Category Archives: Recipes

The Magic of Mojo Beef Kabobs (Recipe with Video)

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Oh, the magic of these Mojo Beef Kabobs is quite impressive. Not only are they quick to make, they are low in calories, low in fat and packed with protein and loads of citrusy-garlicky flavor. Plus, the kids just love to eat these; there’s nothing quite like eating meat off a stick which can later be waved around like a sword. This is one of the many fabulous recipes from the Healthy Beef Cookbook and one that I’m going to be taking on the road for “Art of Grilling” demonstrations for the Texas Beef Council. I want to show healthy people like YOU that preparing great flavor profiles with lean beef is simple and simply divine. Seriously, this recipe takes no more than 30 minutes to cook start to finish and will earn you rave reviews from the carnivorous crowd that will start to gather once you throw these babies on the grill. Plus, with 27 grams of protein and veggies, it makes the perfect meal after an afternoon workout – enjoy!

Mojo Beef Kabobs Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1-inch thick
  • 1 tsp. coarse grind black pepper
  • 1 large lime, cut into 8 wedges
  • 1 small red onion, cut into 8 thin wedges
  • 1 container grape or cherry tomatoes (about 10 oz.)

Mojo Sauce

  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 3/4 tsp. salt

Whisk Mojo Sauce ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

Cut beef steak into 1-1/4 inch pieces; season with pepper.

Alternately thread beef with lime and onion wedges evenly onto four 12-inch skewers. You can thread tomatoes with beef skewers or make separate tomato skewers depending on how well-done you like the tomatoes (they cook fast).

Place kabobs on grill over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill tomato kabobs, uncovered, about 2-4 minutes or until slightly softened, turning occasionally. Grill beef kabobs, uncovered, about 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally.  Or, cook on inside grill pan over medium-high heat for about the same length of time.

Remove from heat source at let rest for 5 minutes. Serve kabobs drizzled with sauce.

Serves 6.

Tips & Suggestions

  • Mojo sauce is great as a sauce with other cuts of beef including flank steak and flat iron steak, or can even be used as a marinade.
  • Serve kabobs over couscous, rice or your favorite grain.
  • Remember to start with a hot grill (or grill pan) and cold meat.
  • If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for 10 minutes to prevent burning.
  • In a pinch, store-bought orange juice and lime juice may be substituted.

Nutrition info per serving: 285 calories; 15 g fat (3 g sat. fat; 10 g monounsaturated fat); 50 mg cholesterol; 500 mg sodium; 10 g carbohydrate; 1.8 g fiber; 27 g protein; 8.2 mg niacin; 0.6 mg vitamin B6; 1.4 mcg vitamin B12; 2.6 mg iron, 31.9 mcg selenium; 5.1 mg zinc.

Sweet, Sophisticated Yet Oh-So Sensible: Poached Pears with Pomegranate-Mascarpone Sauce Recipe

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The New Year brings new resolutions about food for most of us.  For me, it usually means trying to find healthier desserts to satisfy my sweet tooth.  Inspired by poached pears served at a dinner party I attended New Year’s Eve, I came up with this Poached Pears with Pomegranate-Mascarpone Sauce version to share with you for a healthy 2013.  A delicious and decidedly more nutritious alternative to my Bluebell ice cream habit, these poached pears are so simple to make and have very few calories, not much fat, and lots of dietary fiber. You could top them with vanilla ice cream, but they are yummy enough to stand alone on sweetness.

Instead of Bartlett pears, you can use other varieties known to hold up through the cooking process such as Bosc or Anjou.  Remember to choose pears that aren’t super ripe, you want them to be fairly firm so that they don’t fall apart in the pan. While some people peel the pears for aesthetics, I prefer to keep it on in order to retain the naturally high levels of chlorogenic acid found in the skin (a phytonutrient that can help control blood glucose levels). By the way, in the rare chance you have leftovers; they are great the next day sliced up in a salad.

Poached Pears with Pomegranate-Mascarpone Sauce Recipe

  • 3 semi-firm Bartlett pears
  • 2 cups all-natural pomegranate juice (not pomegranate cocktail)
  • 1 teaspoon Stevia
  • Pinch ground clove
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ cup mascarpone cheese
  • Garnish: fresh mint leaves

Slice pears in half lengthwise. In medium pot, bring juice to a light simmer. Stir in Stevia and spices.

Gently lower each pear into juice, flat-side down.  Reduce heat to med-low and let pears cook for approximately 10 to15 minutes, or until softened. Turn several times during the process for even cooking.

Remove pot from stovetop and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove pears from juice. Leave 1 cup of juice in the pot, add mascarpone cheese. Return to stove and warm over low heat, stirring until well-combined.  Pour sauce over pears and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. Before serving, garnish with fresh mint.

Serves 6.

 

Lightened Yet Still Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

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There’s nothing more soul-satisfying on a cold winter night than a nourishing bowl of soup for supper. And for those who know me even just a little bit, will confirm that I’m that always-freezing chick who is bundled up in long johns and ready to slurp soup anytime the thermometer plunges below 70 F degrees.  Soup is a beautiful thing. Not only is soup easy to whip up and low-mess (it’s a one-pot meal), the leftovers are often better the next day. For dinner tonight I made Lightened Yet Still Loaded Baked Potato Soup, a recipe I tweaked and adapted from a 10-year old recipe in Cooking Light magazine (9/2007).

Don’t worry about sabotaging your diet with this make-over recipe; it’s relatively low in calories and fat compared to the naughty restaurant equivalents. For example, 12-ounces of Baked Potato Soup at Outback Steakhouse has an impressive 514 calories and 53 grams of fat (24 saturated) compared to this lightened version that has just 346 calories and less 11.7 grams of fat (7.3 saturated). Calorie-counters could always skip the bacon, but that wouldn’t be any fun.

By the way, if you’re already drooling over the tantalizing photo, you can thank my dear mom and dad for helping get your appetite worked up – they gifted me with a brand new camera for my food photography! Kisses!

 

Lightened Yet Still Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

  • 2 ½ lbs Russet potatoes
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup (8-ounces) light sour cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Wash potatoes and pat dry. Pierce potatoes with a fork and microwave together for 15 – 20 minutes (turning every 5 minutes) until tender. Cool to handle under cold water.  Peel potatoes; coarsely mash in large bowl.

Place flour in a large Dutch oven or stock pot; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, approximately 8 – 10 minutes. Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated taking care not to let soup  boil. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoon onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon.

 

 

 

 

Season’s Meatings! Sirloin Roast with Spicy-Sweet Pomegranate Reduction Recipe

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beef sirloin roast with pomegranate sauce tenderloin

Lean beef trimmed with a festive fat-free sauce, my Sirloin Roast with Spicy-Sweet Pomegranate Reduction Recipe officially ushers in the family’s extra-long holiday weekend of feasting!  Tonight I whipped up a delicious dinner thanks to the Chateau Loin sent as a most tasteful Christmas gift by the Texas Beef Council.  The Chateau Loin is an exclusive center-cut Sirloin roast not sold at retail, but only to some of the finest restaurants in the world (lucky me). As an alternative, I suggest a Top Sirloin Roast or even a melt-in-your-mouth Tenderloin. More good news; a center-cut sirloin roast is packed with zinc, iron and b vitamins while also boasting less than 6 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving (which falls right in the middle of fat content for a boneless chicken breast (3 grams) and skinless chicken thigh (9.2 grams).

The spicy-sweet pomegranate reduction sublimely sets off the inherent richness of the beef  (did I really just say that?). However, a light drizzling of the sauce is all you’ll need.  Start the sauce while the beef is roasting, it takes about 30 minutes to reduce – perfect timing! Really, this fancy-schmancy dinner couldn’t be easier, but don’t tell my guests who dropped in today for a surprise visit.

 

Sirloin Roast with Spicy-Sweet Pomegranate Reduction Recipe

For Roast:

  • 1 2lb beef sirloin roast, preferably center cut
  • 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Cavender’s Greek Seasoning

For Sauce:

  • 1 cup Pomegranate Juice
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons dried chopped onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Heat oven to 350 F degrees.  Season outside of roast with black pepper and Greek seasoning.  Place meat in roasting pan with wire rack in bottom and cook for approximately 30 minutes in the oven. For medium doneness, remove when a meat thermometer reaches 135 F degrees in the thickest part of the roast.  Remove roast from oven and let rest 5 – 10 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine all of the ingredients, whisking to incorporate honey.  Bring the mixture to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer until it reduces in volume by half or less (depending on preference). Serve warm with tenderloin.

‘Tis the Season to Splurge! Mint Chocolate Crinkle Kiss Cookies Recipe

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chocolate crinkle cookies kiss cookies thefitforkWhen it comes to eating clean, even good boys and girls fall off the sleigh during the holidays.  But that’s okay! Sometimes we should focus on just enjoying the moment rather than worrying about every friggin’ ingredient in our food (allergies aside) and freaking out about how long it’s going to take to work it all off. I don’t run and workout just so I can eat, I eat so I can run and workout. But, around Christmas time, I have no problem whatsoever about enjoying the indulgences that come with the season. And, this recipe for Mint Chocolate Crinkle Kiss Cookies is well worth the splurge with a brownie-like consistency, peak of minty chocolate, and powdered sugar send-off.  I just gobbled one up that was still warm from the oven and I’m not even going to give it a second thought – well, except maybe about having a second cookie.

Mint Chocolate Crinkle Kiss Cookies Recipe

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 36 Mint Hershey Kisses

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture, until just combined. Place plastic wrap over bowl and refrigerate dough for several hours to firm in up. Unwrap Hershey kisses and keep in the freezer until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put powdered sugar in a small bowl. Scoop dough into 1/2 tablespoon balls, roll in powdered sugar, and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until cookies crackle and are puffed.

Remove from oven. While still hot, press a frozen kiss into each cookie. Cool off cookies while still on pan by placing in the refrigerator or freezer for several minutes. Wait to package cookies up until chocolate kiss has completely cooled.

Makes approximately 36.

No nutritional information chart today, just enjoy!