Monthly Archives:

January 2019

Beef/ Entrees (Lunch or Dinner)/ Instant Pot or Slow Cooker/ Sunday Supper

Classic Braised Beef Short Ribs

This classic dish is a pot full of satisfying comfort food good enough for company. These are even better the next day. This recipe is cooked in the oven however I have also included instructions for cooking in the Instant Pot (IP) or slow cooker (see notes section). Serve over Mashed Cauliflower.

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By Shéri Dixon, B.S.N., R.N. – Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 3-4 hours and 15 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 330°F.

2

Season the short ribs thoroughly with salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven with a lid over medium high heat, add avocado oil and then cooking in batches add about 4 ribs to the pot. Fry the ribs for 10–15 minutes to brown really well on all sides.

3

Add the halved garlic head, cut side down, pushing it to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato past and heat for a minute or two to cook it out the raw tomato flavor.

4

Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to the boil and cook for 10–15 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half, then add stock to nearly cover the ribs

5

Bring to the boil again, basting the ribs with the juices.

6

Cover the roasting tray with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 3–4 hours, basting now and then until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone.

7

Serve over mashed cauliflower

8

About 10 minutes before the short ribs are ready to come out, fry the pancetta for 2–3 minutes until crisp and golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4–5 minutes until tender. Drain off any excess fat.

9

When the short ribs are ready, remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and pass through a sieve. Spoon off any excess fat from the beef cooking liquid, then strain it through the sieve and mix with the garlic. (If the sauce is too thin, reduce the cooking liquid by heating for 10–15 minutes more after straining.)

10

Serve the short ribs topped with the hot pancetta and mushrooms and the sauce poured around. Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley.

11

Enjoy!

Nutrition

  • 361 Calories
  • 7g Carbohydrates
  • 60mg Cholesterol
  • 23g Fat
  • 1g Fiber
  • 21g Protein
  • 7g Saturated fat
  • 652mg Sodium
  • 2g Sugar
  • 11g Unsaturated fat

Notes

These can also be cooked in the Instant Pot (IP) or slow cooker but are best when slow braised in a dutch oven. Cooking in the IP: Brown the ribs and then place in the IP and cover with liquid. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high and set time for 40 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer's directions. Natural-release pressure according to manufacturer's directions. Slow Cooker: Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

January 29, 2019 By
Entrees (Lunch or Dinner)/ Food in 30 Minutes or Less/ One Pot Wonders/ Pork

Sausage with Cabbage Alfredo

This is a wonderful dish that can be made with a variety of proteins with the cabbage alfredo as the base. Here it is shown with chicken spinach and feta sausage (Costco Kirkland, Chicken Sausage with Spinach & Feta). I have also used spicy sausage such as Conecuh® Cajun Smoked Sausage.

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Sausage with Cabbage Alfredo

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By Shéri Dixon, B.S.N., R.N. – Serves: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes or less – Cooking Time: 15

Ingredients

  • 1 package of sausage, sliced (sauté in butter if using chicken sausage)
  • 2 tablespoons of butter or the render fat from the sausage (see note below for additional seasonings)
  • 1 medium head of cabbage sliced (this can be cut-up ahead time as part of meal prep or can use bagged coleslaw mix to speed up the processed)
  • 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese plus some for serving
  • 2-4 ounces of cream cheese (optional)

Instructions

1

Sauté sausage in a pan, reserving render fat and add cabbage and cook to desired texture.

2

Stir in heavy cream, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly to combine.

3

Add back into the pan the cooked sausage to incorporate all the ingredients.

4

Place in a serving dish and top with more parmesan cheese, if desired.

5

Enjoy!

Nutrition

  • 448 Calories
  • 10g Carbohydrates
  • 97mg Cholesterol
  • 37g Fat
  • 4g Fiber
  • 19g Protein
  • 18g Saturated fat
  • 886mg Sodium
  • 5g Sugar
  • .g Trans fat
  • 5g Unsaturated fat

Notes

This is the base recipe and additional seasonings can be added to taste. Crushed red pepper or garlic can be added to the render fat or butter before adding the cabbage. Onion would also be delicious.

January 22, 2019 By
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker/ One Pot Wonders/ Side Dishes/ Sunday Supper

Incredible Collard Greens in the Instant Pot

An incredible side dish to go with Mustard Herb Pork Tenderloin and Mashed Cauliflower. Make it this Sunday!

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Incredible Collard Greens in the Instant Pot

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By Shéri Dixon, B.S.N., R.N. – Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large bunch of collard greens, washed, stemmed, and torn roughly in 2-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon Surkin Gold Brown Sugar Alternative (see note for recipe to make your own)
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • ½ -1 pound ham hock
  • red pepper flakes (optional)
  • hot sauce (optional)
  • hot peppers (optional)

Instructions

1

Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot. Cook for 25 minutes and then quick release.

2

Remove the ham hock and take the meat off the bone. Chop up and add to the greens.

3

Add red pepper flakes, hot sauce, or hot peppers if desired.

4

Enjoy!

Nutrition

  • 76 Calories
  • 3g Carbohydrates
  • 18mg Cholesterol
  • 4g Fat
  • 5g Protein
  • 1g Saturated fat
  • 325mg Sodium
  • 1g Sugar

Notes

Brown Sugar substitute recipe: 1 cup erythritol (granulated), 3/4 teaspoon maple extract, 3/4 teaspoon Stevia Glycerite (optional)

January 15, 2019 By
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker/ Side Dishes

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

How to cook spaghetti squash oh let me count the ways! This describes the various ways you can cook spaghetti squash using a variety of appliances. My favorite way is cut in half length wise and baked in the oven.

All methods begin using these instructions:

  1. Start by scrubbing the spaghetti squash.
  2. Seeds can be removed before or after cooking (except when cooking whole). I prefer to remove them after cooking.
  3. When cutting the squash cut in half lengthwise (from stem to end), for shorter spaghetti strands. and down the middle (between the stem and the end) for longer strands.
  4. Cook until tender (easily pierced with a knife).
  5. Cool enough to handle use a spoon to scrap out seeds and a fork to shred into “noodles”. 

OVEN METHOD: (3 ways) Preheat oven to 375° F. 

  1. WHOLE: Place the whole spaghetti squash in a baking sheet and bake for about an hour or until tender. Turn the squash over halfway through cooking to ensure even cooking. 
  2. HALVES: Cut the squash in half, place on a lined baking sheet cut side down and bake for 40-50 minutes or until tender. 
  3. RINGS: Cut squash into rings and place on a lined (using a silpat, parchment paper or foil) cookie sheet.

SLOW COOKER METHOD: Place squash in slow cooker and place the cover on.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours or until tender.

INSTANT POT (IP) METHOD: Cook whole or cut in half to fit into the IP.  Add 1 cup water. Secure lid, turn valve to seal, and set for 20 minutes on high pressure. When timer goes off, quick release pressure by turning the valve to “vent.”

MICROWAVE METHOD: Cut squash in half. Place cut-side-down in a microwave-safe baking dish. Fill the dish with water so that it is about 1-inch deep. Microwave for 5 minutes, check the squash and continue to microwave for 2 to 5 minutes until tender.

NOTES: Cooked spaghetti squash can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 8 months. Place the noodles to freezer-safe zipper bags. To avoid freezer burn, squeeze as much air as possible out of the bags before sealing. Stored in the freezer, cooked spaghetti squash is good to go for up to eight months.

NUTRITION per 1 cup: 31 Calories 7g Carbohydrates 1g Fat 2g Fiber 1g Protein 17mg Sodium 3g Sugar

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January 8, 2019 By
Entrees (Lunch or Dinner)/ Fish/Seafood/ Naughty to Nice/ One Pot Wonders/ Sunday Supper

Shrimp Lo Mein

This recipe will satisfy your desire for food with an Asian flair. There are multiple ways to cook a spaghetti squash and as such the time for cooking the spaghetti squash not included in this recipe. See my recipe for cooking spaghetti squash.

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Shrimp Lo Mein

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By Shéri Dixon, B.S.N., R.N. – Serves: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

1

Prepare the spaghetti squash

2

Combine the minced garlic, ginger, half of the green onions, and peppercorns, optional chili peppers to create the seasoning mix

3

Using a cast iron wok or cast iron skillet heat the sesame oil over medium high heat and the seasoning mix and heat until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add in the shrimp and cook just until pink on both sides. Stir frequently so the garlic mix doesn't burn. Remove the shrimp to a bowl and set aside.

4

Add additional sesame oil if needed to the wok or pan

5

Add in the the mushrooms, red pepper and broccoli and cook until slightly softened about 2-3 minutes.

6

Add in spaghetti squash and stir until combined. Combine the coconut aminos and erythritol and pour over and toss. Taste for salt and add salt to taste, if needed. Top with the remaining green onions.

7

Enjoy!

Nutrition

  • 200 Calories
  • 11g Carbohydrates
  • 224mg Cholesterol
  • 7g Fat
  • 1g Fiber
  • 22g Protein
  • 1g Saturated fat
  • 927mg Sodium
  • 2g Sugar
  • 4g Unsaturated fat

Notes

You can use white, baby bella or crimini or shiitaki mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms will double the carbohydrate count but also amp up the flavor considerably.

January 8, 2019 By