Healthy Smoothie Change Up Recipe-Revised Edition

Revising this smoothie recipe to discuss further the cinnamon controversy.  It has been researched throughout the world, and most cinnamon is a double edged sword. On one hand the cinnamon aids with the metabolism of sugar, but it is also hard on you kidneys. However, this applies to all cinnamon, except "True" cinnamon, which is called Ceylon Cinnamon. If it does not say Ceylon Cinnamon, it is probably Cassias Cinnamon also call Chinese Cinnamon.  If you use as much cinnamon as I like to then you are better off using the Ceylon.  

I have been experimenting with super food smoothie recipes. I've tried all kinds of stuff, and keep changing it to enhance the taste and potency. I have found that my cravings leave when I'm getting good nutrition from the foods I eat. What a surprise?NOT.  Well today I think I found a great recipe. One that most people will like a lot.

Just a little history here.

I have been trying to get my husband to drink these, and he takes a taste of mine and says it has sand in it. Huh? I don't use sand, and I don't notice this, so I go on experimenting. Today he tried my new concoction, and said it was nice and smooth, Eureka!

There are a few things that I did differently today. One I used my new Nutri-bullet blender; two I blended it a lot longer; and, three I use cashews instead of almonds in the recipe. I had already noted that the bullet actually pulverized chia seeds right in the drink mix, really a surprise as the Magic Bullet did not do that. So now I have a really well blended smoothie.

The smoothie experiment started as a desire to concoct Clean Gut Smoothie recipes. I used their list of ingredients and started whirring my way to health with the Magic Bullet, and it was working its magic. I didn't mind the chunkier feeling of some or the ingredients, as it actually allowed a bit of chewing which was an added bonus for me, but the hubby didn't like that.  So when I saw a great deal on a Nutri-Bullet, I snatched it up, and am glad I did. This is still a great recipe if all you have is a Magic Bullet, but there is a lot of texture in the smoothie.

Ingredients: Links are to nutritional facts for the food

Handful of baby spinach and kale*
1 inch of Ginger
1/2-3/4 cup of frozen blueberries
2 teaspoons of Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar-this really enhances the flavor, and is so good for you
1/8-1/4 cup of Raw Cashews-you can use them dry or soaked, but I used the dry ones. It's less work
Vegan Protein Powder-check canister for serving size-I decrease mine as the chia & nuts have protein also
1/2 teaspoon of Ceylon Cinnamon-do not exceed more than 1 teaspoon of cinnamon daily, see first paragraph.
1 scoop or serving of Organic Chia Seeds; check the package for serving size**
1/2 to full dropper of liquid stevia extract. I prefer the alcohol extracted as it is less bitter, not a Glycerite
Fill the bullet with half coconut water and half filtered water-watch not to over fill or it will leak

Now the secret is to whir this thing for at least a minute.  You will also find that if you let this sit for 15 minutes in the refrigerator that it will thicken due to the chia seeds. I like mine a little thick, hubby likes his more thin and sucks his down right away.

This one is a definite change up recipe, try a list of the following indigents:

Cored apple-leave the skin it is a good source of malic acid adjust berries as necessary
Cored pear-leave the skin adjust berries as necessary
Whole Grapes with seed-resveratrol in those seeds and skins adjust berries as necessary
Carrots-for beta carotene 
Organic Celery for Vitamin K, which helps coagulate blood
1/4 of a Small Red Beet-Scrubbed well if organic, peeled if commercial
1/2 to 1 whole Banana***
Try strawberries or mixed berries instead of blueberries. Beware of large raspberry seeds



Note: this is not intended as medical advice, it is just my experience.
*Cruciferous Vegetables such as kale and spinach are in the news for causing trouble for people who have thyroid problems. Do some research and decide for yourself if you want to use them. I don't have any issues, and have blood work every year because I'm OLD as dirt.
**Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day, as the chia soaks up liquid like a sponge. It will build a brick in you bum if you don't get adequate liquid to transport it. Trust me, I know.
***I have mixed feelings about bananas. For those people with no problems with diabetes or Insulin Resistance this is an excellent addition to the smoothie. For those people with diabetes or Insulin Resistance, beware, they are very high in carbohydrates, and will raise you blood sugar level a lot. Green bananas have less sugar, but they also have less of the cancer fighting benefits. They add great flavor and texture to the smoothie, so you weigh the benefit. I generally use 1/2 in an evening smoothie, but be careful, as this may also increase you desire to snack as the effects of the sugar wear off, so this is a great addition if you are going to bed soon after consuming one. It might even help you sleep better if you wait until it is out of your stomach.
****See cinnamon warning, I recommend using Ceylon with caution.

Savory Green Smoothie

This smoothie was a challenge that I gave myself to get away from sweet tastes. I drink two smoothies a day, and I needed something different. I have trouble with red tomatoes, so gave yellow tomatoes a try. They are lower in acid with about the same taste. 

The recipe is easy, and you could probably make this with any types of herbs and spices that strike your fancy. Mine is a chili inspired concoction. I guess I should mention that I use organic ingredients when they are available. I was things really well also.



Ingredients

1/2 Avocado-I will probably only use 1/4 on the next smoothie, this one is very thick.
1 small to medium yellow tomato
1 stalk celery
1 handful of baby spinach
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
dash of ground red pepper to heat desired
Water to fill a 20 oz glass

Whir all this in the blender, and adjust water as necessary for the consistency you like.

This makes a good raw dinner. It meets the requirements for the clean gut die, and the plan. I actually used this as a test for the plan to see how well I tolerate yellow tomatoes.  It was a success, and I have added this to my safe food list.  I didn't do the exact calculations on the calories, but it is very low calorie.  It is satisfying, and something I will be using to break the monotony of the sweet smoothies.

I'm thinking of trying some balsamic vinegar, fresh basil, and oregano for an Italian twist on this mixture.  Will update the blog when I do that. Oh, another thought is adding lemon to the mix above. Looks like I have a great line up of things to try. May have to turn this one into a change-up recipe.

Oh a little secret. Let this set for about an hour in the fridge before drinking, this allows the herbs to release their good flavors. I learned this trick with gazpacho, and did it with this     

Homemade Almond Milk-Without Waste

Homemade Almond Milk

I wanted almond milk that didn't have additives, sugar, and other stuff that I couldn't control. Also, some of the almond milk had roasted or blanched almonds in them. I wanted them raw, and in a small town like the one I live in, you just can't buy it off the shelf.

I found that our local Meijer's store sells raw almonds at a decent price. I can make the milk, dry out the remains of the milk process, and make almond meal, that is almost as fine as regular flour, right in my food processor.  Win-Win. I don't know if you have priced almond flour, but you would probably cramp the budget some.

I make the milk by the 1/2 gallon in my 1/2 gallon ball jars I got from Amazon by accident. I was a bit miffed at first, but just love them now.  This doesn't make lots of flour, but it is enough to bread some cod fillets, and they are yummy (all recipes below). It also has the added benefit of being gluten free. It also meets the requirements for the Clean Gut process, see video for info.

Milk Recipe

Ingredient list 1/2 Gallon:

2 C Raw Almonds (Soak overnight in filtered water in the refrigerator.)

Enough Filtered water to make 1/2 gallon after the milk is processed

1/4 teaspoon Xanthum Gum

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla (Optional)

15 drops of alcohol extracted Stevia-the powders and glycerin extracted ones stink for this. (optional)

You can use any sweetener that suits your fancy.

Rinse the soaked almond, don't worry about taking the hulls off these, it just doesn't matter.  Place them in a blender that seals, use enough filtered water to process.  Process until the almonds are ground well.  Strain the almonds from the milk at this point. Pour the milk back into the blender. Save the left over almonds.

This part must be done quickly as possible to prevent lumps. Mix the Xanthum Gum with a bit of water, and pour into the blender while it is running. If your blender doesn't have a port for that you can stop briefly, but begin processing quickly or you may end up with gum lumps.  Process for a while to mix the gum well into the milk.

Add the sweetener and vanilla, if using, and blend a bit to incorporate.

End of Milk Process

Almond Meal/Flour

This process will give you a finer consistency of flour than using almonds before the milk process.  Spread the wet almonds out on a cookie sheet, (if you have a dehydrator that also works). Place the almonds in an over set at the lowest possible setting. You really don't want to roast them, just dry them.

Depending on how much you have this takes about 1-2 hours.  Check them occasionally to judge the timing. Once they are completely dried out, process them in a food processor or blender until they are a fine powder.  Keep an eye on it; I'm told this could end up going to almond butter, but I have never had that come close to happening.

Fish Breading

This was a major surprise to me when I first made it. I don't have a picture of it right now, as I am still processing my next batch.  I will post the picture of my fish later this week, as it is on the menu.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Almond flour

1 egg

1/4 C milk

Old Bay Seafood Seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste. I don't use salt, and we don't miss it.

Enough oil to cover bottom of pan. I use grapeseed oil, and keep my pan on medium heat.

Mix the egg and milk. Dredge the fish in the wet mixture, then in the flour. Place in a hot skillet, and season with the old bay. I make sure you can see it really well, as we like this a lot.

Cook until the flesh is opaque, and flakes easily. This will depend on the type of fish.  I use cold water white fish, such as cod for this recipe, but my daughter uses almost any fish in the process.

I hope you enjoy the recipes.

Namaste

Green Diuretic Juice

Highlights in this article not by this author, but by google or other unwanted junk authors.

The weather is getting nicer, and warmer. This is good, because I am uncomfortable with cold weather. The problem with warmer weather is that I start to retain more water. I'm not sure I understand why, but I do know that it gets worse the warmer it gets.  I have decided that I need to do something about this. 

Exercises work to a point, but I also have some problems with arthritis that is exacerbated with to much repetitive movement.  So I watch my ankles, and when they get too out of hand I am using my diuretic green drink. I love how it tastes, and it is a simple whole food.  

I use all organic vegetables and fruit, because I  like to use them without peeling them.

The recipe is simple:

Makes 1 quart-has no fat and maybe 5-10 calories, and is loaded with vitamins, and antioxidants. 

Ingredients:

1 Lemon Zested and Juiced
1 inch of cucumber diced
1/2 inch of ginger-not peeled if organic
5-8 parsley leaves-no stems
10-15 drops of stevia extract-I prefer alcohol extracted.
Filtered water to fill quart jar.

Directions:

Juice the lemon, pour in jar.

Grate the ginger over the jar.  I just leave the ginger root whole, and grate off a 1/2 inch.  This way you get both chunks of ginger, and juice.

Place the cucumber and parsley in a blender with a small amount of water, and whir until the veggies are in really minuscule pieces. I use my Magic Bullet for this, and that works perfectly.

Now pour everything into the jar, and let it cool down in the refrigerator. It actually improves in taste if you leave it for the night.  I make this in the evening, and refrigerate it over night. It is a good juice with breakfast.

You should drink a jar a day when you are retaining water. This juice has so many wonderful health benefits.  Remember too much of even a good thing can be harmful.  Even this dilute, healthful concoction, in high volume, may be harmful to your teeth due to the acid effect of the lemon.  See warning in the live strong reference.

I'm also starting the Clean Gut Detox by Alejandro Junger, M.D., and this drink fits the bill there.  I'm trying lots of new recipes, that will be right in line with that diet, so stay tuned for more great recipes.

I hope you enjoy,
Namaste



References:
http://www.dietobio.com/aliments/en/cucumber.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/035044_parsley_antioxidants_blood.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/033562_ginger_health_remedy.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/036663_home_remedies_lemons_health.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/16266-lemon-natural-diuretic/ 

OOOOEY GOOEY Neiman Marcus Cake

This is one of my favorite desserts. It is rich, gooey and easy to make.  It looks great, but doesn't last long. It is a holiday favorite; that is, any holiday is an excuse to make it. I know there are so many take off of this cake, but I've been making this one for about 40 years and we like it the best. This is not a super healthy snack, it is an occasional celebration treat.

Ingredients:

Cake
1 box of Butter Cake Mix
1 stick of butter-melted
1 extra large egg, anything smaller makes it hard to mix this cake

Topping
1 box of Powder Sugar
1 8oz. pkg of cream cheese at room temperature/softened, or you won't be able to mix the topping
1 extra large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F-bake for 35 minute or until golden brow on top.  Rack should be in the center of oven

Cake
Mix together cake ingredients and press into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish/pan.  This is a bit of work as the batter is very stiff.  Don't try an electric hand mixer as it will burn it up, this is the voice of experience speaking.  If you can't get it mixed, you can add up to a couple of table spoons of water one at a time.

Topping
Mix all ingredients; this one is easier to mix. Pour into the pan on top of the cake and spread it evenly across the cake.  Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

My family enjoys this so much that we make it all the time, not just at holidays.  It is really rich and caramelly.  The crust is a little chewy. What's not to love.

Hope you enjoy.
Namaste 

Joyful Survival

Update 4/9/2013--OK, well Leilani's sister informed me that she is not the author of the poem, but didn't remember who wrote it. I suppose that doesn't matter so much to me, as the sentiments are very real and appropriate for the pictures she includes here. It also is valid for any who have family and friends that have passed the veil of death.~

A friend of mine passed a few years ago, and I seem to mourn her still. She was forever writing poetry of rather melancholy subject matter. Some are very cryptic and probably mean volumes to her, but are more difficult for those of us who are on the outside looking into her mind. This poem, however, is so easy to understand based on the pictures she has attached to the hand written poem. Her mother just shared some pictures, and other wonderful things from her life, and I am so glad of this particular poem penned by Leilani.

It appears that she wrote this while her dog Melisa was still alive, but getting older. The picture is of Leilani and Melisa in a very familiar pose for them.  It was Melisa's birthday, and they were celebrating it in her typical loving fashion. You can almost speculate what prompted this poem, and I find it to be comforting in so many ways.

I'm sure that she never meant this for those of us who have survived her untimely death, but it is ever so comforting just the same. The attitude of surviving after the lose of a loved one is just the way I want to carry on after those I love pass on. The message is move on. If you wish to grasp on to the lose, do it in ways that comfort others, and thus comfort yourself in the process. The phrase "Feed not you loneliness on empty days," just hits the mark when followed by "But fill each waking hour with useful ways."

This is how we survive the lose of loved ones. Let go, let them pass. A friend once told me that a Buddhist nun told her that when we desperately grasp on to the memory and agony of the passing of a loved one, and go into long and deep grieving mode we hold the spirit of the person or animal in this plane of existence. I'm not sure if I believe this, or not, but on the outside chance that this is true, I want to be able to let go.

The message here is to fill your days with useful ways; volunteer, take up a hobby, stay busy and take care of yourself. In the end you will be united again when you pass without fear, knowing your loved one is waiting to greet you.

~Namaste

I am sharing the words, as the graphic of it didn't scan well.

When I Must Leave You

When I must leave you for a little while

Do not grieve and shed wild tears,
and hug your sorrow through the years,
but start out bravely with a gallant smile,
and for my sake and in my name,
live on and do all things the same.

Feed not your loneliness in empty days,

but fill each waking hour with useful ways.

Reach out your hand in comfort and cheer,

and I in turn will comfort you and hold you near,
and never, never be afraid to die,
for I am waiting for you in the sky.

                              ~Leilani Lea Hineland

What a Beautiful Girl

I found this exchange hilarious.  Can you imagine someone thinking that Ozzy is a girl.  ROFL.  Just couldn't resist this.  This is from my pinterest board, and it is public.  I didn't know how to link it.

Communion

I was cruising through Facebook today, and came across a post that made me groan.  It was an insult to most human intelligence.  People were not made to be alone.  We are made to exist in this world in families, and communities.  Our ancestors knew they needed to band together to assure their survival.  The industrial revolution has allowed us to forget these things.  We create huge government bodies to perform the functions that used to be the province of the community, and when our government fails, as it surely will, we become enraged by this.

We need to remember what the word communion really means.  I'm sure that many of us "Go" to communion on days of worship, and that is a true communion with God our Source.  The word communion has another deeper meaning that I believe Jesus meant when he suggested that we do this in remembrance of him.  Communion as defined in the Oxford American Dictionary means:  Social dealings between people.  Now here surely is the major meaning that Jesus would have considered when he suggested that we do this in remembrance of him.  It isn't about putting just bread in our mouths.  It's about establishing communion with the other people that have the same needs.  The same desire to survive in this world to the best of their ability.

Communion is how we establish the network that helps our community survive.  Community means that we have common interest, goals or origins.  It is no surprise that communion and community have a common origin.  Go into your community and see what you can do to establish communion. See what you can do to provide for a common need.  We aren't talking money necessarily, but we can read to the elderly, give a break to a care provider who needs a break, take some food to those in mourning, or provide a ride.  Volunteer work is always rewarding.  This is all about paying it forward, for believe me when I say, "someday you will welcome this type of aid yourself."  It is in your establishing communion with your community that you will assure the survival of humanity, both in the sense of the species, and in our kindness and humaneness.

Stepping down from the soapbox now.
Namaste

Shortbread Done Right Reload-Learn to Cook Series

The previous recipe is still OK, but when I went to print this for my hubby, I realized that there are some spelling and grammar mistakes in the previous version.  I also added another trick to the process.  This is now added to the Learn to Cook Series™

Tips & Tricks

Ingredient Tips
Shortbread recipes are pretty simple, but there are a few techniques that make them great. The first thing is to start with good "Butter"; real butter. Margarine is noticeably different. This is not a recipe that you will make if you are worried about calories. This is a simple indulgence, and very tasty.

The second secret to really flaky, great textured shortbread is rice flour. My recipe is made with one cup of flour, and it does pretty well with just all-purpose flour. By substituting 1/4 cup of rice flour as part of the one cup flour, the texture is improved greatly.

Flour Freshness is important to this delicately flavored recipe. Because there aren't many ingredients in the recipe the rancid taste of old flour will stand out, you need to be sure that the flour is fresh. One of my favorite tricks for keeping flour fresher longer is storing it in the refrigerator. I put it in a glass or PBA safe plastic canister. PBA safe plastic is simple, play by the numbers, use containers with recycling numbers of #1, 2 or 4 and avoid the others.

Utensil Tips
I use the Brown Bag Shortbread Pans. These have proven to be outstanding for shortbread, and you can put them in the dishwasher, what a time savings. Most of the shortbread pans have intricate designs, and trying to wash them by hand proves to be very difficult. A pie plate will also work for this, but does not give the same browning on the bottom.

Do not try to process this with a mixer; I don't care how fancy it is. For one thing it makes the dough texture coarser, and for another the dough doesn't come together as nicely; quite a lot of unnecessary cleaning also. This is sooo easy to do by hand. All there is to clean is a bowl, spoon, and pan. Oh yeah, and a measuring spoon.

Ingredients

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter at room temperature

¹/₃ Cup Powdered Sugar

¼ teaspoon Vanilla-I prefer Watkins Double Strength Extract

¾ Cup All Purpose Flour-Make sure it is fresh with no rancid aroma-I like King Aurthur.

¼ Cup Rice Flour-Fresh with no rancid aroma-Bob's Redmill is what I use.

1/8 teaspoon of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Spray Brown Bag shortbread pan with nonstick cooking spray; be sure you get good coverage of the surface so you don't have a sticking problem. Make sure the spray is fresh and doesn't have a rancid smell. Using any other method to grease the Brown Bag pan may result in areas of poor coverage due to the patterns in the pan. A pie plate can be greased anyway you want.

In a small mixing bowl cream the powdered sugar, and butter together.

Add the vanilla to the butter & sugar, and mix thoroughly.

Add the flour and work it into the butter mixture. When it starts coming together I dump it into a bit of plastic wrap, and fold up two sides and press the dough together, give the wrap and dough a quarter turn and press again.  I pull the wrap off the dough and repeat until the dough is in a ball that doesn't fall apart ¹.  Then I just pick it up in my hands and knead it by folding it in half, and squeezing it together; then in half again and squeeze. I keep doing the fold/squeeze until I have nice smooth dough. This can take a few minutes to do right. I've been known to walk into the living room to check on the TV while kneading the dough. :) You can use conventional kneading methods on a floured board, but my texture is lighter because I'm not incorporating additional flour into mine.

Place the dough ball into the center of the pan. Press it out to the sides of the pan, try to maintain and even layer. I make sure that I press all cracks from the edges of the dough. Prick the dough with a fork all over, to allow steam to escape from the bottom of the pan.

Place in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

When it comes out of the oven I run a knife around the edge of my pan to loosen the shortbread. I place a dinner size plate over the top of the shortbread pan, and flip both of them over. The shortbread will probably just drop out of the pan, but if it doesn't, wrap the plant and pan on the counter, and it will drop out. If you didn't get enough nonstick spray, then some may stick in the pan.

I cut mine on the cut lines of my pan design, which is 8 pieces as soon as it comes out of the pan. A pie plate works for this also, and you can cut that into 8 pieces as well. Cutting it immediately make a much nicer presentation than when it cools more. If it is cold, all you get is a bunch of crumbs, and that looks, well...crumby.

This is so simple, and so good. I make this when I deserve an indulgent treat. My poor skinny hubby would like it more often, but my health just won't handle that, and I can't eat just one. I'd be willing to bet that most people would have trouble just eating one piece.

1 Add text.

I hope you enjoy.

Namaste

New Years Day Good JUJU Sausage & Sauerkraut Yummmy

I'm not a superstitious person, and I don't think my mother was either, however, we ate this meal every New Years Day for good luck.  I think it worked, because we have all lead rather charmed lives.  I expect it is a combination of all good education on the ethics that my family, especially my mother, continually filled our heads with.

This dish is a good combination of savory and sour, with just a bit of sweet and loaded with umami.  The flavors burst in your mouth.  The feel of this dish on the tongue is so satisfying that I eat way more than I should.  Oh that never happens, OH yes it does all the time.  OK here is the Good JUJU meal for 2013.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 Tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• Sausage, Polish, kielbasa, smoked-I like the kind that comes in a ring.  Chicken or turkey work here, but you may need a little more oil.  I found some good beef, pork and chicken combos.
• 1-1/2 Cups Rhine white wine
• Large Jar Sauerkraut-Drained and rinsed well; I used Eden Brand organic
• 2 cooking apples-cored and sliced-organic see this article about organic apples
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar or 3 Tablespoons Sucanat
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 crush juniper berries
• 1 bay leaf
• Ground pepper to taste
• Boiled Potatoes-I left the skins on.  I scrubbed them well with a brush and cleaner  I cubed them and cooked them at same time.

Procedure

• Heat oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven.  I really like to use my ceramic-over cast iron, covered one here, as you don't want to use anything reactive/metallic as you will get an off flavor from the high acid content, and the cast iron will keep even heat and nothing will burn in it. *I did see some new research on the iron skillet concept though, and it looks as though using one to cook acidic food is a good way to get iron into your diet.  As a chemist I realize that this would be true, but also, it might be hard on the pan also.  I'm going to try this some time, but not now. See recommendation here.
• Place the onions in the hot oil (do not get it hot enough to smoke).  Cook and stir for about 2 minutes and add the garlic, cook until onions are soft.
• Toss in the sausage and let this brown well, then remove from the pan.
• Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan.
• Throw in the kraut, apples sugar, and spices; cover and cook until apples are done and falling apart into the sauerkraut, about 15 minutes.
• Throw the sausage and boiled potatoes into the Sauerkraut mix; cover and warm for about 10 minutes so the potatoes and sausage pick up the kraut flavor.
• Plate and enjoy.  This is an excellent winter food; very balanced.

I hope you enjoy this dish.  It is a winter favorite at our house.

Namaste

Smothered Cube Steak-Change Up Recipe©

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Oven Temperature:  350° F

When this starts cooking the whole family will be hanging out just waiting for it to be done.  This smells as good as it tastes.  It is simple and hearty.

Ingredients

• 1.5 # about 6 pieces of Cube Steak
• 1 Can Campbell’s Tomato Bisque
•  1 Can Campbell’s Beef Consommé
• ½ cups of diced onions, and mixed color dice bell pepper of choice-Each will give the steak a different flavor
• 1 Stalk of Celery chopped
• 2 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
• Dried Onion Granules for sprinkling on steaks while browning.  I’m not wild about the smell of frying beef.
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp of Parsley Flakes
• Salt & Pepper to taste.  I don’t add salt, because there is lots of it in the soups.

 Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350° F

Sprinkle the onion granules on the steak. Brown the steaks on medium high in an oven-proof Dutch oven.  One Tbsp of olive oil is enough for browning, depending on where you buy the steak, as some has less water in it.  While the meat is browning mix all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, reserving about 1/4 of the beef consomme.  When all the meat is browned take it out of the pan and deglaze*(how to below) the pan using some of the beef consomme.  Place the meat back in the pan.  Pour the sauce over the meat making sure it is between layers.  Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the meat.  If you need more liquid, just add some water.  Bake for 1 hour or until meat is cooked through.

Reduce the gravy that is left in the bottom of the pan until it thickens to a good consistency for mashed potatoes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a veggie.  I like spinach salad with mine.

How to Deglaze the pan:

Remove the meat from the pan.  Pour the beef consomme into the hot pan, and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the browned on meat bits from the bottom of the pan.  This is the deglazing, and should be done while the fire is still under the pan.  Place the meat back in the pan and proceed with the recipe as defined above.

Change Ups©: 

• Add 1 can of flavored diced tomatoes, or stewed tomatoes, instead of the tomato bisque.
• Use soy sauce instead of the Balsamic and Worcestershire, and add 1 Tbsp of sweetener of choice.
• You can leave out the onion granules if you don’t mind the smell of frying beef.
•  Add 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek to either rendition of this sauce.
•  Serve over brown or white rice of choice.
• .Use wine to deglaze the pan, and skip the balsamic vinegar in the sauce.

 The term Change Up Recipe is a copyright of WTP.