January 29, 2012: Steak With Pomegranate Reduction Recipe

My husband and I love ribeye steaks but the reason they’re so good is that they’re nicely marbled with lots of fat. In order to make a healthier version of this favorite, I bought thinner steaks and added a sauce to make it seem like more food was on the plate.

Steak With Pomegranate Reduction served with multi-colored potatoes with butter and parsley

Steak With Pomegranate Reduction

2 thin ribeye steaks (or other good quality beef steaks), about ½ pound total weight

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 t. olive oil

1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

¾ cup dry red wine (such as Merlot or Shiraz)

¾ cup pomegranate juice

1 t. butter

1 T. fat free half and half

1 t. jarred, drained capers

Take out the steaks and leave at room temperature for about half an hour before cooking. Sprinkle one side with salt and pepper.

Heat oil to medium-high in a heavy skillet. Add steaks and cook briefly on each side (about 2 minutes) to brown. Place on a plate and tent with foil. Keep warm in a low oven.

Reduce heat to medium and add garlic cloves to skillet. Saute for about one minutes, until slightly softened. Slowly pour in wine and pomegranate juice. Bring to a slow, rolling boil and cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter, half and half and capers; stir to blend ingredients.

To serve, place one steak on each plate and ladle half the sauce over the top.

Serves 2

January 7, 2012: Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli With Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Part of getting healthy and losing weight is incorporating more vegetables into your diet. I can do this easily as there are very few things I won’t eat but my husband has a harder time (to his credit, he hasn’t complained about our new eating habits and happily munches on salads and soups along with me).

While just about anyone will eat broccoli or cauliflower smothered in a rich cheese sauce, it’s harder to allow these vegetables to stand on their own merit. Roasting root vegetables at a high temperature, however, caramelizes them and gives them a different flavor profile that meshes perfectly with this vinaigrette.

Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli With Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 t. olive oil

1 cup broccoli florets

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/8 cup olive oil

1 ½ t. capers

1 T. finely minced shallot

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

½ t. Dijon mustard

¼ t. sea salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss cauliflower with olive oil. Place cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

While cauliflower is roasting, make vinaigrette. In a small, heavy saucepan, heat olive oil to medium low. Add capers, shallots and garlic; fry for about 2 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.

Toss broccoli with vinaigrette. Add to cauliflower and return to oven to roast for an additional 20 minutes.

Makes about 3 servings with 130 calories per serving.

December 31, 2011: Crab Stuffed Belgian Endive Recipe

My husband and I don’t really have any New Year’s Eve traditions other than enjoying a nice meal of steak and lobster. If you need to prepare an hors d’oeuvre for a party tonight, this recipe looks very elegant and fits the bill as far as including seafood in the menu. I got this recipe some years ago from The Food Network website and modified it slightly.

Crab Stuffed Endive

½ cup mayonnaise

2 t. Dijon mustard

2 t. lemon juice

½ t. minced garlic

¼ t. hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

¼ t. salt

2 T. chopped green onions

¼ cup seeded, small diced tomatoes

2 T. small capers, drained

1 T. minced shallots

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage

4 heads endive, cored, leaves separated and wiped clean

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, hot sauce and salt. Whisk to combine. Fold in the green onions, tomatoes, capers, shallots and parsley. Gently fold in the crab meat, turning to coat with the dressing and being careful not to break up the lumps. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the stuffing into the endive leaves.

Makes about 40 hors d’oeuvres