Bell Pepper and Steak Fajitas

As of late, the general business of life has transformed our weekly menu line-up into something quite mundane.  Last week I asked myself, what could be quick and delicious and a nice departure from the typical meals I'd been preparing.  Then I thought - "der, fajitas".  Fajitas are a great weeknight meal because you really only need one pan, there's minimal preparation and since you use thin slices of meat, it cooks fairly quickly.  If you don't already rely on fajitas to fill a spot in your weekly line up, consider shaking it up with this easy meal.

INGREDIENTS

2 bell peppers, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic minced or pressed
1 tomato, chopped (optional)
1/4 - 1/3 lb. steak, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp coriander
1 Tbsp paprika
Dash chili powder (or to taste)
Serves 2 to 3

DIRECTIONS
Cover the bottom of a large skillet lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and warm over medium to medium-high heat.  Add veggies, sprinkle with salt and stir to coat.  Cook veggies until just tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.  Add garlic and allow to rest on top of the veggie mixture.

Push the veggies to the side and add the sliced steak.  Cook until meat is browned on all sides.  Add 1/3 cup of water and the spice mixture and stir all ingredients together.  Simmer the mixture until the meat is cooked through and the sauce is thickened.

Depending on how hungry you and/or your clan is... serve solo, on top of chopped lettuce or in a low-carb tortilla (along side a salad to make sure you're filled up).  Top with chopped tomatoes if desired.

PHASES
If you're in the Tear Down Phase, don't use the tomatoes.  If you're in phase 1 you may want a little more steak for 2 people.  In Phase 3, serve over lettuce and don't overdo the meat.

NOTES

• MEAT: I used a beef loin flank.  I don't know if your families are as picky as Max, but he wasn't enthralled with this meat.  I'm definitely not an expert on cooking meat, but I find its really hard to dazzle Max unless I prepare a really great cut of beef (or just use ground).  If you have a picky partner or little ones, you might try a better cut of meat, marinating beforehand to tenderize a bit or just substituting chicken.  
• SEASONING:  If you prefer, you can use a packaged taco or fajita seasoning mix.  Make sure to check the sugar content.  

PASTA! I thought I'd never see you again...

After a few horrible interfaces with shiratake noodles - those weird tofu pasta wannabes that make me think I'm biting into little fingers - I thought my life with pasta was done.  But, I finally followed through and ordered some FiberGourmet pasta - as recommended by Gundry himself in his book.  This pasta is loaded with fiber, so doesn't have the same affect on your system that regular pasta does.  The best part - it tastes like the real thing.  You can buy a case (6 boxes) on the FiberGourmet website or you might get lucky and find it in some specialty grocery shops (for any of you in the Los Angeles area, Erewhon carries it).

Be aware though - it still is pasta and has a bunch of carbohydrates, so think of this as a treat rather than a weekday staple.  And, as always, watch your portion sizes.  Allow yourself about a cup of cooked pasta and supplement your meal with a salad or other veggies.

On our inaugural trip with this pasta, I decided to make a homemade pesto.  I served the pasta with a few halved cherry tomatoes and topped it with a slice of delicious burrata cheese.

The basic pesto recipe is below (courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis), but when it comes to pesto, you can be very creative.  You can really use whatever herbs or nuts you like.  

I used a mix of basil, parsley and oregano from the lovely, little "herb barrels" that my wonderful husband planted and I used a mix of nuts that I had on hand with hazelnuts, pistachios and macadamias. If you prefer, you can omit the nuts all together.  You can also play with additional flavors and ingredients - asparagus, avocado, sun dried tomato, squash, etc. 


Basic Basil Pesto Recipe
2 cups packed, fresh basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts*
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (approximately)
1/2 cup fresh, grated parmesan

Put all of the ingredients except the evoo and cheese in a food processor and whirl until finely chopped.  Slowly add in the oil until the mixture is combined and smooth.  Stir in the cheese by hand.  *To toast the nuts, spread out on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes until you can smell them roasting and they get a little golden.

Enjoy bringing a little pasta
back into your life!

Shake & Bake (not really)!

These ain't your mamma's pork chops!  While almost as easy as the boxed original, these "breaded" chops rely on almond meal and fresh ingredients for their deliciousness. According to Jonathan Waxman, whose recipe this is adapted from, the key to these tender chops is the one hour soak in the egg mixture - so make sure to plan ahead.

INGREDIENTS
2 boneless pork chops
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Almond meal
2 large eggs
2 Tablespoons grass-fed butter
1 lemon
2 cups arugula
Few slivers of Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Crack two eggs into a small baking dish.  Add about a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Place chops in a plastic bag or cover in plastic wrap and pound with the flat end of a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin until about 3/4" thick and then drizzle the chops in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Give both sides of the chops a light dusting of almond meal.  Then place the chops in the egg mixture, making sure to get egg on both sides.  Allow the chops to soak for an hour.

Place arugula in a bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a few shavings of Parmesan cheese.  Toss to mix.

Heat two tablespoons of butter and extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter is browned.  Pour almond meal into a shallow dish or a deep plate.  Set up an "assembly line" next to your skillet with the chops in the egg mixture and the almond meal.  Take one chop at a time out of the egg mixture.  Dip both sides in the almond meal until well-coated and then place in the skillet.

Cook about four to five minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked to your desired doneness.

Plate the pork chops and top with the arugula mixture.  Finish with a squeeze of lemon and serve with your favorite veggie side dish.

Balsamic Braised Brussels - Update

When I posted this recipe in April, I noted that I had an inkling that the recipe was intended for whole Brussels.  So, I kept an eye out for some baby-sized to medium Brussels and tried the recipe a second time.  It was, again, quite delicious.  The whole Brussels were a fun, new twist and made for a slightly more polished dish.

This time I used pre-chopped pancetta from Trader Joe's, which was a lovely, quick trick.

My recommendation: keep an eye out for baby Brussels, pick yourself up some pre-chopped Italian bacon and give this recipe a whirl.

I served it on top of mashed cauliflower this time.  It really is reminiscent of a rich, Italian stew - a totally satisfying meal.  See my P.S. at the end of this post for a super quick preparation of mashed cauliflower.

Tapas Party

The key to hosting a party is to not over-commit yourself.  I have a very hard time with this.  I imagine a glorious menu that seems doable and then when it comes down to it, even after cooking for three days, I'm still behind schedule and spend much of the event cooking and cleaning instead of enjoying myself.  Hosting a tapas party is a great way to avoid these pitfalls.  The trick is to buy a number of yummy and delicious store-bought items and mix in a few dishes of your own.  It's best to have dishes that can be served at room temperature.

Recently, we hosted a new friend at our home with a simple tapas party.  I bought some cheese, olives, nuts and charcuterie to complement two homemade dishes - yummy meatballs and roasted cauliflower.

Another dish you could serve is Tortilla Espanola - a staple dish at Tapas restaurants which is basically a frittata.  I often see it made with Spanish chorizo and potatoes, but you could easily swap out the potatoes for cauliflower or zucchini or make any variety of frittata you like (see some recipes here, here and here). Cut into bite sized pieces to serve.

At our little party, we complimented the tapas with the Layer Cake Shiraz - a really delicious, dense, fruity wine that you can find for $15 at Trader Joe's - a total steal!

Roasted Cauliflower with Capers, Parsley and Lemon Zest

While there are a laundry list of foods you can eat on Gundry, I find myself gravitating toward a few staples.  Cauliflower is definitely one of my "go-to" veggies.  I love it roasted, mashed or souped.  Recently, I decided to spruce up my everyday roasted cauliflower with a few capers, a handful of chopped parsley and some lemon zest.  It was a delicious combination and made for a special dish.

Simply roast cauliflower as you would normally (toss in olive, salt and pepper and then roast in a 350 degree oven).

Once golden and toasty (approximately 45 minutes) remove the cauliflower from the oven and transfer to a serving platter or dish.

Toss with capers and a drizzle of olive oil (if needed).  Top with chopped, fresh parsley and lemon zest (use a small cheese grater if you don't have a zester).

Enjoy!

P.S.  I have slightly modified my strategy for mashed cauliflower.  I boil it until tender and drain all but about 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid.  Then I add some salt and a tablespoon of grass-fed butter.  Next, I use my immersion blender to coarsely mash the cauliflower.  I finish it off with salt and pepper to taste and a little more water if needed.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Now don't use it as an excuse to gorge yourself on beans, rice, tortillas and super sugary margaritas!  Tonight, if you find yourself at a Cinco de Mayo happy hour or dinner here are some tips:

• Don't show up starving - you will find the chips irresistible.
• Order fajitas (any kind) and ask them to hold the tortillas and the side of beans and rice.  Most fajita dishes come pilled with meat and veggies and will definitely fill you up.
• For a little treat, allow yourself some quacamole - eat it with a fork or with your meal and stay away from the tortilla chips.
• Order a skinny margarita. Most restaurants use margarita mix or sweet and sour loaded with sugar.  Ask your bartender to make you a margarita with fresh squeezed lime juice.  If they happen to have agave syrup, ask for a splash.  If not, ask for a splash of triple sec (it's got a bit of sugar, but hey - much better than going with the regular margarita).

If you're getting into the Cinco de Mayo spirit at home, treat yourself to a skinny margarita or a "margarita flaca" as Max and I referred to them throughout our honeymoon in Mexico - we got many a chuckle out of our Mexican bartenders :)  Max also refers to them as Fungaritas - I guess because it was so fun when we discovered a way to bring margaritas back into our life.  And also, margaritas just go with fun, summery, relaxed times...

Margarita Flaca or Fungarita
Shot of tequila
Fresh squeezed lime juice
Drizzle of agave or stevia to taste
Top with sparkling water or soda

Another trick: Indulge in some guacamole (if you're out of the Teardown Phase), but serve it with endive leaves or bell pepper scoops.

Have fun celebrating 

and keeping it Gundry!