Tag Archives: beef

Paleo Countdown Spice Rub & 4-3-2-1 Workout

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Editor’s Note: Updated 10/2/2019

There is something satisfying (and easy to remember) about rattling off numbers backward in a countdown. In fact, this ritual is even so important in some professions that it’s become part of popular culture – just think of NASA and their huge countdown clock.  As a kid, I counted down the days until Halloween, Christmas and the end of the school year.

As an adult, I count down the number of weeks until my next marathon and, admittedly, have even used a countdowns to threaten motivate my kids to accomplish tasks. Today I have a 4-3-2-1 Countdown Spice Rub recipe that is so simple, you don’t even have to write it down. Read on to get the paleo recipe: Continue reading →

Seven Days of Sweet & Savory Things

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Aug 24: Ran the epic Hood to Coast Relay for the second year,  on a team called Cherry Limeade sponsored by the always awesome, always refreshing Nuun Hydration.  This Seattle-based maker of electrolyte tabs is focused on creating a take-along product that keeps runners and other athletes hydrated flavorfully – in fact, they have so many flavors, it will make your head spin.  My favorites are Kona Kola and Strawberry Lemonade, oh yea — and ½ a Banana tab with ½ a Watermelon tab!  I appreciate the fact that I’m not sucking down a bunch of sugar with this product, goodness knows I’ve been the poster child for losing time on a race course due to GI distress.

hood to coast van two getting ready

I was so inspired by the women runners in my team’s van 2, that I just have to shout them out —  Allison, Tanaya and Tere from Arizona, Emily (now) from Oregon and Paige from Washington. I’m already looking at the upcoming race calendars to cherry pick (or, should I say ‘cherry limeade pick’?) a few for reunion visits! BTW, all the women I met on the Nuun teams rocked; however, these particular ones though had to put up with me for 40 straight hours with no sleep. There was no do-it-yourselfing on this trip, well except the running. We had the luxury of being chauffeured around on this 200-mile race by our fearless, amusingly foul-mouthed and seriously funny van driver Vishal, a Nuun employee who also made sure that we had our Starbucks, Diet Mountain Dew, and never-ending food and pit stops expertly arranged.  Thanks to Megan Fay for organizing the chaos and chief hydrator and company president, Mason Reay, for another year of gracious hospitality. Random side note: I knew Mason lived in Austin for a while, but found out that our children attended the same preschool at the same time! Now that I think of it, he might have been the dad at the Thanksgiving Pow-wow who offered to bring beer.

August 25: Traveled the entire day, plane had mechanical problems and I wasn’t in bed until 2:30, and shortly thereafter greeted my 5:30 alarm clock. That was neither a sweet nor savory thing. But, while waiting at the airport, I did order a “personal mix” of granola from MixMyOwn.com.  The site is so cool, you choose a base cereal, other grains, fruits, nuts and add-ins and then bag it up and ship it straight to your door! On the back of the bag, the nutrition label reflects the exact mix that you made. And, it tastes really fantastic on my Greek yogurt.

mixmyown

August 26: School started, enough said. Sweet! Okay, I’ll say more – and I don’t usually dump out this much mushy personal information, so here you go! My three sons have entered 11th, 8th and 5th grades, so proud of them and it’s going to be a great year.  Got a sweet kiss from each this morning!

my three boys

August 28: Finally read my September Cooking Light magazine and made a recipe for Quinoa-Granola Cookies that I will share on the blog tomorrow. Love to put healthy cookies in my kid’s lunches. Sneak peek:

quinoa-granola-chocolate-chip-cookies-ck-l

August 30:  Brought a post-practice treat to football practice, Jamba Juice smoothies! Seeing as it was 105 degrees, I had no trouble passing off every last one of the Strawberry Surf Rider smoothies to those hot, sweaty boys. This is one of the reasons why I love being a Jamba Juice Whirl’d Ambassador (disclosure).  If you sign up to receive Jamba Juice news and specials via email, you’ll receive a coupon for a $2 16-ounce smoothie. That’s a sweet-sweet situation!

SAMSUNG

August 31: Celebrated National Bacon Day by wrapping a piece of cured pork around a club cracker and rolling it in brown sugar – then baked at 400F until bubbling with greasy-salty-sweet goodness. This sweet-and-savory sin was not my own doing – inspired by the Pioneer Woman.

national bacon day

September 1: Shared my love for beef and why it is great fuel for an athlete at the Tri-Rock Triathlon Expo in Austin, Texas.  Looking for a delicious dinner idea that’s healthy and fast? Check out my recipe for Spice Crusted Tenderloin with Street Fair Corn, hurry and make it before grilling season slips away.

jen and jackie tri rock

Hot Mess Hatch Green Chile Burgers with Calabaza Squash “Buns” Recipe

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jennifer fisher thefitfork hatch green chile burger squash bun

I mentioned it in a recent post, but it’s worth repeating – Hurray, it’s Hatch green chile season! This precious pepper, which hails from the magical soils of New Mexico, has a cult-like following of foodie fans devoted to adding the pepper’s distinctive flavor to nearly every dish imaginable. If you didn’t see it earlier, check out my unique recipe for Hatch Green Chile and Chicken Cheesecake, a savory entrée for brunch or a light summer dinner. Here is an FYI fact for you, the word “Hatch” only refers to the small town that these peppers are grown in, not the actual variety. Hatch peppers range from mild to hot depending on what type you buy. For example, the Sandia chile is fairly mild while the Big Jim packs more heat.

jennifer fisher squash hatch burger

I whipped up this healthy bun-less burger recipe for the love of Hatch (and to enter into a healthy burger recipe contest). I’m calling it Hot Mess Hatch Green Chile Burgers with Calabaza Squash “Buns.” By the way, if you’re not familiar with Calabaza squash, it’s a wider-girthed gourd that tastes pretty much like zucchini. You could use zucchini, but the “buns” won’t really be big enough to contain the patty. Hope you enjoy this “hot mess” covered in Hatch green chile sauce; you’re going to have to eat it with a fork and knife!

Hot Mess Hatch Green Chile Burgers with Calabaza Squash “Buns” Recipe*

P1010482

  • 1 (1lb) calbaza squash, sliced into 8 discs
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 lb 90% ground beef
  • ¼ cup roasted hatch green chilies, seeded, skinned and diced
  • 1/4 cup prepared pico de gallo (drained of any liquid)
  • 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (or omit if Paleo)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Garnish: 4 grape tomatoes

jennifer fisher thefitfork hatch green chile sauce

Hatch Green Chile Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup onion, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup roasted hatch green chiles, peeled seeded and diced
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (substitute Coconut Flour if Paleo)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¾ cup water

Lay squash rounds out on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add hatch green chiles, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, cumin and salt. Knead this mixture together until incorporated. Divide mixture into 4 sections and shape each into a patty with a small indention in the center (this helps them from balling up on the grill).

Heat gas or charcoal grill to approximate 400 F degrees. Grill squash and burgers, flipping burgers once until desired level of doneness achieved. Squash is done when it has softened (but not soggy) and has turned lightly golden with grate marks.

Meanwhile, make Hatch green chile sauce. In sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft. While this is cooking, stir together the flour and the spices. Sprinkle this mixture over the onions and stir to coat.

Add water to the mixture in the pan and stir to make sure the flour has dissolved. Add green chiles, mixing well. Remove ½ ingredients and process in food processer until lumpy-smooth. Add back to remaining ingredients in saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer for 15 minutes.

To serve, place one burger patty between two squash rounds. Skewer with a grape tomato to keep burger and buns in place. Use the green chile sauce to drizzle over burgers or to create a “bed” of sauce for burgers to sit it.

Serves 4 (or 2 hungry people)

* Get a more print-friendly version in the “recipe” link under the header

Gone Grilling | Spice-Crusted Tenderloin Steaks and Street Corn with Chipotle Garlic Butter

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jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - ribeye filet grilled corn

It was a glorious day of grilling at our house last night, the aroma of succulent beef and sweet corn was drifting across the backyard thanks to an unseasonal but oh-so welcomed breeze. At one point I heard the neighboring carnivores come out of their caves to make whining, whimpering noises, but sorry folks, only enough meat to feed my famished five. Maybe next time I will invite YOU over for Spice-Crusted Tenderloin Steaks and Street Corn with Chipotle Garlic Butter!

cuts of tenderloin

If you like a lean yet tender steak that doesn’t need much fussing, you’ll love my favorite cut of beef– tenderloin (flat iron steak is a close second). Before processed and carved into steaks, this long chunk of meat sits beneath the ribs near the backbone. The muscle does very little work in the life of a cow, that’s why it’s the tenderest cut available – it practically melts in your mouth! Sometimes, with all the interchangable names that are used for beef cuts, it can get confusing to understand what you are purchasing. The diagram above shows how the muscle is further butchered into the various products we buy at the market or order off the menu.

Steaks ready to hit the grill, rubbed with flavorful spices.

Steaks ready to hit the grill, rubbed with flavorful spices.

Because this portion of beef is so tender, there is no need to use a marinade. Instead, I use a homemade spice rub to create a flavorful crust that seals in natural juices. Since I had the grill already fired up for steaks, I decided to cook the whole dinner out on it. The kids voted for street fair style corn, the summer treat that smells so yummy roasting and is extra fun to eat.  Really, I can’t even tell you how good this meal was, not a leftover scrap in sight!

jennifer fisher - thefitfork.com - grilling corn

 

Spice-Crusted Tenderloin Steaks and Street Corn with Chipotle Garlic Butter

For Chipotle Garlic Butter:

  • ½ cup salted butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons minced chipotle (with adobe sauce from can)

For Rub:

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coffee
  • 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or “regular” chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 4 6-ounce tenderloin steaks
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 ears corn, unhusked
  • 1 tablespoon salt

Directions

Prepare the compound butter first, so it has time to set up while corn and steaks are cooking.

In small bowl, mix together softened butter, cilantro, garlic and chipotle peppers (using a bit of the adobe sauce).  Transfer to ramekin and stick in the refrigerator to firm up while the rest of the meal is grilling.

Next prepare rub by combine all ingredients for rub in a small bowl or zip-top bag. Shake or stir well until thoroughly mixed.

Lightly brush both sides of each steak with olive oil. Press in approximately 1 tablespoon total of rub into both sides of steak. Let sit for 15 minutes.

While steaks rest with the rub, start preparing corn. Pull down outer husks on ears of corn to the base, taking care to rip them all the way off.  Pull off silk from each corn ear and discard. Pull husks back up and set in large tub of cold water mixed with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 – 12 minutes.

Pre-heat grill to 400 F degrees.

Pull corn out of water and shake off water. Set corn, with husks still up, onto grates of grill. Cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, or until kernels are tender. Rotate ears once during grilling.

After corn has been started for about 5 minutes, throw steaks onto the same 400 F degree grill. Cook for approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of the steak reads 135 F degrees. Let rest for 5 – 10 minutes; steaks will continue to cook on the serving platter and ultimately reach 140 to 145 F degrees (medium).

To serve, place a pat of Chipotle Garlic Butter on the husked ears of corn and center of steak.

Serves 4.

Look Who’s Making Beef For Dinner! My Magazine Ad + Recipes

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jennifer fisher beef thefitfork mediumHuh? What? No way!  Yes, that’s me! I’m excited (and honored) to announce that I am being featured in the BEEF. It’s What’s for Dinner national ad campaign. The print ads will appear in the June issue of Saveur, the July issues of Self and US Weekly, August issue of Parents and Kraft Food & Family and the September issues of Everyday with Rachel Ray.

If you’ve read this blog more than once, you’ve probably noticed that I have a thing for beef.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there are 29 lean cuts of beef that provide not just quality protein but also loads of iron, zinc, B vitamins and other nutrients that are vital to sports performance and recovery . . . and just wholesome family eating in general.

What are my favorite lean cuts of beef? Personally, I love tenderloin (natch), tri-tip and top sirloin and I feel completely confident serving my family the flat center cut of brisket and 90% lean ground beef. In honor of the big reveal, I’m listing my top 10 favorite beef recipes that I’ve posted in the past.

 Bonus recipe for my fellow burger lovers:

I-heart-beef

Thanks to: