Taiwanese Corn and Beef Kefta

Sorry...these items are not cooked...they disappeared way to quickly after they were finished cooking. :)

Taiwanese Corn

4 ears corn
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 medium shallot
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Crush the garlic clove, mince the shallot. Mix the soy sauce and the sugar then add it to the shallot and garlic mixture along with the chile powder. Add the vegetable oil until it is emulsified.

Spread sauce mixture onto corn with a brush and grill. Grill about 2-3 minutes per side until grilled all around.


Beef Kefta

Mix one pound of ground beef, 2 minced shallots, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup of chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons each of cumin, coriander, paprika and dried mint, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Form into balls; skewer and grill.

Beef Stew and Focaccia Corn Bread

Beef Stew
beef stewing meat, trimmed of fat
potatoes, cubed skins on
carrots, cubed
turnip, cubed
parsnips, cubed
onions, chopped
frozen peas
bay leaf
pot herbs
1 cup of water
2 tbs. flour
2 tsp. or more of beef bullion
oil for frying if the meat is lean.

I like to make my stew in a cast iron frying pan. I brown the beef and add the onions, then add the veggies. I take a large glass and add around 2 tbs. of flour, along with the beef bullion, and then I fill the glass with water. Pour the mixture into the pan with the beef then add the veggies. Add the bay leaf and allow the stew to simmer until the gravy has thickened. Then add the pot herbs and frozen peas lastly.


Focaccia Corn Bread

Add focaccia bread spices to your favorite corn bread recipe, you won't be disappointed. Here's my recipe that I got from a Better Homes and Gardens bread cookbook. I picked the cook book up at a yard sale several years ago, when we first moved into our house.

1 cup of flour
1 cup of yellow corn meal
1/4 cup of sugar
4 tsp. of baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt (reduce if you like, the focaccia spices with add flavor, you won't miss the salt)
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of oil or shortening (I use olive oil or canola oil)
focaccia bread spices (around 1 to 1 1/2 tbs. is my best guess.)

Stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, bp, and salt. Add eggs, milk, focaccia bread spices, and oil. Beat just until smooth. Turn into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes. Tip: if you have time, I would suggest adding the bread spices to the oil for a while prior to mixing all of the ingredients together. It softens the spices and your bread will be more moist.

Pineapple Beef Stir- Fry

I think everyone has a go to meal, this would have to be ours. It requires simple ingredients that we always have on hand and it's easy to put together. I got the recipe from a Company's Coming cook book that my dear friend, Jocelyn gave me for my birthday last year. I am not much of a recipe follower, but I understand that some people do prefer to cook with a one, so I've written it out for you. This recipe makes enough for two people...

Pineapple Beef Stir- fry

2 tbs. ketchup
2 tbs. soy sauce- I reduce this because of the high salt content
1/4 tsp. ground ginger- I use freshly grated ginger
1/8 tsp. garlic powder- I use crushed garlic
1/2 pound beef stir fry strips
cooking oil
2 cups of stir fry veggies
1/2 cup of pineapple tidbits- you can used canned- I use fresh
1 tbs. pineapple juice- I use fresh pineapple juice, you can use canned if you like
1 tbs. toasted sesame seeds- you can omit these if you are following a low fat diet like ourselves.
hot cooked Jasmine rice- it's our favorite, but any rice will do.

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl, reserve 2 tbs in a small cup. Add beef to bowl. Stir until coated and let stand in the fridge for 30 mins (it's not a big deal if you're in a hurry and don't have time for this. The meat will not be as tender or flavorful, but it'll work fine). Stir fry the beef mixture until done. Remove the beef from the pan and add the next 3 ingredients until the veggies are tender crisp. Add beef and reserved ketchup mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. I serve it over hot jasmine rice.

nutritional information provided in the Company's Coming Cook book:
I think it would be substantially lower in fat without the sesame seeds.
per serving (half of recipe without rice): 346 calories, 14.8grams of fat, 26g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 28g protein

Low fat Burgers

Did you know that some cuts of beef are actually lower fat than chicken? It's true! Check out this link.
I had my butcher trim all the visible fat from an inside round roast and grind it into hamburg. Keep in mid that a lower fat cut of meat means that it's going to be much dryer than a fattier cut. So here is what did to make a tender, juicy burger:

Burgers

200 grams of beef (enough for two people)
2 cloves of garlic and about 1/4 of an onion fried in cooking spray. Cooking them first adds moisture and flavor to the burger. It also ensures that you don't bite down on a half cooked onion because the burger cooks fast).
2 tsp. of old bay seasoning (recipe to follow)
1 tbs. of oatmeal (yes oatmeal!) you can use bread crumbs if you wish
1 egg white

Mix everything together and form into hamburger patties. You may need to refrigerate the patties if they're too soft to handle. Fry the patties in in a pan with cooking spray and don't over cook them or flatten them down or they'll loose moisture. Voila!
Each 100 gram beef burger is around 3 grams of fat. A lean ground chicken burger is 6 grams of fat/100 gram burger. No burger is complete with out fries...

Oven Fries
3 Large potatoes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
cajun seasoning

Cut the potatoes into long strips to resemble french fries and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Poor the olive oil over the fries and sprinkle generously with the cajun seasoning. Toss the fries around to coat evenly- get your hands in there! Bake in a 450 degree oven until they are crispy and browned. I've never been a fried french fry lover but have always enjoyed these.