Well, I can officially confirm that I'm back on track. After clearing most of the tempting foods from my kitchen, I dedicated myself to eating healthily again. My goal is to by the end of January have lost the 5 lb I put on over December. Damn you stilton!
But that doesn't mean I'm relegated to boring foods. Friday night, I grilled organic rump steak (about 110 g for - the small piece - and about 150 g for my husband. Season well before grilling. Alongside it, we eat steamed broccoli (lots for me). I also made some chive mashed potatoes, but since I'm trying to cut excess calories, I hadplenty of steamed cabbage instead.
I have to say, cabbage is a brilliant vegetable - there are so many different versions that I find it difficult to get bored with it. It's also very filling and versatile, as it can be steamed (with just a sprinkle of salt), sauteed (with a few sprays of olive oil) or, in the case of red cabbage, braised.
Although my dinner was likely no more than 250-300 calories, I was sufficiently full and didn't wake up this morning hungry. For breakfast? Two pieces of bacon on toast - only 200 calories. And we're having an excellent sweet potato soup tonight. Who says eating healthy isn't easy? It just takes focus.
Showing posts with label beef recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beef recipes. Show all posts
Saturday, 5 January 2008
Saturday, 24 November 2007
birthday food
Today's my husband's 30th birthday! And what's better than celebrating with a party at the local pub? Not much really. We've organised lots of fantastic food to go along with the real ales and good wines that no doubt will be consumed.
It was important to my husband - and to me - that the food served should be proper, English food. We chose a buffet of beef stew, fish pie, and, a specialty of the chef, fennel-aubergine-feta bake. All served with freshly cooked seasonal vegetables and salad. Not too shabby. What remains to be seen is how easy it is to eat it all!
Tune in tomorrow for a recap of the event.
It was important to my husband - and to me - that the food served should be proper, English food. We chose a buffet of beef stew, fish pie, and, a specialty of the chef, fennel-aubergine-feta bake. All served with freshly cooked seasonal vegetables and salad. Not too shabby. What remains to be seen is how easy it is to eat it all!
Tune in tomorrow for a recap of the event.
Monday, 19 November 2007
mixed grill
No, not that kind of mixed grill – the one that the father of the family usually orders at a steakhouse for nearly twenty quid. Not too long after, a greasy plate of steak, lamb, chicken (you name it, it’s there) arrives at the table, with nary a vegetable in sight.
The thought of that makes me ill, but I’m not against the grill.
Last night we had our own mixed grill – beef escalopes (very low in fat content), portobella mushrooms, and ripe tomatoes (though I confess, they were from
I topped the portobella mushrooms with parsley, garlic and a few sprays of olive oil, and onto the tomato went a garlic and basil combo pestled (mortared?) into a soft sauce for the tomatoes. The steak got a sprinkle of Tony Chachere’s salt-free seasoning on each side(0 cals per tsp – but any of those salt-free seasonings will work, so long as they are not loaded with sugar).
Mushrooms and tomatoes went under the grill first, and after about 8 minutes the steaks went in too. The broccoli will need about 6 minutes to steam. Because the steaks are so thin, they need only two, three minutes on each side.
The result: a satisfying, multi-faceted meal that checked the red meat box on my husband’s dinner wish list. 100-150 g of steak with two big mushrooms, 1 big tomato and about 150 g of broccoli totalled a mere 350 calories (Great for those Sunday night meals that follow two weekend nights out – and all of the red wine that entails.)
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
an old favourite
Burgers and chips, made from scratch – there’s not many dinners that are better. But this time it’s healthy. Here are my steps to a guilt-free yet completely enjoyable dinner.
1) lose the bun
2) bulk up on the garnishes – tomato, lettuce, red onion
3) use sweet potatoes instead of potatoes (they’re actually lower in GI than carrots, even)
4) go easy on the mayo, but allow yourself a little for a dip
5) use reduced-fat cheese for the burger – cheddar, blue vinney, it’s your choice
6) use extra lean mince (Sainsbury’s BGTY range is a good one) and flavour it with finely-chopped onions and herbs (I used rosemary this time). Mix together mince, egg, salt, pepper, onion and herbs and form into little patties. Make an indentation with your thumb in the middle – it helps it keep its shape when being grilled, which brings me to my next point…
7) grill your burger, don’t fry it.
Follow my advice and you’re likely to drop at least 200 calories off the meal’s total, but none of the enjoyment!
Sunday, 9 September 2007
a juicy ribeye
On Friday night's menu: steak. Earlier in the week I eyed a red, juicy ribeye and purchased it with the intentions of serving it up on Friday night. Despite thoughts to grill it on a Wednesday or fry it on a Thursday, I waited patiently.
My patience was rewarded: the steak was excellent. I seasoned it with Tony Chachere's salt-free seasoning (a New Orleans favourite, imported from America), placed it under the grill for about 4 minutes on each side and trimmed the fat before eating. It's important not to trim it before - it won't cook as well. Ribeye is a fatty cut, however, so it's best to trim it as you eat.
Accompanied by sauteed onions, a portobello mushroom topped with minced garlic and grilled alongside the steaks and a bevy of boiled green beans, and washed down with a glass of Pinotage, I felt rewarded for a long week's work.
My patience was rewarded: the steak was excellent. I seasoned it with Tony Chachere's salt-free seasoning (a New Orleans favourite, imported from America), placed it under the grill for about 4 minutes on each side and trimmed the fat before eating. It's important not to trim it before - it won't cook as well. Ribeye is a fatty cut, however, so it's best to trim it as you eat.
Accompanied by sauteed onions, a portobello mushroom topped with minced garlic and grilled alongside the steaks and a bevy of boiled green beans, and washed down with a glass of Pinotage, I felt rewarded for a long week's work.
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
Simple steak with sauteed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and roasted sweet potatoes
I have a love-hate relationship with steak. In short, I often find it much too chewy. But a thin grilled steak served with some unbeatable flavours can be mouth watering.
Monday night menu: grilled steak with roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and grilled tomatoes and garlic.
As with my homemade burgers with sweet potatoes, get the oven preheated and start the sweet potatoes roasting about 30 minutes before doing anything else. When the sweet potatoes are near finished, move them to the bottom of the oven and switch to the grill setting.
The steaks require minimal preparation, though for my serving, I like to weigh 100 g worth of steak separately. The rest can be served to others or saved for a steak salad or sandwich the following day.
The tomatoes couldn’t be simpler – slice a beef tomato in half and top with a bit of garlic. These will go under the grill once the steaks have turned.
Mushrooms Рslice and saut̩ with fry light oil.
(serves 2 – one large portion, one small portion)
500 g pack of thin beef steak (weigh out 100 g for small section)
450 g sweet potatoes (large portion – 300 g, small portion 150 g)
2 large beef tomatoes (split evenly)
250 g pack of English chestnut mushrooms
Fry light oil (40 sprays)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves of garlic, bruised and chopped
Serve with a dollop of light mayonnaise for the sweet potatoes.
Calories per small serving: 396. (Leaving perhaps a few calories left over for some frozen yogurt, perhaps?)
Monday night menu: grilled steak with roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and grilled tomatoes and garlic.
As with my homemade burgers with sweet potatoes, get the oven preheated and start the sweet potatoes roasting about 30 minutes before doing anything else. When the sweet potatoes are near finished, move them to the bottom of the oven and switch to the grill setting.
The steaks require minimal preparation, though for my serving, I like to weigh 100 g worth of steak separately. The rest can be served to others or saved for a steak salad or sandwich the following day.
The tomatoes couldn’t be simpler – slice a beef tomato in half and top with a bit of garlic. These will go under the grill once the steaks have turned.
Mushrooms Рslice and saut̩ with fry light oil.
(serves 2 – one large portion, one small portion)
500 g pack of thin beef steak (weigh out 100 g for small section)
450 g sweet potatoes (large portion – 300 g, small portion 150 g)
2 large beef tomatoes (split evenly)
250 g pack of English chestnut mushrooms
Fry light oil (40 sprays)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves of garlic, bruised and chopped
Serve with a dollop of light mayonnaise for the sweet potatoes.
Calories per small serving: 396. (Leaving perhaps a few calories left over for some frozen yogurt, perhaps?)
Monday, 4 June 2007
burger night
I love making burgers from scratch - beef burgers, salmon burgers, pork burgers, all with any spice I'm in the mood for. That's the brilliance of these burgers - they're personal, they're special, one of a kind. Most importantly for a calorie counter, the fat content is easily controlled.
They also feel like a treat. I serve mine without the bun, but with all the garnishes you can imagine. Add roasted sweet potatoes ("They're better than chips," raves my husband) and green beans, and an excellent weekend night in meal is born.
This time I felt like garlic and parsley beef burgers. It could be spinach and garlic salmon burgers. Or pork and chilli. The concept's still the same. Use a seasonal green vegetable where possible... since it's (nearly) summer, I've used green beans. If you're counting calories, only have one burger patty, though others may want two or more.
We have this at least once a month.
garlic and parsley beef burgers, roasted sweet potatoes and green beans
(serves 2)
approximately 500 g lean beef mince (like Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself 50% less fat)
1/2 of an onion, chopped small
25 g chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
10 sprays fry light
salt and pepper
120 g reduced fat mature cheese, sliced into 30 g portions for each burger
for the garnish:
the other 1/2 of the onion, sliced in rings
1 beef tomato, sliced
romaine lettuce
for the sweet potatoes:
400 g sweet potatoes
20 sprays fry light
salt
400 g green beans
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Peel and chop the sweet potato and put in a lined roasting tin. Spray with the Fry Light and add salt to taste. Roast in the oven for approx. 45 minutes, tossing occasionally and adding Fry Light if they become dry. They will become brown in spots - this is good.
Meanwhile, make the burgers. Combine the mince, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and work through with your hands. Make four patties by forming a ball with a quarter of the mixture, then slightly flattening. Poke a bit of a hole into the top so that the burgers will remain flat when they cook. Place on a plate. Do the same for the other three, then cover with cling film and put the burgers in the freezer. This will help them stay together when you put them under the grill later.
Prepare the garnishes on a plate - slice the onion rings, the tomato slices and wash and cut appropriate sizes of lettuce.
About 35 minutes into the cooking of the sweet potato, switch the setting to grill and move the potatoes to the bottom of the oven. Line the grill pan and let it heat under the grill. Take the burgers out of the fridge, spray the grill pan with Fry Light and load the burgers onto the grill. For a medium burger, they should cook for approximately 8 minutes on each side, turned once halfway through. Once you have turned the burgers, boil the green beans. A few minutes before the burgers are done, top them with the cheese and place back under the grill.
When they are done, place on a plate with the garnishes, the sweet potatoes and the green beans. Serve with a tablespoon each of French's mustard, ketchup and light mayonnaise.
calories (for one burger, approx 150 g of sweet potato, 200 g green beans, and the garnishes):
615
They also feel like a treat. I serve mine without the bun, but with all the garnishes you can imagine. Add roasted sweet potatoes ("They're better than chips," raves my husband) and green beans, and an excellent weekend night in meal is born.
This time I felt like garlic and parsley beef burgers. It could be spinach and garlic salmon burgers. Or pork and chilli. The concept's still the same. Use a seasonal green vegetable where possible... since it's (nearly) summer, I've used green beans. If you're counting calories, only have one burger patty, though others may want two or more.
We have this at least once a month.
garlic and parsley beef burgers, roasted sweet potatoes and green beans
(serves 2)
approximately 500 g lean beef mince (like Sainsbury's Be Good to Yourself 50% less fat)
1/2 of an onion, chopped small
25 g chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
10 sprays fry light
salt and pepper
120 g reduced fat mature cheese, sliced into 30 g portions for each burger
for the garnish:
the other 1/2 of the onion, sliced in rings
1 beef tomato, sliced
romaine lettuce
for the sweet potatoes:
400 g sweet potatoes
20 sprays fry light
salt
400 g green beans
Preheat the oven to 200 C. Peel and chop the sweet potato and put in a lined roasting tin. Spray with the Fry Light and add salt to taste. Roast in the oven for approx. 45 minutes, tossing occasionally and adding Fry Light if they become dry. They will become brown in spots - this is good.
Meanwhile, make the burgers. Combine the mince, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and work through with your hands. Make four patties by forming a ball with a quarter of the mixture, then slightly flattening. Poke a bit of a hole into the top so that the burgers will remain flat when they cook. Place on a plate. Do the same for the other three, then cover with cling film and put the burgers in the freezer. This will help them stay together when you put them under the grill later.
Prepare the garnishes on a plate - slice the onion rings, the tomato slices and wash and cut appropriate sizes of lettuce.
About 35 minutes into the cooking of the sweet potato, switch the setting to grill and move the potatoes to the bottom of the oven. Line the grill pan and let it heat under the grill. Take the burgers out of the fridge, spray the grill pan with Fry Light and load the burgers onto the grill. For a medium burger, they should cook for approximately 8 minutes on each side, turned once halfway through. Once you have turned the burgers, boil the green beans. A few minutes before the burgers are done, top them with the cheese and place back under the grill.
When they are done, place on a plate with the garnishes, the sweet potatoes and the green beans. Serve with a tablespoon each of French's mustard, ketchup and light mayonnaise.
calories (for one burger, approx 150 g of sweet potato, 200 g green beans, and the garnishes):
615
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