Persian Beef Stew with Rhubarb

I love rhubarb. It's so tart and delightful -- and now that it's spring, it's everywhere! However, since I'm still on Phase 1 and can't mix it with the ever-traditional strawberry, I was looking for a savory application of this unique vegetable. Let me tell you, I've found us a big winner.

This is a delicious stew of meat (I used beef, but lamb would surely be even better), herbs, and lovely lemony rhubarb. It's a classic Persian dish, and I was only too happy to make it for dinner. The tartness of the rhubarb paired beautifully with the herbs and meat, and the texture was velvety perfection.

If you like middle eastern food, you will love this luscious stew.

Persian Beef (or lamb) Stew with Rhubarb
1 leek, finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 pounds of lean stew meat (lamb or beef), cubed
8 stalks of rhubarb--washed, dried and cut into small bite-sized pieces
1 bunch of fresh parsley leaves, chopped 
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves, chopped 
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp stevia powder
Olive  oil
Water

Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Spray a bit of olive oil and saute chopped leeks, with a bit of salt and pepper, until very soft. Add turmeric, stir, add the meat and brown on all sides. Reseason with salt and pepper to taste. Pour enough water to cover the meat. Cover and cook for an hour on medium to low heat.

While that's cooking, heat a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the chopped parsley and mint together (season with salt and pepper) in a bit of oil over medium heat. When the meat has been cooking for 30 minutes, add in the  parsley and mint mixture with the meat and recover. Add water if necessary.

In the same saute pan (which is now empty), lightly saute sliced rhubarbs in a small bit of olive oil for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Once the meat has been cooking for an hour, add the rhubarb to the pot, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook covered for an additional 15 minutes. The meat should be extremely tender and falling apart. If not, keep it simmering until tender.

Taste and add stevia, salt, and pepper to taste, gently stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serve warm on its own, or over some cauliflower rice. So good!

Inspiration Recipe on Tumeric and Saffron Blog. The pictures there are much better than mine!

Fennel Soup (Dairy Free!)

I really love fennel--raw in a salad, golden and roasted, and everything in between. It's got a slight licorice flavor and is really delightful. So when I saw a super easy recipe for fennel soup, I couldn't resist. The link to the inspiration recipe is below.

On its own, the soup was absolutely delicious. A nice fennel flavor, enhanced by browning in the pan before adding the stock. It's a soup that is lovely in its simplicity. Fennel is an unexpected flavor--it's not something most of us have every day. So, a soup like this that showcases it's uniqueness is a really nice addition to my repertoire.

That said, I added in some rutabega and leeks, mostly because I happened to have them already chopped in the fridge and it seemed like a good idea. I also pureed the soup at the end to give it a nice and creamy texture. Neither of those additions are critical, so play with this and either way you'll keep the fennel as the star of this soup. It's scrumptious with just the fennel, and also great with the leeks and/or rutabega added in. You could even use turnips or green onions, or neither. Very forgiving depending on what you have in the fridge.

I did not find that the rutabega changed the flavor at all, so it really was just a way to add more veggies that I had hanging around. It's a perfect soup with just the fennel, and in fact I usually make it with just fennel!

The soup took all of 5 minutes to prep and less than 30 to cook. A very easy way to enjoy the essence of a delightful veggie!

Fennel soup all pureed and simmering before dinner

Fennel Soup
2 tbsp olive oil
5 fennel bulbs, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 leek, diced
1 32-oz container chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups chopped rutabega (extremely optional and unnecessary but tasty)

Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add the leeks (if using) and some salt and pepper, and cook for one minute. Add the fennel and rutabega (if using), reseason with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Add in the broth and simmer for about 20 minutes until all veggies are nice and tender. You can adjust the salt and pepper and serve this right up with the chunky veggies, or use an immersion blender to puree. Whatever you like!

Inspiration Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fennel-soup/

Peruvian Style Roasted Chicken

You've likely noticed--we eat a lot of chicken. This was true before the diet, and I expect it'll be the case long after. Given this, I am constantly looking for easy and delicious ways to prepare it! Usually I make boneless chicken breasts, but sometimes I like to make parts or a whole chicken. It's lovely, smells scrumptious, and is good for company -- the meat doesn't dry out and I can prep it ahead.

I love Peruvian chicken. You know it -- the kind that makes you want to keep licking the bones just to be sure you got every bit of flavor and meat. It's garlicky and herby and just so good. This marinade recipe is based on a one I found from America's Test Kitchen. It smells great and you could even reserve some as use it as a dipping sauce for the cooked bird or as a salad dressing. I usually make a double batch!

This roasting method is the same one used by Barbara Kafka -- high heat. It smokes up a bit so put on that exhaust fan and get ready for one of the best chickens you've ever made.

Peruvian Style Roasted Chicken -- Ready to Eat!

Peruvian Style Roasted Chicken

1 3-4 lb chicken (I have done this whole or with parts)

Marinade Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

2 tbsp salt

6-8 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 tbsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp cumin

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp dried oregano

Juice and zest from 2 limes

1 tsp minced habanero pepper (optional!)

Put all of the marinade ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Rub the chicken with the paste so that it's all covered nicely, being sure to get under the skin all around (especially since you won't be eating the skin if you're on IP). Refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours).

Heat oven to 500 degrees (450 for convection bake). Place chicken on a roasting pan and put in the center of the oven. After 10 minutes, move it a bit to be sure it doesn't stick. Cook for 50-60 minutes until a thermometer reads 165 on the thickest part of breast (175 for dark meat). You don't need to do anything to it while it's cooking!

Once done, slice up and eat! The juices in the pan can be made into a sauce, but be sure to skim the fat off first!

Cucumber Radish Salad

I'll say it -- I love fresh veggies. I love to make little salads and slaws. It's true. Unfortunately, my husband does not like these tasty creations, so I make them for myself when I'm home alone. Today was just such an opportunity, and this quick salad did not disappoint.

This is just about exactly from a recipe I saw in Real Simple (but with much less oil), and my recollection is that the original recipe was 100% on program. Sadly, I lost the page I ripped out but no matter! The recipe is very forgiving and you can add in anything you like. Crisp, refreshing and, well, perfection.

One important note: the veggies pickle a bit if left to soak. I prefer this salad made shortly before I eat it, rather than making ahead. It's still good, but more like pickles later.

Cucumber Radish Salad

Cucumber Radish Salad
4 persian cucumbers, sliced
4 radishes, sliced into half moons
1 small shallot, sliced paper thin
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
ground pepper

Mix it all in a bowl. Eat and enjoy!

Turnip and Leek Kugel

In getting ready for Passover this year, things were very different. I usually bake up tons of different desserts and work with my mom to plan ridiculous menus for the two seder nights. I knew that this year I could not surround myself with a full day of baking sweets and survive unscathed. So, I chose to focus on savory items that are 100% on program and absolutely delicious.

I'm fortunate in that my mother, who shares the cooking with me for this holiday, is so committed to my family's dieting success that she arranged the entire menu around us. We made roasted cauliflower and other veggies, chicken, my middle eastern meatballs with red pepper sauce, and lots of other goodies. We also cut way back on the treats, and I only baked up one thing with my son as a special holiday goodie.

At the last minute, I had a light bulb go off -- what about a turnip kugel? Kugel translates to pudding, and it's a side dish that can be made sweet (as in a noodle kugel) or savory (often potato or zucchini). It's kind of a casserole with eggs and veggies.

I've actually never even made a potato kugel as starchy veggies don't really do it for me, but for some reason I got a bug about making turnips into something extraordinary this year. Surprisingly  there was not a recipe to be found for a mock potato kugel made out of turnips. Has no one thought of this before? No matter--I worked it out for all of us. I based the recipe off of the Lacy Potato Kugel recipe in the Kosher Palette Cookbook (this recipe is delicious as is, but of course has potatoes and potato starch so definitely not allowed!). It does have more oil that I typically use for a veggie, but for a holiday and a recipe we can eat on program I was willing to make a special allowance.

I did a test run a few days before the holiday and we gobbled it all up for lunch. It tasted like potato latkes, and what could be wrong with that! At the seder, just about everyone complimented the dish and all were shocked when the true root was revealed as turnips. This recipe is a definite keeper for our family -- hope you enjoy.

Turnip and Leek Kugel

Turnip and Leek Kugel
6 large turnips (you are trying to approximate 6 large potatoes)
3 splenda packets
4 leeks, 2 diced finely and 2 chopped 
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons oil
2 -3 teaspoons salt
fresh ground pepper
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees (you can wait a bit to do this).

Sauté diced leeks until nicely caramelized and golden. This will take about 15 minutes.
While leeks are caramelizing, grate turnips using the fine (smallest holes) disc in the food processor. I didn't have this blade, so I grated with the larger holes disc and then put the standard blade in to process further. You want the turnips to be grated very finely.


Place the grated turnips in a large bowl. Cover with water and add in the splenda packets, and allow to soak for 20 minutes. This is intended to remove some of the sharpness. Strain the turnips and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Place turnips into a large mixing bowl.

Grated turnips after soaking and squeezing excess moisture

Process the remaining two leeks in the food processor (use the same blade you did for the second processing of the turnips). Pour that leek pulp into the same bowl as the turnips. 

Stir in eggs, 5 tbsp. oil, salt, pepper and caramelized onions.

Microwave the chicken stock for 1 minute, then pour into the mixture and stir thoroughly.
Pour 1/4 cup of oil into a 9x13 baking pan and heat in oven for about a minute. Do not allow oil to burn.

Carefully pour mixture into pan and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake for 40 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown.

Serve and enjoy (or, as I did, refrigerate until the next day and then serve)!

Spiced Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce -- No Bread Crumbs Needed!

Before we went low-carb, one of my family's favorite meals was sweet and sour meatballs. My mom makes them, so of course I made them too. My son could eat just a bowl of the sauce by itself!

I haven't made meatballs at all in the last 6 months, so with Passover coming I thought I'd do a test run on how I'll make these into low-carb perfection. The result: a middle eastern inspired meatball, perfectly juicy and delicious. I quick-roast the meatballs in the oven and get great brownness on the outside without dealing with a pan, or boiling away for hours. Easy and fast, and the results are really yummy. You can do these with all beef and they are perfection. For an added layer of scrumptiousness, you can add in some ground lamb (when I do this, I use 1/3 lamb to 2/3 beef but half-and-half would be good too).

I've topped the meatballs with a simple roasted red pepper sauce that adds freshness and acidity to the dish. You could easily do a tomato sauce here, but we are avoiding tomatoes at the moment. I promise--you won't miss them! I use this same sauce for all sorts of things -- tossed with zucchini noodles, on chicken, you name it. It's very versatile and it works perfectly with these meatballs.

My gang gobbled these up this evening! Luckily, I made a double batch and hid the other half for another night this week.

Low-Carb Spiced Meatballs and Sauce

Spiced Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Meatballs

2 pounds extra lean ground beef or a mix of lamb and beef

2 eggs

2 scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground pepper

2 tbsp. Pereg Meatball Spice   

Note: I buy this at a kosher supermarket. If you can't (or dont have the inclination to) find this, never fear! Use the following instead: 1 3/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp additional cinnamon, 1 tbsp. allspice, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground clove

Mix all of the ingredients together by hand, making sure the spices are well incorporated. Give a smell to the mixture -- you should be able to detect the fragrant spices. If not, add a little more! We love these well seasoned. 

Roll into small balls, about 1 1/2" in diameter. You can really make these any size you like, and adjust the cooking time accordingly. Place on baking sheets lined with foil. 

Bake at 450 (425 convection bake) for approximately 15 minutes until cooked through and browned on the outside. 

Remove from the baking sheets, leaving any fat on the foil to be discarded. Place into the sauce (recipe below) and serve! 

These freeze well, either raw or cooked.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce for Meatballs

1 16-oz jar of roasted red peppers (in water, not in oil) Note: you can easily make your own roasted peppers for this recipe

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

Juice of one lemon

2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (if desired)

Puree the peppers in a blender to your desired texture. I like it just a tiny bit on the chunky side, not quite soup-like. 

Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and garlic, and allow the garlic to cook for one minute. Then add in the peppers and salt and stir to combine well. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the flavors have combined. Add in the lemon juice and adjust salt as needed. Throw in the chopped parsley and stir well. 

You can serve on top of the meatballs, or toss the meatballs directly in before serving. This sauce would also be delicious on top of zucchini ribbons (I think we'll have that this week--yum).

Frosty - esque Milkshake with Dark Chocolate Pudding Packet

I've been experimenting a bit with my daily carb counts. The original impetus was that I had a number of weeks with ~1 pound losses, and for me that really wasn't cutting it. This diet is just too intense for one little pound! In any case, I have been playing with making chocolate shakes using the dark chocolate pudding packet (4 carbs) instead of the chocolate drink mix packet (7 carbs).

Does it matter?? I truly have no idea, and I haven't been able to tell one way or the other if counting carbs to this level has any impact on my week. That said, the shake I came up with using the pudding is super creamy and delicious. It reminds me of a Frosty from Wendy's (not that I've had one in years, so if you have had one recently I could be way off here!). The texture is thick and delicious, and I eat it with a spoon. It makes enough for a few small cups, so I really feel like I'm getting a big treat.

Experiment with your favorite flavor add-ins: peppermint, almond extract, cinnamon, chili pepper -- any of these would be fun!

Frosty Milkshake Using Ideal Protein Dark Chocolate Pudding  -- it made 4 cups like this one!

Frosty - esque Milkshake with Dark Chocolate Pudding Packet
1 cup water
Dash of stevia to taste
Dash of salt
Flavor add ins (try a variety): Walden Farms Chocolate Syrup, Walden Farms Marshmallow Fluff, Almond Extract, Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, Peppermint Extract, Chili Pepper or Cayanne (goes good with the almond and/or cinnamon.
1 Ideal Protein Dark Chocolate Pudding Packet
10 ice cubes (adjust amount for taste and consistency)

Put the water, stevia, salt and flavor add ins into a blender pitcher. Add in the pudding packet. Blend on low to combine all ingredients well. Scrape down any powder from the sides to be sure everything is well incorporated.

Add in the ice. Start blender on low (I use level 3 on my Vitamix) to break up the cubes, and work up to high (level 8 or so). Blend until all of the ice is incorporated and the mixture is very creamy. It will have expanded by more than double, and the color will change from dark brown (color of the pudding) to a very light creamy brown.

Enjoy!