Beefed Up Hamburger Soup {ReDux}

The nights have definitely been cooling off, the Canadian geese look like they're getting ready for a journey south and my iced coffees are now just coffee - yes it's 'back-to-school' time for most people. I have a few teachers in my life, so it's back to work for them too. 

I often feel that September is a time to get back in the kitchen, get back into activities, and get re-organized as lake time comes to an end. The ladies at the Recipe ReDux were thinking the same things, since this month's theme is:

Back to the Dinner Table - After the hustle and bustle of the holiday/vacation season, August is the time many families get ‘back to routine.’ Show us your favorite recipe to help families get ‘back to the dinner table.’ It might be a favorite family recipe from your childhood that you’ve ReDuxed; or maybe it’s your family’s current favorite. Let’s all gather back at the table!

Right away I thought of big batch cooking, as I prefer to prep and cook once and eat multiple times when things get busy, or freeze some for a later date. Perhaps family members will have to eat at different times, or maybe a big batch is the way to sneak in a sit down family meal. Since I also had family on my mind, I decided to tweak one of my mom's recipes. As I said, it's getting colder here, so I'm more open to warm dishes like hearty soups.

I started with my mom's hamburger soup and added lentils and a more few vegetables to 'beef it up". I also thought it was funny that I 'beefed it up" by adding lentils! This way I feel like soup can become a meal and I find it's a great way to get more vegetables in, or even to use up your garden goodies. I used ground beef, but I'm sure you could use chicken or turkey as well. I also usually make it on the stove (as a one pot meal), but I'm sure I successfully made the original version in the slow cooker once too.

Beefed Up Hamburger Soup

Ingredients

0.5 to 1.0 lbs of lean or extra lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

28 oz (796 ml) can diced tomatoes, no salt added

3 medium carrots, diced

2 zucchini, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/3 cup barley, rinsed

1/2 cup dry green lentils, rinsed

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 bay leaves

3 cups of water

4 cups of beef broth/stock

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Brown the meat and cook the onions (3-5 minutes), drain fat.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients (nice and easy). 

3. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least 1.5 - 2 hours, stirring often.

I did have a little 'help' in the kitchen this month too!

Eat up,

Steph Langdon, RD

something nutrishus

www.nutrishus.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Memorable Meals {Recipe ReDux}

Food plays an important role in our culture and is part of all kinds of celebrations and gatherings. In Canada we've already celebrated Thanksgiving, a holiday which often involves lots of food and food traditions. With that in mind, this month's Recipe ReDux theme is  A Food Memory For Which You Are Thankful: In the US, November marks the Thanksgiving holiday. But many of us are especially thankful for food memories we have shared with friends or relatives throughout our lives. Was it a special meal you ate as a child? Or, maybe it was a food you grew and harvested with your own children. Please share one of your favorite food memories and the healthier “redo” of the recipe.

 

Considering that I am awaiting the arrival of my first born (while I write this, she arrived before posting it), this was a very timely theme. It made me think back to my childhood, but also inspired me to think about keeping things simple and convenient in the kitchen - things my clients often mention as important in their busy lives. I had many ideas, but settled on a "redo" of hamburger helper - something that can be done in one pot and uses ingredients many people have around already. It's a convenience item that is still available on grocery shelves, but is also simple to make from scratch and thus avoid the excess sodium and other preservatives.

Just like many meals people currently consume, often our childhood favourites are lacking in vegetables. I added a few for flavour, but also served this with raw veggies and dip (as another childhood throwback!).

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Makes approximately 6 servings (depending on side dishes and size of appetite)

Ingredients

1 lb extra lean ground beef (I used sirloin)

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1 medium (about 1 cup) white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups whole grain macaroni

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 cup shredded marble cheese

salt and pepper

1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Heat skillet. Add beef and brown over medium heat.

2. Wash and chop veggies. Drain any residual fat from the beef, then add bell pepper, onion, garlic and tomato paste - cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add water, milk, pasta, and spices. Stir, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes (or until pasta cooked to your liking).

4. Stir in cheese, salt and pepper to taste, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Check out other dietitian's recipes below for more inspiration for your kitchen!

Happy cooking,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com


   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Another Great Cooking Class!

I attended my fourth cooking class in the past 2 years or so this past weekend.  My husband and I really enjoy cooking and the classes help us get new ideas, learn new techniques, and try new foods or familiar foods prepared in new ways.  Our private class was organized by a friend and brought eight of us together with chef Simon for a great and tasty evening.  We attended the class at Simon's Fine Foods here in Saskatoon (where I have taken his Valentine's class as well).
 
It was the first cooking class for most of our group and we heard many comments of how people were excited to try these new ideas at home now.  The menu was kept a secret from me, but I was very pleased with the surprise.  After watching Gordon Ramsay on Hell's Kitchen I was very curious about Beef Wellington and that was our meat for the evening.  I have included many pictures this time so you can try to see how good everything was.

Simon was great with us and made sure to add extra butter, cream, and oil just for me (knowing that I'm a dietitian of course).  Our meal involved sundried tomato basil buns, beef wellington, honey parsnips, cabbage, mashed potatoes, and fondant or lava cakes.  I was pleased with the variety of vegetables and I picked up some new ideas for cabbage (which as you may remember I often get with the Good Food Box), and a nice simple way to roast parsnips.  The wellington was fairly labor intensive, but the other sides were made with ingredients that we have easy access to in Saskatoon and that you might even find in your kitchen already.  I'm excited to get the recipes and play around with these at home.








Thanks to my friends and family that shared this night and thanks to Simon for great food once again!

Steph (Wheler) Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Happy Hallowe'en!

Yes, most people think about chocolate and candy when they think about Hallowe'en food.  However, there are many recipe ideas out there for creative snacks, meals, and desserts.  Think witch's fingers, eyeballs, spiderwebs - the whole idea is to make 'normal' foods come to life with the Hallowe'en theme.

I found two such recipes that I wanted to share to inspire you, but feel free to share your favourites in the comment section.

Apple Bites

These toothsome treats are a fun and healthy break from Halloween sweets.

Ingredients

• Apples

• Slivered almonds

 Instructions

1. Just quarter and core an apple, cut a wedge from the skin side of each quarter, then press slivered almonds in place for teeth.
   

Tips:

If you're not going to serve them right away, baste the apples with orange juice to keep them from browning. 

 

Mummy Meat Loaves Recipe from Woman's Day

• Active time: 30 minutes
• Total time: 40 minutes
• Serves 12

Sweet cherry tomatoes are hidden in the center of these mini-meat loaves, offering a welcome burst of juicy flavor when you take a bite. Post Halloween, keep the recipe in rotation by piping the mashed potatoes as you would cupcake frosting.

 Recipe Ingredients

• 3/4 lb white or yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-in. pieces
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup panko or plain bread crumbs
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
• 3/4 lb ground beef
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 12 grape tomatoes
• 3/4 cup lowfat sour cream
• 24 frozen peas, thawed

Recipe Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with foil liners. Place the potatoes in a pot, add enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt, reduce heat and simmer until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; stir in the bread crumbs. Add the garlic and carrot and mix to combine. Add the beef and pork and mix just until incorporated. Divide the meat mixture among the foil liners and push a tomato into the center of each one. Transfer to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the meat registers 155°F, 14 to 16 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the sour cream and 1/4 tsp salt and mash until very smooth. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-in. ribbon tip (Wilton 104). Transfer the meat loaves to a platter and pipe the potatoes back and forth over each top to resemble a mummy’s wrapping. Place 2 peas on each for eyes.

Have a safe and Happy Hallowe'en and practice portion control and mindful eating with your candy and chocolate.

Steph Wheler, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Lean Cuts of Beef

So you feel like have a steak or roast, but you're also trying to be conscious of your food choices. The Canadian Beef website has posted an article to let you know which Canadian beef cuts are the leanest.

According to the site, eight beef cuts qualify for the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check™ program:

• Eye of round
• Inside round
• Sirloin tip
• Top sirloin
• Flank
• Strip loin
• Cross rib
• Outside round

Meat and alternatives are an important source of nutrients in Canada's Food Guide. Remember to include variety in your choices and you can also make your beef choices lower fat by:

• Choosing one of the 8 cuts recommended above
• Trimming away any visible fat
• Using low-fat cooking methods such as broiling, roasting, stir frying or grilling
• Limiting added fats like oils, dressings, mayonnaise, gravy and cream sauces
• Choosing serving sizes recommended in Canada's Food Guide. (One serving of meat is 75 grams - about the size of a deck of cards)
• Choosing lean or extra lean Canadian ground beef or rinse regular ground beef with water after cooking

The USDA recognizes 29 cuts of beef as meeting their regulations and qualifying as lean or extra lean. The Mayo Clinic article on lean cuts recommends asking your butcher, grocer, or waiter if you aren't sure of the lower fat option (especially since it might appear with a different name). The extra lean cuts are:

• Eye of round roast or steak
• Sirloin tip side steak
• Top round roast and steak
• Bottom round roast and steak
• Top sirloin steak

**Try to remember ROUND and SIRLOIN (see diagram).



Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com