, you should give yourself nourishment to get ready for the next stage in life.  Nourishment certainly in the form of eating healthy, non-processed, seasonal food but nourishment also in the form of managing stress and resolving personal conflict.  The energetic situation of this year is at your advantage to alter old patterns, so get serious about eating well, getting regular exercise, proper rest and taking better care of yourself.

It is truly a great time to take control of your health.  See your acupuncturist for a treatment to help restore any imbalances or address nagging health problems.  Transform!  I want to encourage you to live closer to nature and utilize the energy of this powerful Dragon year to take charge of your wellbeing and have a healthy and happy New Year!

Marie Amato is a licensed acupuncturist and National Board Certified Chinese herbalist.  She is the founder of Westchester Acupuncture in New York with office locations in Hartsdale and Manhattan.  Marie is a general practitioner with special focus on women’s health, fertility, pregnancy and pediatrics.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe

We eat a lot of oatmeal in this house for so many reasons. It is nutritious, filling, inexpensive and incredibly easy to make.  Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber (the kind that helps reduce the absorption of cholesterol by the bloodstream), as well as rich in antioxidants and lignans, which protect against cancer and help stabilize blood sugar levels.    An oatmeal breakfast also allows me to employ the topping bar, which means everyone makes his or her own breakfast.  It’s a win-win.  During the school year, I usually cook a pot of oatmeal twice a week.  I prefer steel cut oats, also called Irish oats, because of their hearty, chewy texture.  They’re also only one step away from a whole oat groat since the grain has been merely sliced.  Old fashioned rolled oats have been steamed and rolled flat and are considered slightly less beneficial than steel cut.

When my sister told me recently that she brings instant oatmeal packets (loaded with sugar and who knows what else) with her kids to their day care for breakfast, I almost choked on my kale chips.  But I know my sister has a rough time of it getting two toddlers ready very early in the morning and out the door before 7:00 am.  Since steel cut oats can take up to 30 minutes to cook, it’s quite understandable why they don’t get made in her house on a weekday.  But since I can’t imagine life without steel cut oats (or maybe I can’t imagine life with instant oats), I sent her a crockpot as a very late new baby gift (I knew the right gift idea would come to me one day!) so that she could make the kids oatmeal overnight and have it ready when they woke up.  I was so pleased that I saved my sister from instant oatmeal, until she told me she loves her crockpot so much because she uses it for making dinner while she’s at work.

No problem!  I’m all about oatmeal solutions.  Turn to Plan B which is overnight steel cut oats, the answer for anyone who has absolutely no time in the morning.  You just boil water, add steel cut oats and a pinch of salt, cook for a minute and remove from the heat.  Keep it covered until the morning.  Then all you have to do is reheat, which takes about a minute.  You can also use this method in the morning if you wake up early and you want to go workout before everyone gets up and you don’t want to leave the stove on while you’re gone.  Just reheat when you get back.  It’s genius, really!

You know I have very little time to mess around in the morning with the two girls needing to be out the door at 6:40 am with breakfast AND lunches packed.  I can’t imagine what I would do if my kids didn’t like oatmeal.  But they sure wanted to find out!  Daughter #1 informed me a few months ago that she really doesn’t like oatmeal.  “Oh yes you do.”  “No, I don’t.”  “Haha! LOL!  JK!  Right?”  “Mom, you’re so weird.  I think oatmeal is boring.”  Well, stop right there, Missy.  I believe that when you have a problem with children, it’s best to nip it in the bud quickly before it turns into something major.  So, I took this recent turn against oatmeal VERY seriously.

Normally, I cook oatmeal in water, and stir in a little almond milk at the end for a creamy finish.  I set out a topping bar of cinnamon, dried fruit, jars of walnuts and pecans, homemade granola and whatever complementary fresh fruit I have on hand, such as bananas and berries.  Since this was no longer enough, I needed a new plan to bring her back.  Here are a few of the new versions that my daughter has approved of which really aren’t much trouble, but just make oatmeal seem special again.

  • Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (see photo)– upon reheating, stir in pumpkin puree (about 1/3 cup per person) + pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon and nutmeg, pinch of ginger and cloves), top with maple sugar, pecans and dried cranberries.
  • Chocolate Oatmeal (see photo)– prepare oats with water and finish with chocolate hemp milk, top with fresh berries and mini chocolate chips (and sometimes walnuts).
  • Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Banana — finish with chocolate hemp milk, add a spoonful of peanut butter and diced banana.
  • Oatmeal with Sauteed Apples or Pears (see photo below) — saute chopped, peeled apples or pears with a touch of coconut oil or unsalted butter, then cook with apple juice or water and a dash of cinnamon until tender.  Sometimes we add to oatmeal with walnuts or pecans.
  • Pamela’s Special — oatmeal finished with almond milk and topped with chopped almonds or walnuts, raw cacao nibs, goji berries or chopped dates, flaked unsweetened coconut.
  • The Hubby — hold the milk, but add fresh blueberries (when in season) or sliced bananas and homemade granola.
  • Mr. Picky’s favorite — oatmeal finished with raw milk and topped with 1/2 diced peach, 1/2 diced plum, a dash of cinnamon and a sprinkle of maple sugar.

Some of you mentioned to me that you like to stir in a little almond butter and that you freeze your oatmeal in individual portions.  I’m going to try that immediately.  Please share more of your oatmeal combos!

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Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal
Author: 
Serves: 4*
 
Ingredients
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • optional: additional drizzle of milk such as almond milk or raw milk
Instructions
  1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add oats and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand overnight.
  2. The next morning, reheat over medium heat, stirring in some milk (I usually use about ¼ -1/3 cup) if desired for extra creaminess.
Notes
*To make 6 servings, increase water to 6 cups and oats to 1 ½ cups.

Building a better breakfast

You probably know that people who eat breakfast generally weigh less and have a lower Body Mass Index than people who don’t eat breakfast.  Maybe you’ve learned from personal experience that when you skip breakfast, you have low blood sugar later in the morning and can be more easily tempted by junk food.  Or that you are ravenous by lunchtime and tend to overeat.  And it likely makes sense to you that children who skip breakfast more often have behavioral and learning problems at school.  There are even more reasons I can offer to reinforce the importance of eating breakfast, but I would probably be preaching to the choir.  So instead, let’s focus on how to build a better breakfast.

Personally, I get excited to wake up in the morning and eat something delicious.  But not only should my breakfast taste good, I want it to help me focus and feel energized until lunchtime. Ideally, my breakfast won’t trigger sugar cravings and more importantly it will keep my blood sugar stable throughout the morning.  This is even more important when I consider what to put in my kids’ breakfasts.  Here’s how:

  • Protein — everyone needs a certain amount of protein over the course of a day, but it’s essential that breakfast (as well as lunch) contains some form of protein.  Protein stimulates the brain to help us feel alert.  It is also takes a long time to digest, makes us feel full, and helps keep blood sugar levels stable, which is especially key for kids in school.  Protein does not just come in the form of animal protein.  Other high quality sources are organic, free-range eggs, nuts ( we love almonds, walnuts and pecans), seeds (e.g. hemp, sunflower, pumpkin), dairy (if you can tolerate it ; try sheep and goat yogurts or raw unpasteurized cow dairy), legumes and quinoa.
  • Complex (High Fiber) Carbohydrates — Not all carbs are created equal.  Complex carbs partnered with fiber and/or protein release energy into the bloodstream at a slow, steady rate and make us feel more satisfied throughout the morning.  Look for WHOLE grains such as steel cut oats, millet, quinoa, brown rice, farro and barley.  I am not a big fan of processed grains, such as cold, boxed breakfast cereals, instant oats or foods made with refined flours which your body turns into sugar really fast.
  • High Quality Fats — the brain is 60% fat and needs high quality fats to perform better.  Fats also help you feeling satisfied and full for longer.  Avocado, nuts and seeds, organic butter from grass-fed cows, whole eggs and whole dairy are all good sources.
  • Savory vs. Sweet — if you suffer from sugar cravings, starting your day with a savory meal can really help stave off the desire for sweets.  I find that if I start the day with pancakes and syrup or a fruit smoothie, I keep looking for sweet foods all day long.  The opposite is true when I start the day with something savory like eggs or soup.

I definitely think outside the box when it comes to breakfast.  We’re so accustomed to thinking we can only eat “breakfast” foods in the morning, but who says you can’t give your child a turkey sandwich on wheat or a chicken leg from last night’s dinner?  They sure beat sugared breakfast cereals!  The key here is balance and listening to your body’s cues to what feels right for you.  I love starting the day with a cup of warm water with a squeeze of lemon juice.  Some people find their digestion is better off eating fruit on an empty stomach and then waiting an hour to eat something more substantial.  I prefer to have some fruit in the late afternoon, but my kids eat fresh fruit at the same time as their breakfast.  Here are a few of our favorite breakfasts:

Eggs — scrambled, hard-boiled, frittatas with leftover vegetables, Joe’s special (eggs scrambled with grass-fed ground beef, spinach and onions)  with or without a side of whole grain toast.

Yogurt Parfait — whole yogurt layered with granola and fruit or a mix of nuts, fruit and coconut

Whole Grain Pancakes served with or without a side of nitrate-free turkey bacon or chopped nuts

Quinoa Porridge — made with raw milk or almond milk, fresh fruit

Steel Cut Oatmeal — check back on Friday for a recipe for overnight oatmeal and a few of our favorite topping ideas; finished with raw milk, almond milk or hemp milk

Whole Grain French Toast made with eggs

Bircher Muesli

Yogurt or Kefir Smoothies

Whole Grain or Sprouted Toast with Almond Butter and Sliced Bananas

Soup (my favorite breakfast) — provided there is some protein, such as beans or lentils

Roasted Sweet Potato with Whole Yogurt

Toasted Millet Bread with Sliced Smoked Wild Salmon and Avocado

Leftovers from Dinner –  also a favorite — anything from fried rice to risotto to tacos

Do you have trouble getting the kids to eat breakfast in the morning?  What are some of your favorite breakfast foods??

Creamy miso-ginger dressing

When I was at Whole Foods the other day, at I was amazed by the dozens of people cradling ingredients for the big Cleanse.  I can’t imagine choosing to drink lemon juice and maple syrup mixed with cayenne pepper even once, let alone for several days straight in order to detoxify my body.  Sorry peeps, no cleanse recipes here!  I hate to disappoint you if you were expecting instructions on how to starve yourself cranky, but why not just eat clean, real food?  I know, it’s not a fad and we are obsessed with fads, especially diet-related.  If a cleanse is the only way for some people to break some bad habits, then ok.  But I haven’t seen any research-based evidence that our bodies need such a crazy drink to get rid of toxins.  In fact, I actually think it’s pretty cool how efficient our bodies can be at eliminating toxins, provided we don’t overload our systems non-stop.  Just a thought.

I personally have never done a “cleanse.”  I really don’t do well when I’m told there are entire food groups that are off limits.  So I indulge a little more than normal during the holidays, but then I make a commitment to start eating normally again.  I especially like to pay particular attention to vegetables which never seem to be controversial in any diet, new or old.  I think it’s pretty unanimous advice that we should be consuming loads of vegetables.  In the winter I eat fewer raw vegetables since they tend to be more cooling to the body, but I do love my salads.  So to “warm” them up a bit, I like to make this delicious cream-less dressing which is based on fresh gingerroot and miso.  Ginger is perfect for winter since it’s warming to the body, and did you know it’s incredibly anti-inflammatory?  Fresh ginger has a real hot and spicy kick to it, so a little goes a long way.  I found that out the hard way when I juiced a big piece of ginger once with some kale and celery and I thought my eyes would pop out of my head.  Peel it like I did here with a vegetable peeler and then get into the hard-to-reach spots by scraping the peel with a small spoon.

Although most of you are likely familiar with ginger, I don’t meet a lot of people who know what miso is or how to use it.  It’s your lucky day!!  Miso is a fermented soybean paste made by combining cooked soybeans, mold (called koji), salt and various grains.  Then it’s fermented for 6 months to several years.  There are dozens of varieties of miso, as well as different colors from pale beige.  As you would imagine, each type has its own distinctive flavor ranging from meaty and savory to sweet and delicate.  In general, the darker and deeper the color, the longer the miso has been fermented and the richer the flavor.  The first time I tasted miso straight out of the tub, it reminded me of parmesan cheese, which is how I came to use miso to make a vegan/dairy-free pesto.

I usually buy the white miso to make soup and use in sauces and dressings, like this one.  It seems to be the most versatile, although a word of caution — not all miso pastes are gluten-free.  Miso is a live food with many microorganisms that are beneficial to your digestion.  That said, you must only buy unpasteurized, refrigerated miso and you must avoid boiling it otherwise you will kill the good bacteria.  Since most soy in this country is genetically modified, also look for miso labeled “organic” or at least “non-GMO.”  I prefer to buy miso sold in glass jars, like South River Miso, but I can’t always find it, so Miso Master packaged in this plastic tub is the next best thing.  My family has eaten at enough Japanese restaurants and Benihanas to know what miso soup and miso salad dressings are, so that’s how I introduced miso at home.  It’s always easier for me to present a “health food” to the kids if it looks reasonably familiar, and most importantly, if it’s delicious.  Because for this girl, deprivation ain’t no way to welcome a brand new year.

5.0 from 3 reviews
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Mixed Greens with Creamy Miso-Ginger Dressing
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • Vinaigrette:
  • 2 Tablespoons unpasteurized organic white miso
  • 2 Tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons raw honey
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped, peeled fresh ginger (use less for a more subtle ginger flavor)
  • 1 small clove garlic, peeled
  • ¼ cup unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces mixed baby greens
  • Optional vegetables: thinly sliced radishes, julienned carrots or sweet bell peppers, sliced avocado, thinly sliced unpeeled Japanese cucumber
Instructions
  1. Puree all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender until smooth. Taste for salt.
  2. Place greens and any vegetables you are using in a serving bowl. Add enough vinaigrette to coat lightly and gently toss.
Notes
You can also use this dressing on top of poached or roasted fish, lightly cooked broccoli or greens with brown rice, and quinoa salads.

Fresh ginger freezes really well. Peel it first, then tightly wrap it before storing it in the freezer. Allow it sit on your countertop a few minutes before cutting it. It is not a good idea to use a ceramic knife to cut frozen ginger (ask me how I know this.)

Potato and bean soup (patate e fagioli)

Who invented the idea of “Meatless Monday?”  The U.S. Food Administration did during World War I and urged families to conserve key staples to aid the war effort, but the idea was revived in 2003 by an ad exec-turned health advocate for dietary and environmental reasons.   Ironically, the Food Administration also tried to promote “Wheatless Wednesday” during WWI, which I would love to see make a comeback.  But I have a feeling you won’t see the US government advocating abstaining from any big political donors major food industries anymore.  However if you ask my sisters and me who invented “Meatless Monday,” we would tell you with conviction that it was our mother.   Vegetarian dinners on Mondays were a part of my life growing up.  I loved them since I was a vegetarian from about the age of 10 to 18.  But believe me, my mother was not trying to cater to me at all.  Her thought was that we tended to indulge over the weekend with heavy meals, usually centered on lots of pasta, meat and cheese and that we needed a break.  My sisters, who were most definitely NOT vegetarians called it “Low Budget Night,” since Monday’s dinners tended to be less expensive and less fancy.

Beans or lentils were almost always the star of the show on Mondays and they usually found their way into a soup.  This potato and white bean soup is just a take on a traditional pasta and bean soup or “pasta e fagioli,” as you might see it on a menu.  I love that potatoes, a whole food, take the place of pasta, which is a (processed) food I eat very occasionally.  The recipe requires so few ingredients, many of which you probably have in your pantry.  And if you make your beans from scratch, this soup will cost you practically nothing.  The potatoes and beans both add a rich creaminess to the soup, as well as work together to form a complete protein.  Even though beans are typically bland, this soup has a nice, almost smoky flavor and feels very satisfying despite the lack of fat.  A typical Monday dinner would be a nice big bowl of this soup with a side of sauteed greens or a salad and some crusty bread.  Sometimes my parents would also add a wedge of good cheese (that my father smuggled in his suitcase from Italy) to the table and that was that.

My husband grew up with neither Meatless Mondays nor Meatless Any Days, so getting him to buy into a dinner of potato and bean soup took some time.  Now he loves it and especially how it makes him feel afterwards (“not gross”).   Lest anyone feel cheated, I happily serve both a salad and some roasted vegetables on the side.  All my kids, Mr. Picky included, love this soup.  It’s white!  What kids don’t like white food?  Of course,  I can’t help but stir in some escarole in at the end.  You know me and my greens.  They’re going to save your life, so I’ll find anyway to include them that I can.  If your local market doesn’t carry escarole, feel free to add some spinach, arugula or chard.  I always plan to have extra soup for thermoses in the next day’s lunch boxes, which works out perfectly for “Trash-free Tuesday” at our school!

Have you made any new year’s resolutions?  I’ve been contemplating a few, but what tends to work better for me are measurable resolutions, such as “cook dinner five nights a week” or “do yoga every Sunday.”  I’ve never had luck with “eat better” or “exercise more.”  Most people tend to come up with resolutions about diet and health, but they’re usually about short term weight loss or feeling better after 6 weeks of holiday overindulgence.  I think “Meatless Mondays” is an easy one to try and it doesn’t mean you’re becoming a vegetarian or a vegan, not that there’s anything wrong with that.  It just means a commitment to eating more plant-based foods and acknowledging the heavy environmental footprint of raising animals in this country.  Just a thought.

Talk to me here — am I the only one who grew up with Meatless Mondays?  Does your family currently partake?  I need some inspiration for my new year’s resolutions — feed me!  Or just make this soup.  Here’s to a happy and healthy 2012!

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Potato and Bean Soup (Patate e Fagioli)
Author: 
Serves: 8
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini, about 2 ½ cups*
  • 1 2-3 inch piece of kombu (optional)
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 8 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (or other boiling potato), cubed
  • 1 6-inch sprig of fresh rosemary (optional, I like it just as much without)
  • 3-4 teaspoons sea salt (depending on saltiness of the stock)
  • 1 head escarole, leaves coarsely chopped
  • Grated Pecorino-Romano or Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired
Instructions
  1. Wash beans well and pick over for stones and debris. Soak beans with kombu in plenty of fresh cold water overnight or at least 6 hours. This can be done in a covered container or in a pot (I use the same pot for soaking as for cooking the soup) on a countertop. Refrigerate if your kitchen is warm.
  2. Just before you begin cooking, drain the beans into a colander. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot, and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
  3. Add the beans and stock to the pot and raise the heat to high. You can add the kombu to the pot, if you like for additional alkalinity. Bring soup to a boil, cover, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour.
  4. Add the potato, sea salt and (optional) rosemary. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Test the beans for tenderness. If they’re not done, continue to simmer until they’re tender. Once beans are tender, you can puree the soup to your desired consistency or leave chunky. Remove the kombu and sprig of rosemary before pureeing.
  5. Stir in the escarole and cook until wilted. Serve with grated cheese, if desired.
Notes
If you want to use canned beans, you will need 4 15-ounce cans, or about 6 cups. I like Eden Organic. Follow the directions below:

Saute onions and garlic.
Add potatoes, stock, salt and (optional) rosemary. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender.
Add beans to pot and cook until heated through. Puree to desired consistency (or don’t). Stir in escarole.

 

Roasted cinnamon pears with dark chocolate sauce

Cinnamon Roasted Pears with Dark Chocolate Sauce | Pamela Salzman

Cinnamon Roasted Pears with Dark Chocolate Sauce | Pamela Salzman

If you’re like most people, you’re probably thinking you’ve got one last hurrah before the parties come to an end and the decorations go back in storage.  A final splurge before you return to your normal routine.  One last dance with the devil before resuming your life of miso and greens.  If you’ve been messing around with too much sugar this holiday season, there’s no point beating yourself up over it.  Hopefully it was worth it, but hopefully it doesn’t send you down that slippery slope of daily dessert.  I’ve got one last treat for you, but nothing you need to feel guilty about.  In fact, these roasted pears just might rock your new year’s eve.

Why don’t pears get more attention?  There are so many delicious varieties and the fragrance of a perfectly ripe pear is completely intoxicating.  Plus, I think they are sooooo beautiful.  I love pear crisps, pear upside-down cake or just simply sauteed pears on top of waffles or pancakes.  But the pear dessert I make most often is simply roasted with a rich dark chocolate sauce or plain vanilla ice cream.  I’ve tried poached pears before, but the flavor is not quite as intense as roasted.  The best part is that these are easy enough to whip together as a last minute sophisticated dessert for a dinner party or just a cozy night at home in front of the fire playing Bananagrams

I love when the sweet end to a meal isn’t loaded with sugar and refined ingredients.  I especially feel that way about fruit desserts, which should taste like fruit and not just sweet.  These roasted pears are certainly fabulous enough to serve without the dark chocolate sauce, but good gracious, the sauce is just heaven.  It’s good to have a perfect chocolate sauce recipe in your back pocket since it can dress up everything from plain berries to ice cream to a simple cake.  Mr. Picky suggested he might even try Swiss chard if he could put this chocolate sauce on it.  I just might let him.  If dark chocolate isn’t sweet enough for your lovelies, you can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate instead.  But just keep in mind, the darker the chocolate the higher the percentage of cacao and the lower the sugar.

Cinnamon Roasted Pears with Dark Chocolate Sauce | Pamela Salzman

 

What will be your grand finale for 2011?  Whatever is it is, I hope it’s delicious.  Wishing you a happy and healthy 2012!

Cinnamon Roasted Pears with Dark Chocolate Sauce | Pamela Salzman

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Roasted Cinnamon Pears with Dark Chocolate Sauce
Author: 
Serves: serves 6 (in the photos, I doubled the ingredients)
 
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup pure Grade A maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened apple juice
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 firm, but ripe pears, such as Bosc or Bartlett
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • 2 Tablespoons natural cane sugar or maple sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • sliced almonds or chopped pecans for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut the pears in half through the stem, if possible. I take a knife and start an inch above the stem and slice through the stem, so both halves get a piece of stem – looks pretty! Then take the knife and slice the pear all the way in half, following the original cut. Remove the core with a round metal measuring spoon. Arrange the pears cut side up in an 8 or 9-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, whisk together maple syrup, apple juice, butter and cinnamon until butter is melted.
  4. Pour the sauce over the pears. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the pears are tender. Baste occasionally with the pan juices.
  5. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm together cream, milk, sugar and butter. Stir to dissolve sugar. Turn heat off and add chocolate and vanilla. Stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is smooth.
  6. Serve 1 pear half per person. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and garnish with sliced almonds or chopped pecans, if desired. Any remaining pear basting liquid is delicious over French toast or pancakes.

Farro and kale with roasted pears and turkey bacon

 

I hope your Christmas was merry.  We have been sharing a lovely week with my family in New York.   My mother really outdid herself and gave me Christmas day off, which was a gift unto itself.  If you read my post last week, you may remember the multitude of Christmas Eve traditions that continue to thrive in my family.   I was obsessing about our tradition where everyone brings a a fish dish to dinner except those who are pregnant, who can bring an (easy-to-make) salad instead.  So I did some detective work the week before the holiday and I was assured by all the newlyweds and those with more than 2 children that there would be no salad-making this year.   Hmmph.  All fish and pasta makes a very unbalanced meal according to yours truly, so I took it upon myself to start a new tradition whereby allowing a very NOT pregnant me to bring a salad.  Although making Brussels Sprout Salad by myself for 80 people was not taking the easy way out.  I was counting on my sisters and daughters to help, but they disappeared on me to go start a 1,000 piece puzzle.  Regardless, the sprouts were a huge hit, even with those who claim to hate Brussels sprouts (really?) and I was happy to provide something green and fresh for the meal.

But low and behold, just as everyone was comfortably wedged into his or her seat and practically finished eating, my cousin Marie pulled off a good one.  In a move of pure drama, she waltzed into the dining room untraditionally late with a giant wooden bowl and, you guessed it, asked “salad anyone?”  Well, let me tell you there’s nothing more a big Italian family likes than the thought of becoming bigger.  The squeals and cheers were deafening, especially to my husband seated 2 inches from me.  The applause lasted for a solid ten minutes.  More wine was poured and toasts were offered.  Still my favorite night of the year.

But at this point, I have had my fill of pasta and bread, cookies and wine.  I want my regular food back.  I want my whole grains and my BFF kale.  I want to make one of my favorite dishes, Farro and Kale with Roasted Pears and Turkey Bacon.  Vegetarians, don’t leave me here.  Just drop the bacon and we’ll stay friends.  This is too good to miss.  I love to pair this with a hearty salad of mixed greens, shaved fennel, and walnuts.  Ahhhhh…..almost meatless Monday.  Happy day.

I want you to make this and when you do, just make a little salad or a simple side of roasted vegetables.  If you need to, you can sub barley for the farro, and your favorite green for the kale, although isn’t kale your favorite?  Speaking of favorites, I can’t believe I have yet to post a recipe with my favorite fall fruit, pears.  Why is it that apples get all the attention at this time of year?  I think pears are so underappreciated, so versatile and so delicious.  I’m rooting for pears!  I’ll even post a simple, but luscious pear dessert on Friday, just in time for your New Year’s Eve party.  Goodness.  So much to celebrate.

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Farro and Kale with Roasted Pears and Turkey Bacon
Author: 
Serves: 8-10
 
Ingredients
  • 3 firm but ripe pears (about 1 ½ pounds), cored and cut into ¾-inch cubes (I used Bartlett)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ pound turkey bacon
  • 2 cups uncooked farro
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • ⅔ cup dry white wine (or chicken stock)
  • ¾ pound Tuscan kale (or kale of your choice), stems removed and roughly chopped, about 8 cups
  • 3-4 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, gently toss the pears with 1 Tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon thyme. Spread the pears out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon sea salt and several grinds of black pepper. Roast, turning occasionally until golden brown and fragrant, about 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
  2. On a large parchment-lined baking sheet, arrange the turkey bacon slices. Bake at 425 degrees until top is crisp. Turn once and cook the other side until crisp, about 15 minutes total. Remove from oven and allow to sit until cool enough to handle. Then chop coarsely.
  3. Rinse the farro and place in a large pot with a pinch of sea salt and enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring water to a boil and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well!
  4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, a sprinkling of sea salt and black pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the wine. Return the pan to medium heat. Cook until most of the wine is absorbed, about 2 minutes, stirring often and removing any bits of flavor on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the kale and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the kale is just tender and still vibrant green, about 7 minutes. Stir halfway.
  5. In a large serving bowl, combine farro with lemon juice and butter. Stir in the kale and turkey bacon. Gently fold in the pears. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.