Using cinnamon to flavor your meat

Cinnamon doesn't always have to be a dessert spice.
It can be used to enhance the flavor of meat as well.

Baked Cinnamon Meat Loaf

2 Tbsp Nuoc mam (Substitute with soy sauce if fish sauce is not available)
1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp potato starch (may substitute with corn starch)
1 oz pork fat, very finely chopped
2-3 shallots, very finely chopped
oil, for greasing
1 lb lean ground pork

1. In a large bowl, mix nuoc mam, cinnamon, sugar and pepper together. Beat in potato starch.
2. Add mince pork, pork fat, and shallots. Mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil baking pan and spread pork mixture in it -- it should feel springy.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. For a more brown and crunchy texture, remove foil during the last 10 minutes.
5. Turn the meat loaf out on to a board and slice into strips.

Serve 4-6.

111 cals, 16g protein, 4.8g carbs of which 2.3g are from sugar, 3g fat, 47 mg cholesterol, 0.2g fiber, 9mg calcium, 54 mg sodium.

Can fried food and bacon be healthy? Let's try!

I know that this is going to sound like blasphemy to the diet and exercise world, but I am a HUGE proponent of eating "bad" foods.
I can't help it. I'm a passionate foodie.
But at the same time, I am careful about what goes and what sticks around.
I used to go on low carb diets, low fat diets, low calorie diets, low glycemic diets, carb-cycling diets, all which suck and made me a very unpleasant person to be around.
So once a week, I have a fry day. Tuesdays, actually, are my fry days.
But don't worry, deep-fried foods and bacon doesn't have to be bad for you.
The secret to great, healthy(er) fried foods to get preheat clean, healthy oils with a smoke point of 400+ degrees F. Oils such as canola, corn, soy or peanut are good choices. Oils such as olive oil have lower smoke points (about 350) and are better for sauteing.
Try to avoid breading when deep frying as these things tend to absorb a lot of oil and flake off making the oil dirty and more likely to burn.
Now, moving on to bacon.
Yes, it can be greasy, fatty, and bad for you. But surprisingly enough, bacon is high protein, low carb, full of robust flavor and when cooked crispy and drained, not so unhealthy.

That being said, tonight's menu was fried spring rolls, fried rice, and beef and bacon skewers. Comfort food. Yum. It's not something I eat every day, but once-a-week is a good compromise.

Savoring a little splurge with the diet

So what do you do when you have leftover steak and mashed potatoes?
Consider a different take your regular meat and potato fare.
Diet:
Orzo and broccoli salad
Roasted carrots and mushrooms
Bell pepper steak with rice

Splurge:
garlicky mashed potato biscuits


Orzo and broccoli salad

DRESSING:

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 med. garlic clove pressed or 1 tsp. garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 c. fresh basil or 2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp honey

SALAD:

3 c. steamed broccoli florets
8 oz. orzo, cooked al dente and drained
2 green onions, minced
1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
1 can chickpeas (optional)
1 small can sliced olives (optional)

In a small bowl, measure dressing ingredients and combine. In a larger bowl, combine salad ingredients. Add dressing and add more seasonings to your taste. Refrigerate.

Roasted carrots and mushrooms

4-5 medium carrots
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves
salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450F/230C.

Peel and cut carrots on diagonal into 1/4 inch thick slices. Toss carrots with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread a single layer on large roasting pan. Roast carrots 15 minutes.

Toss mushrooms with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil.

Add mushrooms and roast 10-15 minutes more. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.


Bell pepper steak

1 1/2-2 lb. leftover sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 c. chopped onion
2 green bell pepper, cut in slices
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. oil

Sauce:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 Tbsp. ketchup


Grease skillet with 1/4 cup of oil. Season steak slices with salt and pepper as needed. Brown meat on both sides. Put meat in plate. Add onions and garlic to skillet and cook until tender, stir in sauce. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes (until meat is tender). Add slice green bell pepper. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Garlicky mashed potato biscuits

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. leftover mashed potatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1/3 c. milk
1/3 c. cold water
Extra milk for biscuit tops.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in butter, until pieces of butter are no larger than peas. Use a fork to stir in mashed potatoes and garlic, breaking them up into chunks. Make a well in the mixture, and pour in egg, water and milk. Stir into a loose dough using the fork.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 6 or 8 times so the dough holds together. Pat the dough out to about 3/4 inch thickness, and cut into circles with a biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet. Brush the tops with a bit of milk.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden.

Happy eating.