Tag Archives: beef

Creative and Healthier Ways to Serve Hot Dogs

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Skip the bun and serve your hot dog in a fire roasted jalapeno pepper!Grilling up a good hot dog is a rite of passage in the summer. I don’t eat franks often, but when I do, I usually end up putting a creative spin on the situation — ya know, something outside the bun!

Skip the bun and serve your net hot dog in a fire roasted jalapeno! Like these Beef Hot Dogs in a “Jalapeno” Bun — no enriched, white flour bread products, just a spicy flame-kissed pepper instead. It’s not hard to find big jalapenos that will sub in nicely for a bun, and you just split them open to grill — they take just about as long as the dogs do on the grates. Afterward, insert the hot dog (I prefer 100% Beef) and add crumbled queso fresco, Sriracha sauce, cilantro and crunch raw radish slices for garnish.

Or, how about just keeping it super simple and eating them with ketchup, mustard and some classic pickle relish like I did at the Prevention R3 Summit this year (again, you can tell I don’t care for the bun)! Maybe hot dogs sans bread aren’t Paleo diet approved per se, put they are Paleo-ish!

Applegate Hot dog and relsih

Also, you don’t want to miss the creative hot dog topping ideas I did for Litehouse Foods last summer — the versions include  Greek God Hot Dog, Garlic Green Machine,  and Cha-Cha Chipotle Dog and use their low-fat, protein-packed line of OPAdipity Dips made with Greek yogurt!

Creative Hot Dog Toppings

Creative (and Healthier) Ways to Serve Hot Dogs #July4th #Grilling #FitFluential http://bit.ly/1C0ADEs

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So, how do you take your hot dog? Please share in the comments below – XOXO Jennifer

 

Food for Fathers | Lemon Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Persimmons

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Lemon Grlled Flank Steak Salad with Persimmons will brighten up your summer supper and taste buds!

First of all, Happy Father’s Day to the dads! I’m cooking dinner over here for my own special dad and will be hooking him up with this healthy salad. Grilling up a hunk of meat and serving it atop a bed of leafy greens is definitely my specialty – you could say I’m an expert and an addict! As far as obsessions go, at least it’s a healthy one and I’m super excited to share it with my father and the other dads in my life.

Message fpr Dad's Birthday "You are a Prime Cut aged to perfection."

Message fpr Dad’s Birthday “You are a Prime Cut aged to perfection.”

If I had my way, I’d be grilling a juicy, tender USDA Prime tenderloin for my salad every night – ahh, but I have children going to college. I know my dad understands  — if he doesn’t I hope he remember how I hooked him up with some of the best ribeyes for his birthday.

However, using a marinade is a simple solution that transforms a tough (and thusly less expensive) cut of beef into delicious, succulent slices of heaven for your salad – or any type meal.   The acidic liquids used in marinade help to break down tough muscle fibers found in beef cuts like chuck, round, flank, skirt and others. These toothsome cuts can be marinated for a minimum of 4 hours to 24 hours to improve tenderness and add flavor – don’t marinate any longer though because the texture will turn mushy. Inherently tender cuts of beef (like tenderloin, ribeyes and such) can be marinated too, but just to add flavor  –the optimal time is about 30 mintutes of soak time, don’t go any longer than 2 hours because of the mush factor. Oh, and when marinating for any purpose, always keep meat soaking in the fridge (not on the counter) and discard any marinade that has come into contact with raw meat.

This basic beef marinade uses 1/4 acidic juice, 1/3 oil and 1/3 fermented sauce to create a base recipe that can be customized with herbs, spices and other flavorful ingredients.

I’ve been putting together a post for BeefLovingTexans.com on Marinating Beef 101 – it’s yet to be published, I’ll let you know when it is! In the meantime, check out the Basic Beef Marinade Recipe I put together for them (and also the one I use in the recipe below).  What I love about this super simple marinade recipe is that it is fantastic “as-is,” but can be spiced up with your choosing of any herb, seasoning, alternate juice or fermented sauce. The possibilities are endless, just stick to the “one-third, one-third, one-third” format.

Lemon Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Persimmons

Lemon Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Persimmons
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Food for Fathers | Lemon Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Persimmons
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
6 hrs 30 mins
 
This nutritious beef salad made with grilled flank steak is topped with charred lemons and persimmons and makes a lovely entree for summer outdoor entertaining.
Course: Main Dish, Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1.5 lbs flank steak, trimmed
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
  • 4 lemons halved
  • 1 large red onion sliced crosswise into 1/2 thick dics
  • 1 bunch green onion with green tops
  • 2 large persimmons halved
  • 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 8 - 10 ounces baby spring mix lettuce
  • 1/2 cup viniagrette of choice I used Litehouse Foods Lemon Tuscan Herb
Instructions
  1. 1 1.5 lb flank steak ¼ cup fresh lemon juice ¼ cup soy sauce ¼ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon crushed garlic 4 lemons, halved 1 large red onion, sliced crosswise into 4 thick disks 1 bunch green onions with tops 2 persimmons (or can substitute peaches or another fruit of choice) 4 ounces crumbled Feta cheese
  2. Add trimmed flank steak, lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic to zip top bag. Seal closed and turn several times to coat meat. Place in refrigerator to marinate for 6 hours to over night. Remove and discard all marinade, pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Bring grill to approximately 400 F degrees and grill flank steak for approximately 10 - 12 minutes, turning halfway through. Steak will be done at medium rare when instant-read meat thermometer pulls at 135 F degrees in thickest part of steak. Set on cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  4. Ten minutes into grilling, add lemons,red onion and persimmons cut side down on grates. Grill alongside beef and remove when softening and have grate marks. Toss on green onions during last 2 minutes of grilling, they will cook fast.
  5. Remove veggies from grill, let cool a bit and then slice up into desired size. Add to platter of spring mix lettuce.
  6. Slice flank steak thinly across the grain. Add to top of salad, sprinkle with feta cheese and serve with dressing of choice.

Last Minute Ideas for Grill – Burgers, Bananas & More Recipes!

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LaI’m not a plan-aheader. I used to make lists, follow detailed workout schedules and fret about the future. I’d also worry what we were going to eat days in advance — not that meal planning is a bad thing, actually it’s awesome. It’s just right now, where I am in life coupled with how busy my family is, there is just no telling who will be home for dinner when.  So typically, I just wing it knowing that if I keep lean meats in the freezer and fresh produce in the fridge, I can always whip up a quick and reasonably healthy meal out on the grill. Lucky to be in Austin where I can pretty much grill year-round.

Showing folks how to grill (indoors) at Whole Foods with Sarah from Mix 94.7 !

Showing folks how to grill (indoors) at Whole Foods with Sarah from Mix 94.7 !

Grilling is one of my cooking methods; I’ve taught classes on it and you could say I flip for it! Not only does it make beef, chicken, fish and all the veggies (and fruits) taste fantastic, it’s a healthy way to prepare food because you are not adding any additional fats.  However, research has shown that meats cooked over high heat can cause carcinogens to form — but there are easy ways to keep grilling safe. Namely, marinate if possible to create an “invisible” barrier, clean the grill grates, par cook thicker cuts in microwave, prevent and flare ups of fire by cooking over medium heat – these will all help carcinogens heterocyclic amine (HCA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from forming. However, if you do get crispy bits, don’t freak – just cut that part off.

Here are some great grilling recipes for a last-minute BBQ bash! Enjoy!

Sirloin Cobb Kebab - Your favorite entree salad on a stick!

Sirloin Cobb Kebabs with Ranch Viniagrette

jennifer fisher - grilled bananas - main photo option1

Grilled Chocolate Raspberry Banana Boats

Mojo Chicken Breast and Grilled Citrus -- perfect for spring and summer entertaining.

Mojo Chicken Breasts with Grilled Citrus

Seared Steak and Mango Thai Noodle Salad

Seared Thai Steak Salad

Grill apricots to magnify their flavor and toss on an easy dale salad!Grilled Apricot Kale Salad (add grilled shrimp to make this one an entree)

Beef Burger Bonanza

Enjoy ALL the burgers with this round up of unique hamburgers – and, BTW, I have no guilt about eating one now and then.

Last Minute Healthy Grilling Ideas for a Backyard Bash – #Burgers & More #Fitfluential

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What are you grilling today?  Please share in the comments!

FAST! Beef Tenderloin and Tomato Pizza with Ancho Crema

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Use leftover beef steak, fresh tomatoes and naan bread to make a easy weeknight meal.

I’d hard to imagine there would EVER be beef tenderloin left on the platter at my house – but there was this weekend! That’s because I cooked an extra hunk so that we’d have “leftovers on purpose” for a couple easy weeknight recipes that were floating around in my head. I had to threaten all the boys to keep their dirty meat-stealing mitts of this extra steak, and once they saw the More-eo Blondie Bars I made for dessert, they had moved on to new conquests.

This southwestern-inspired naan pizza recipe uses leftover steak dressed up with fresh tomatoes and an creamy ancho pepper drizzle.

So, the great thing about this Beef Tenderloin & Tomato Pizza with Ancho Crema is that you can use thin slices of any leftover steak like top sirloin, ribeye, flat iron — or even fajita meat! I also used naan bread for “let’s make dinner in five minutes” convenience, but feel free to do a homemade traditional crust or even a cauliflower crust if you prefer.

Tomatoes are an abundant source of lycopene, vitamin B6 and other important nutrients.The toppings are fresh and healthy with a southwestern spin – cilantro, queso fresco, hatch green chilies and a trifecta of colorful tomatoes. Red, yellow and orange – they were almost too beautiful to eat!  But gobble them up because I know how great the abundance of lycopene and vitamin B6 found in tomatoes is for athletes — you can learn more on the topic of tomatoes and working out in a post I wrote for CorePower.com.

Beef Tenderloin & Tomato Pizza with Ancho Crema Recipe

  • 4 8-inch diameter pieces of naan bread
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
  • 1 medium yellow tomato, seeded and sliced thinly
  • 1 medium red tomato, seeded and sliced thinly
  • 1 medium orange tomato, seeded and sliced thinly
  • ½ cup chopped fire-roasted hatch green chilies (or can use canned)
  • 1 cup of crumbled queso freco
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
  • 1 8-ounce pre-cooked beef tenderloin steak (or other steak) sliced thinly across grain.
  •  1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground ancho chili powder
  • Avocado for garnish
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
  2. Lay naan bread on a baking sheet and brush tops with olive oil. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and pepper flakes.
  3. Layer each crust with tomato slices and green chilies. Sprinkle with queso fresco cheese.
  4. Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until edges of bread turning golden brown and cheese beginning to bubble.
  5. Remove from oven and top with thinly sliced steak that is room temperature or has been lightly warmed — taking care not to over reheat it and make tough.
  6. To make crema, whisk together Greek yogurt, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder in small bowl. Drizzle on top of pizzas. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with avocado, if desired. Serves 4.
Beef Tenderloin and Tomato Pizza FAST! #recipe #Protein Challenge #Fitfluential

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Slice of healthy naan bread pizza.What toppings do you like to put on your pizza? Please share in the comments below:

East-West Shishito Pepper and Mushroom Saute

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Shishito Pepper and Mushroom Saute packed with loads of veggies and bold umami taste - TheFitFork.com

Food science nerd alert – I’m talking about umami again. You know, our fifth taste receptor, the newfound “delicious essense” those Japanese waxed so poetically about in the 20th century.  It’s all about the high concentrations of glutamates and nucleotides found in certain foods and how combing these foods creates a meaty, savory crave factor that is just really hard to describe in words. In fact, research has shown that pairing up glutamate and nucleotide rich ingredients magnifies their joint umami effect up to 8 times as much.  I’ve found that using a few umami-rich ingredients in healthier recipes is an easy way to create an amazing and indulgent-seeming eating experience.

Live Fire Beef at the Salt Lick - TheFitFork.com

There was so much umami going on at the beef-centric Live Fire event I attended this week at with friends from BeefLovingTexans.com), I wish I could have taken all of you to this meat extravaganza at the famous Salt Lick in the Texas Hill Country.  Did what I had to do as a food blogger and made all the rounds to taste meaty, marvelous dishes from chefs from all over Texas. It’s amazing how versatile beef is – not only are there a zillion cuts to choose from (I even tried tongue), beef can be served up to conjure up a fond memories. Over the night, I felt like I had been at grandma’s house getting a hug from comfort food ( with the pimento cheese grits with burnt ends brisket) to being on an exotic vacation (with the Thai NY strip satay with green mango salad).

Essential Umami Ingredients to Stock your Pantry - TheFitFork.comFind out more about umami from this past blog post, no need to rehash it all here. I’ve also curated a handy collection of essential umami pantry staples for Mode.com, check that out too! Some of the first foods people mention when asked about umami are steaks, mushrooms, red wine, fermented sauces and aged cheeses. It’s true, all these are delicious pairing. However, did you know that as far as vegetables go, mushrooms don’t have a monopoly on umami. Lot of other veggies are high in umami, including sea vegetables (like kelp), mushrooms, corn, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, winter squash, green beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard and kale.

Check out my vegetable-packed recipe for  East-West Shishito Pepper, Mushroom  and Corn Saute. Almost all the ingredient are umami-rich and it tastes super “meaty” just on it’s own – but I’ve used as a topping for brisket tacos and steak, and it was pure heaven.

Umami-Rich Mushrooms, Corn & Chile Pepper Saute - TheFitFork.com

Umami-Rich Mushrooms, Corn & Chile Pepper Saute - TheFitFork.com
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East-West Shishito Pepper and Mushroom Saute
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
This easy saute of mild peppers, mushrooms, corn, and onions will rock your socks off with bold umami taste! Great as a vegetarian dish but also fantastic atop a steak or beef taco.
Course: Condiment, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Southwestern
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 cups chopped shishimo peppers or other mild green pepper or other mild green pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 2 ears corn peeled and shucked
  • 2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in large skilled over medium-high heat.
  2. Add peppers and onion and saute for 2 minutes, or until softening.
  3. Add thawed corn and mushrooms to pepper mixture and continue to saute for another 3 minutes.
  4. Add soy sauce and stir until vegetables coated, cook for about 30 more seconds.
  5. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve as a side, on a salad, steak or taco.
Recipe Notes

This easy saute of mild peppers, mushrooms, corn, and onions will rock your socks off with bold umami taste! Great as a vegetarian dish but also fantastic atop a steak or beef taco.