One Pan Short Ribs

As mentioned earlier, my ♥️ Day gift to Grenville was a cookbook, Simple One-Pan Wonders (Jamie Oliver). As much as we like dining out, we also enjoy home-cooked meals, plus this gift is longer lasting than candy or flowers. We have watched Oliver's show online and since Grenville had mentioned he wanted the accompanying book, it was a win-win surprise.

When I mentioned the book in that previous post, several folks commented that they would be interested in reading about any recipes tried from the book. Last weekend, we enjoyed the first of many future meals. 

The recipe is exactly as shown in the book. However, there were some changes in our home: Walnuts were omitted (we did not have any). Sweet potatoes replaced the white potatoes. Onion marmalade is not a pantry staple; Grenville found an online recipe. And, the recipe was halved.

That said, here's the first recipe chef Grenville prepared from Simple One-Pan Wonders.

Beef Short Ribs

Beef Short Ribs 

(Simple-One Pan Wonders)

Serves 6 / Prep 26 min / Cook 4 hours

• 6 beef short ribs bone in (approx 3-1/2 lb)
• 2 heads celery
• 6 carrots (1-1/4 lb total)
• 1-3/4 oz shelled walnuts
• 6 oz onion marmalade or jam
• 2 C smooth ale
• 6 baking potatoes (3 lb)
• creamed horseradish (to serve)

Preheat oven to 325℉.

 

Put a large shallow casserole pan on medium-high heat, and brown ribs all over, turning with tongs, for about 15 minutes. Trim the celery using a vegetable peeler to remove stringy outsides. Chop off the bottom 5 inches of each and cut lengthways into quarters, finely slice the remaining stalks, reserving any nice leaves. Peel the carrots and leave whole.

Once ribs are browned, remove to a bowl. Put all the celery and carrots into the pan with the walnuts and onion marmalade, toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Pour in 2-1/2 cups of water and the ale, then nestle the ribs back into the pan, making sure they’re submerged. Cover with a sheet of damp parchment paper. Roast 4 hours, or until the meat easily pulls away from the bone, basting halfway.

Scrub the potatoes, prick all over with a fork and bake alongside the ribs for the last 1 hour and 30 minutes. Skim any fat off ribs, remove bones, and serve with dollops of horseradish, sprinkled with any reserved celery leaves and potatoes on the side.

Fat 32.2g / Sat Fat: 12.2g / Protein 32.3g / Carbs 66.4g / sugars 28.6g / Salt 0.9g / Fiber 7.6g

Our recipe rating was a definite two forks up and will be on a future dinner menu. 😋

Grenville, a well pleased chef

Back to the Beach

Nope, we're not going to the beach (sigh) and no we didn't go to one on our recent anniversary getaway. More on that recent and fun adventure comes in future posts.

The "beach" we're returning to this coming week is the South Beach (SB) Diet plan. The basics of this plan was detailed in an previous post, so I won't repeat them here. 

Our reasons are much the same as before. We need to alter our eating habits, especially after our anniversary road trip when we ate out every day. We have all the SB cookbooks with lots of recipes. This past weekend we stocked up on veggies, chicken, and seafood.

The SB diet, started by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatston in the 1990s, focuses on controlling insulin levels and the benefits of unrefined slow carbohydrates (whole wheat, brown rice, bran, beans, nuts, vegetables) vs. fast carbs (breads, sugar, fruits, starchy vegetables). 

Fast carbs rapidly break down into sugar. If eaten regularly, they keep blood sugar elevated and can lead to weight gain. Slow carbs are higher in fiber and provide the body with energy over a longer period without a rapid elevation in blood sugar. Another benefit is you won't feel hungry as often. In fairness to fast carbs, they're beneficial after exercising. According to some nutritionists, a rapid rise in blood sugar restores glycogen (sugars stored for energy) in the muscles and liver if eaten 2 hours afterwards.

No, we haven't avoided processed foods (as we thought)
We didn't consider ourselves to be processed food junkies. There's no hidden chips, cookies, canned soups, instant mixes in the pantry, no frozen or microwave foods in the freezer, and we avoid fast foods. That was before I fully understood about them.

Online reading was an eye-opener. I knew that the definition of processed food included ones packaged in boxes, cans, bags. It also applies to meats preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives: sausages, bacon (a breakfast favorite), ham, salami, pepperoni  (pizza favorite). 

Besides going through complex manufacturing, processed foods usually have additives, artificial flavorings and "non-natural" ingredients. 

Is something processed or not? 
Check the ingredients; the rule is: if it's a longer list, the more the food is processed. These foods likely contain ingredients you can't recognize or ones you wouldn't have in your kitchen. To eat healthier, advocates advise shopping in the outer grocery food aisles, vegetables, dairy meats, seafood. That alone doesn't always ensure non-processed foods.

That said not all processed foods are off-limits. Minimally processed foods like bagged spinach, salads, pre-cut vegetables, nuts and others are packaged for convenience and can still be healthy. Others include foods processed at their peak to lock in nutritional quality and freshness, such as canned tomatoes, frozen fruit and vegetables and canned tuna.

Processed foods can be beneficial. Milk and juices can be fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Canned fruit (packed in its own juice) is an option when fresh fruit is unavailable. The challenge is to distinguish between good-for-you lightly processed vs.heavily processed foods; these are foods not recognized as food in its original form (potato chips, crackers) or non-naturally occurring foods (soda, donuts, cookies, candy).

Not only are we now reading a lot much more about processed foods, but also all grocery store food labels. (This definitely adds more time to our grocery store trips.)

You may have heard of "clean eating." This buzzword term usually refers to how a food is produced. It means avoiding processed and refined foods and basing your eating on whole foods. In other words, farm = clean vs. manufacturing facility = not so much since these are foods have more "steps" along the way. 

"Clean eating" is not about eating more or less of certain foods, but being "mindful" (another buzz term these days) of the food's path between its origin and the plate. It's eating whole or "real" foods that are not or are minimally processed, refined, and handled, keeping them as close to their natural form as possible. 

It's not so much a diet, but an eating lifestyle: "If you can’t read it, don’t eat it. If it sounds complex, or like a word out of chemistry class, chances are it is." 

This past weekend we used foods from the freezer and pantry before starting on the SB plan:  Country style ribs with homemade BBQ sauce and sweet potato salad with Greek yogurt  and fresh veggies. (Recipes to come in a future post). 

Do you have an eating or diet plan you follow?

Do you Zoodle?

How?
By spiralizing your veggies.
Not "spiraling" down something, like these stairs . . .

or even like these . . .

This post is about using a spiralizer kitchen gadget. These are available in different types from  smaller hand-held ones to larger counter-top models. The compact models resemble an oversize pencil sharpener; larger ones are about the size of a toaster. 

How do they work?

It's like using a pencil sharpener. Spiralizing is a way of turning vegetables and fruits into noodles using this new and, if you believe advertisements, must-have kitchen gadget that originated from Japan (although most of them are made in China). 

On smaller spiralizers, the vegetable is twisted by hand, whereas on larger ones, turning a hand crank makes the gears work. The end result is a pile of curled vegetable (or fruit) ribbons.  Here's a pile of zoodles we made last week using yellow squash and zucchini. It's quite colorful too.

We read that health conscious folks like using the spiralizer because spiralized vegetable pasta, for example, is gluten-free, vegetarian, low carb friendly, nutritious and a more wholesome way to eat. 

So, who doesn't want to eat healthy, have kitchen fun and buy a new gadget too?

That said Grenville and I have climbed onto jumped into this new food prep method and bought first one, and then a second, larger spiralizer.  

Our spiralizing fun started with buying a small spiralizer that looks like a stubby pencil sharpener. Accessories included a ceramic peeler, small cleaning brush and carry bag. While we were having a good time playing with prepping vegetables,but learned we couldn't do ALL veggies using one type or spiralizer. Any that were rounded, like onions, didn't work in the smaller one. So Grenville upgraded to a larger model. (Isn't that what guys do?)

The above photos are not an endorsement for either product since you can find comparable ones in stores or online. These are just the ones we purchased and used.

And, did I mention, that it's fun to make noodles. There's a LOT of veggies and fruits than can be spiraled,  like: apple, beet, bell pepper, butternut squash, carrots, cucumber, potatoes, parsnip, onion, rutabaga, zucchini. We haven't tried them all — yet.

Finding recipes is easy as there's a LOT of online websites. You can also buy spiralizer recipe books or you could just have fun in the kitchen, like we've been doing.

Which leads me to the post title. We've done several batches of zoodles the past 2 weeks; it's the the term for spiralized zucchini noodles. We sautéed these with olive oil and herbs; others were topped with tomato sauce. There's a lot less calorie guilt with zucchini pasta! 

You could slice and shred vegetables into ribbons with a julienne peeler or mandoline slicer. Being kitchen nerds and foodies, both are in our kitchen arsenal. But using some other gadgets can be more time consuming and not nearly as much fun. 

Have you ever zoodled?

The Princess Returns

WOW… that sounds like something out of King or Tolkien. ‘Return of the King’ or ‘Return on the Gun Slinger’. For a special welcome home dinner i made Turkish Braised Lamb Shanks. Now these poor lamb shanks had been languishing in the back of the freezer just begging to get out and onto a plate. And we had talked about this even before the NJ Trip. So today they became “Turkish Braised Lamb Shanks”. This is a recipe for four (4) but i cut it in half and it worked pretty well.

2 Tbls Paprika	2 Tbls Ground Cumin
2 tsp Ground Cardamom	2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Allspice	.5 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp Salt	1 tsp Black Pepper
4 Lamb Shanks 1-1.5 Lb	.25 cups olive oil
2 Lg. Onions chopped	.5 Lb Plums
.25 Cups Sugar	1 cup White Wine
2 cups HOT chicken Stock	Salt & Pepper to Taste

Mix the Paprika, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, salt 7 pepper in a bowl. Rub the spice mix into the lamb shanks creating a spice covering that coats the shanks completely. Set them aside in the refrigerator. Cut the plums in halves or quarters and remove the pit. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the  onions and cook till they begin to brown. Add the plums and the sugar and cook for about five more minutes. Remove the onions and plums with a slotted spoon and set aside. Brown the lamb shanks in the hot oil. Make sure they are well browned on all  sides. Add the white wine and cook till it is reduced by half. Next add the chicken stock (did you remember to warm it????) Now return the onions and plums. Set to simmer covered for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until lamb almost falls off the bone. After about an hour you might want to turn the shanks so both sides have time in the broth.

I served this over a bed of wild rice with a side of fresh cut Asparagus and fresh baked Italian bread.

 

 

 

Sorry, No left overs!!!!!! And you thought just the Princess could cook. We will finish tonight off with some HOT FUDGE on top of Chocolate Peanut butter ice cream and part 1 of H.P. and the Deathly Hallows.

Waldoboro & Moody’s Diner – A Tradition

Waldoboro is a town in Lincoln County, Maine. In 1773, the township was incorporated as Waldoborough, named for General Samuel Waldo.

Early industries included an iron foundry, a grain mill, sawmills and planing mills, furniture and molding mills, a door, sash and blind factory, and a carriage factory, also marble and granite yards and a pottery. But, once again, ship building was the prime business and eight large vessels built in 1880. In 1888, Waldoboro was the launching port for the first five masted schooner, the Governor Ames. It was the county seat until 1880 when that designation shifted to Wiscasset

History aside, Waldoboro’s most famous claim is that for over 80 years it has been home to Moody's Diner on US Route 1 – always operating as a family business. Moody’s Diner website attributes its longevity to: good food; reasonable prices; and quick, pleasant service.

“Locals aren't expected to go elsewhere during tourist season and tourists aren't gouged for their vacation cash - it's never going to be that kind of place.”

In 1927, Percy B. Moody (P.B.) built three small, simple cabins on the present Rte 1A with no heat or running water and renting for $1 a night. By the end of the first summer, over 600 travelers had rented cabins. Additional cabins were built, bringing the total to 18. A restaurant followed in the summer of 1930, serving only breakfast and dinner. Then in 1931, a lunch wagon was added to serve hot dogs and hamburgers during the day.

When the state moved Route 1, P.B. Moody bought land and built a road connecting the cabins to the new route. The small lunch wagon  moved too and a screened porch was added – the start of what became Moody’s Diner. When travelers stopped for a 5 cent cup of coffee or 10 cent sandwich, they were told about the $1/night cabins at the top of the hill. Bertha Moody, managed the cabin business, and was the pastry chef too. The Moodys were parents of nine children and all worked in the family business. Presently, 31 family members of the family, including great grandchildren, still work in the business.

Sample 1930s menu – times (and prices) have changed !

Over the years, the diner was enlarged and renovated with the final changes 2004; the diner now seats 108. In summer months, the bakery supplies 50-60 pies, 10 dozen muffins, 8 dozen donuts, and 40 dozen biscuits daily.

Moody’s Cabins, now Moody’s Motel, remains a quarter mile drive off Rte 1 with 23 units, open mid-May to mid-October.  Accommodations have been upgraded since the 1930s days. Units include a screened porch, shower and toilet, automatic heat, TV, and this year – wireless internet. The nightly rate is now  $54-$64.

  A gift store added in 1998 is open May-December and carries Moody's-related items, apparel, Maine gifts, jewelry, and other items.

Daughter Nancy Moody Genthner is the author of What’s Cooking at Moody’s Diner – 75 Years of Recipes and Reminiscences which contains favorite recipes, photographs and anecdotes related to the diner. It’s now in its second edition with 59 new recipes and more photographs and anecdotes.

 A trip to Maine is not complete without a stop at Moody’s, where its just like coming home.

Waffle Warfare.

One of the latest ploys by the hotel/motel industry to lure you in is the ‘Free Continental Breakfast’. In our travels we have encountered everything from instant coffee and day old pastry from a grocery store to fresh waffles, eggs, bacon, and fluffy biscuits. Sometimes these breakfast rooms are a little small and you have to wait your turn. 

But this morning was the first time we had to fight for our ‘free continental breakfast. 
When we checked in yesterday we noticed 2 tour buses in the lot and another just unloading. This is usually a bad omen with regard to breakfast. The group that was unloading on arrival was the Russian National Tourist Trap Buying Team who had been touring the local tourist haunts. The other two were unknown.

Beatrice and i, being savvy travelers and complimentary continental breakfast connoisseurs began putting together a strategy. Set the alarm to wake early (breakfast starts at 4:30 am here) and beat the rushing crowds.

Well the alarm went off, but i don’t move very fast at first light. So when we finally got down we were confronted by a large number of college girls in sweats, which turned out to be the Girls Soccer Team for Southern Maryland State University. They were a tough bunch but we battled our way in. Using standard Breakfast Battle Tactics we separated and opened a two front offensive. I made an end run for the waffle machine while Beatrice secured a table. Luckily the girls were all looking for healthy foods which gave me a clear shot at the syrup and butter. Next came the invasion of the Russian National Tourist Trap Buying Team who began filling their pockets with anything that was not already eaten, and then demanded more. 

We are not sure who had the third bus but there were rumors circulating that it was the Professional Bronx Sightseers and Roller Derby Team who had opted out of the ‘Free Continental Breakfast’, and had laid siege to the nearby Dunkin Doughnuts. This was probably  true as we did notice a large number of Police vehicles at the DD but then again it could have been a satellite precinct.
So next time you are lured into staying somewhere that offers a ‘Free Continental Breakfast’ brush up on your Waffle Warfare tactics.