Tonight's Dinner is Eggplant Rollatini. We will be accompanying the with a salad and a nice glass of Malbec. This is a simple dish - but the low sodium aspect calls for homemade marinara (which I am not embellishing too much as this is a weeknight dinner, but feel free to embellish away as you will!)
Ingredients
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 can Dei Fratelli Canned Tomatoes (no salt added) - bottom shelf most grocery stores
1 teaspoon chili powder (be sure this is no salt added)
1/2 cup flour
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 large purple eggplant
1 1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 teaspoon lemon seasoned olive oil or 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoons Frontier Pizza Seasoning - No Salt
Sliced Basil to Taste*
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 2 cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Saute onion and then add garlic - 5 minutes for the onion - about 7 minutes total, until onion is translucent. Add 1/2 can Tomatoes and chili powder and simmer for another 5-20 minutes (depending on the tomato variety you use), until sauce is thick like a marinara sauce.
Slice eggplant 1/4-3/4 inches thick. Coat with flour, then beaten egg, and arrange in single layer on greased baking sheets.
Bake for about 15 minutes per side until golden brown on each side. Remove from oven and rest. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta, lemon oil, pizza seasoning, and basil. Shmear the mixture on each eggplant round. Starting at 1 short end, roll up eggplant slices, enclosing filling. Arrange rolls, seam side down, in a nonstick prepared baking dish (butter or spray). Spoon marinara sauce over rolls. Bake 30 minutes longer.
*I didn't have fresh basil on hand tonight, so I added 1 tablespoon of homemade tomatillo sauce I made a few days ago (7 tomatillos, rinsed and husked, and 3 jalapenos or serranos - roast all ingredients in the broiler and blend in the blender with some cilantro).
Friday, February 24, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Chicken Marsala
Tonight's dinner is Chicken Marsala. Now I know what you are probably thinking - marsala wine is full of salt! For this tasty meal, I do not use grocery-store bought Marsala Wine, which has added salt. I purchased a bottle of Pellegrino Marsala Superiore Dry from Italy, which is super tasty, inexpensive ($12.99/bottle) and lasts for months after opening. After purchasing this Marsala Wine, Chicken Marsala has become a staple in our house - it's easy and super tasty!
Tonight I have modified my normal recipe a bit to be more on the diet side. I will add the non-diet ingredients in parenthesis if you wish to add them in :)
Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Essence Spice (homemade - see below for recipe)
8 white or bella mushrooms, washed and quartered
1/2 cup Marsala Wine (NOT grocery store variety - NO SODIUM)
(2 tablespoons unsalted butter)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
(2 tablespoons cream)
First you will want to trim all the nasties off your chicken. Then cut your chicken cross-wise into 3 pieces, leaving the thinnest pieces a little longer than the thicker pieces. Put down a layer of wax paper, or plastic wrap on your counter and place your chicken pieces. Place another piece of paper/plastic over the chickens and beat with a mallet or rolling pin, or bottle of wine if you dare. You want them to be about 1/3 of an inch thick.
Now take the flour and Essence and combine in a bowl. Dip each chicken piece and cover thoroughly with the flour, then shake any excess off. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil, or 1 tablespoon oil and 1 butter, to almost smoking. Brown both sides of the chicken pieces. This could take up to 20 minutes (10 minutes per side).
Remove the chickens to a plate to rest. Add the mushrooms and lower the heat to medium. Let the mushrooms soak up the chicken lerftovers - be sure to scrape any pieces off the bottom of the pan. Once the mushrooms have lost most of their moisture (4 minutes), add 1/2 cup of Marsala Wine. Then add your chicken, and the chicken stock. Get your chicken babies nice and coated with the juices and simmer slowly until your sauce develops and covers a spoon nicely (5-7 minutes). At this point you can add your cream if you like to be fat ;)
Essence Spice
I make this and and store it with my spice to use on any chicken dishes I make. Just combine all ingredients below.
Easy Side Dish -
Squash and Zucchini in Tomato Sauce
Chop an onion, some garlic and saute. Add 2 chopped squash and 2 chopped zucchini. Add in 1/2 of a 28 oz. can of Organic San Marzano Tomatoes (40mg sodium/half cup), 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon Frontier Pizza Seasoning, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Tonight I have modified my normal recipe a bit to be more on the diet side. I will add the non-diet ingredients in parenthesis if you wish to add them in :)
Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon Essence Spice (homemade - see below for recipe)
8 white or bella mushrooms, washed and quartered
1/2 cup Marsala Wine (NOT grocery store variety - NO SODIUM)
(2 tablespoons unsalted butter)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
(2 tablespoons cream)
First you will want to trim all the nasties off your chicken. Then cut your chicken cross-wise into 3 pieces, leaving the thinnest pieces a little longer than the thicker pieces. Put down a layer of wax paper, or plastic wrap on your counter and place your chicken pieces. Place another piece of paper/plastic over the chickens and beat with a mallet or rolling pin, or bottle of wine if you dare. You want them to be about 1/3 of an inch thick.
Now take the flour and Essence and combine in a bowl. Dip each chicken piece and cover thoroughly with the flour, then shake any excess off. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil, or 1 tablespoon oil and 1 butter, to almost smoking. Brown both sides of the chicken pieces. This could take up to 20 minutes (10 minutes per side).
Remove the chickens to a plate to rest. Add the mushrooms and lower the heat to medium. Let the mushrooms soak up the chicken lerftovers - be sure to scrape any pieces off the bottom of the pan. Once the mushrooms have lost most of their moisture (4 minutes), add 1/2 cup of Marsala Wine. Then add your chicken, and the chicken stock. Get your chicken babies nice and coated with the juices and simmer slowly until your sauce develops and covers a spoon nicely (5-7 minutes). At this point you can add your cream if you like to be fat ;)
Essence Spice
I make this and and store it with my spice to use on any chicken dishes I make. Just combine all ingredients below.
- 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Easy Side Dish -
Squash and Zucchini in Tomato Sauce
Chop an onion, some garlic and saute. Add 2 chopped squash and 2 chopped zucchini. Add in 1/2 of a 28 oz. can of Organic San Marzano Tomatoes (40mg sodium/half cup), 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon Frontier Pizza Seasoning, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Labels:
chicken marsala,
diet,
italian food,
low sodium,
no salt
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Amy's Turkey Meatball Curry
Dinner tonight is light and healthy as my fiance and I are on a diet. You might have noticed that none of my recipes have called for butter, cream, or carbs! It's the wedding diet...
So...this is a now-famous recipe that I made up one day. It incorporates some of my favorite tastes - coconut milk, ginger, lime, and curry. This is a quick and easy-to-make crowd pleaser that I usually serve over mashed potatoes, but being on a diet and all I made mashed cauliflower tonight. I included a pic of the mashed c-flower at the bottom of this post for those who care, but it's literally blended and boiled cauliflower (it IS tasty, though) :)
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
99% fat free ground turkey (diet people!) - 1 package from your local grocer
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder (some chili powders have salt - beware!)
1 tablespoon no salt curry powder
Curry
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic gloves, minced
1-2 jalapenos (or any pepper you like)
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
5 bella or white mushrooms if you like
1 can coconut milk
1/2 lime or lemon
2 tablespoons or more no salt curry powder (I use a few varieties, all from Spices, Inc - the Madras is my fave)
Sprinkle all turkey meatball ingredients except turkey in a large non-stick saucepan. Open your turkey package and use your knife to cut and separate your meat into squares for easy meat-balling. I do 3 across and 4 down (see photo).
Making the Meatballs
Meanwhile, add a teaspoon of olive oil to a non-stick skillet and saute onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapenos or pepper of choice and saute for a few more minutes. Add the ginger. Chop or slice your mushrooms, add, and cook until liquid evaporates. Add your meatballs!
Meatballs Meet Veggies
Always cut open a meatball to check for doneness - the entire ball should be white.
So...this is a now-famous recipe that I made up one day. It incorporates some of my favorite tastes - coconut milk, ginger, lime, and curry. This is a quick and easy-to-make crowd pleaser that I usually serve over mashed potatoes, but being on a diet and all I made mashed cauliflower tonight. I included a pic of the mashed c-flower at the bottom of this post for those who care, but it's literally blended and boiled cauliflower (it IS tasty, though) :)
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
99% fat free ground turkey (diet people!) - 1 package from your local grocer
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder (some chili powders have salt - beware!)
1 tablespoon no salt curry powder
Curry
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic gloves, minced
1-2 jalapenos (or any pepper you like)
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
5 bella or white mushrooms if you like
1 can coconut milk
1/2 lime or lemon
2 tablespoons or more no salt curry powder (I use a few varieties, all from Spices, Inc - the Madras is my fave)
Sprinkle all turkey meatball ingredients except turkey in a large non-stick saucepan. Open your turkey package and use your knife to cut and separate your meat into squares for easy meat-balling. I do 3 across and 4 down (see photo).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSG7sxsEUEKPRciQdVGmKPajZmbkISI4m0ZCLvsVSVFenJUw9zESc2kg-qi3ypfsgQ5NZi9uKA4aWAzWEnG9WaQz9arlqSlLcf0kS1-IsVvkKpq7GvtrJiRvOi6dlsDCLzBc3y0oId0U/s320/IMG_2614.jpg)
Take one square in your hand and press together a few times to make the turkey stick together, them roll between both hands to form a meatball. Choose one side of your saucepan to begin placing your meatballs - take your first ball and roll it in that area to pick up the spices and sauces. Leave your meatball there and repeat the process until all your little babies are in the pot and your spices and sauces have been soaked up! Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the meatballs and shake the pan so that the oil coats to the bottom of the pan, and begin cooking on high. Once you meatballs begin to brown, you will want to turn your heat down to medium and use tongs to gently pick up each meatball and turn them, and drop them so that a new portion is cooking. It is very important to cook all surfaces of your meatballs well. If a little burning happens, that is just fine. Be absolutely sure that you brown each little spot of each little meatball-baby!
Meanwhile, add a teaspoon of olive oil to a non-stick skillet and saute onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapenos or pepper of choice and saute for a few more minutes. Add the ginger. Chop or slice your mushrooms, add, and cook until liquid evaporates. Add your meatballs!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMHwP7JX1dqKrmwDaByuaKAlZZwEZ89KUJOHzgu5zAv9zy307cLI3t7TmQVYIBUQNqpFeS5Hv0f_1yUdK8k6RV1FJDEKtFmSGUw-VIvsawD8m_jI8MajL7Mlyi89K_vM-cBqKrcWRXlc/s320/IMG_2616.jpg)
Be absolutely sure that your meatballs are crusty all around each one - you don't want ANY pink or white to be showing...they should be pretty well cooked (otherwise they will get soggy when you add juices). Add coconut milk, lemon or lime juice, and your curry powder to taste. Cook uncovered until the sauce coats your spoon.
Always cut open a meatball to check for doneness - the entire ball should be white.
Chili Braised Beef Brisket
Being on a no salt diet is not easy, eating out is not really an option, and you can't simply just make a sandwich at the office. What I do for my weekly lunches is cook a few dishes on Sunday and pack 'em up for the week :) This coupled with some salad gives me a gourmet week with no hassle at the office! This week I am cooking a beef brisket. You might be thinking that's a lot for one person, but trust me, everything I eat my fiance eats too!
Ingredients
1 star anise
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
black pepper
10 dried chilies (pisillo or ancho, will work fine) - seeded
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
sherry or red wine vinegar
1 onion, finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes or 1 can no salt added chopped tomatoes or half a package of POM chopped tomatoes
1 4ish pound brisket
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350F. In a small skillet, roast star anise and fennel, stirring with a wooden spoon until fragrant and beginning to brown. Grind the star anise, fennel seeds, and 5 of the dried chilis in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Rub all over brisket with black pepper to your taste.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SXolURqiB5dihtdDjFJidbtE5q4l1xH9GJQ3Ncbajb3la0GkeBEVV2PK1HmpnNw2xeCeQNRL1R7FsSSW0an1SKUTcWVBUlCzZWtKnr9pviLAdag4M2cc3z8hGyBV59PmbAmfFof0hOE/s320/brisketuncooked.jpg)
Boil 3 cups of water in a small sauce pan, once it is boiling, turn off the stove and add the remaining chilies. Let them soak for about a half hour.
Heat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil in a heavy large fry pan or dutch oven until nearly smoking. Brown all sides of the brisket, using tongs to turn the meat. Don't fret if the spices begin to blacken on the bottom of the pan. Once the meat is browned, remove and place on a platter if using a dutch over, or place in a large glass baking dish if not using a dutch oven.
Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, adding a little bit of the chicken broth to scrape up the brown bits in the pan. While the onion is cooking, place 1 cup of the chili soaking water with the chilies in a blender and blend. Add the chili sauce to the onions, and add the tomato sauce or grate the fresh tomatoes on the largest openings of your grater, and cook for another minute or so. Add the remaining chicken broth and chili/onion mixture to your brisket dish (or add your brisket back to your dutch oven), and cover with a lid or tin foil. Place in the oven for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.
Let your baby rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into her, and only cut off what you plan to eat the next day to keep the rest fresh and lovely. I actually let my entire beast rest in pan in the fridge overnight with all the juices so I can skim off the fat that thickens at the top, then I make my lunch for the morning :)
Ingredients
1 star anise
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
black pepper
10 dried chilies (pisillo or ancho, will work fine) - seeded
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
sherry or red wine vinegar
1 onion, finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes or 1 can no salt added chopped tomatoes or half a package of POM chopped tomatoes
1 4ish pound brisket
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350F. In a small skillet, roast star anise and fennel, stirring with a wooden spoon until fragrant and beginning to brown. Grind the star anise, fennel seeds, and 5 of the dried chilis in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Rub all over brisket with black pepper to your taste.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SXolURqiB5dihtdDjFJidbtE5q4l1xH9GJQ3Ncbajb3la0GkeBEVV2PK1HmpnNw2xeCeQNRL1R7FsSSW0an1SKUTcWVBUlCzZWtKnr9pviLAdag4M2cc3z8hGyBV59PmbAmfFof0hOE/s320/brisketuncooked.jpg)
Boil 3 cups of water in a small sauce pan, once it is boiling, turn off the stove and add the remaining chilies. Let them soak for about a half hour.
Heat 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil in a heavy large fry pan or dutch oven until nearly smoking. Brown all sides of the brisket, using tongs to turn the meat. Don't fret if the spices begin to blacken on the bottom of the pan. Once the meat is browned, remove and place on a platter if using a dutch over, or place in a large glass baking dish if not using a dutch oven.
Add the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, adding a little bit of the chicken broth to scrape up the brown bits in the pan. While the onion is cooking, place 1 cup of the chili soaking water with the chilies in a blender and blend. Add the chili sauce to the onions, and add the tomato sauce or grate the fresh tomatoes on the largest openings of your grater, and cook for another minute or so. Add the remaining chicken broth and chili/onion mixture to your brisket dish (or add your brisket back to your dutch oven), and cover with a lid or tin foil. Place in the oven for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.
Let your baby rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into her, and only cut off what you plan to eat the next day to keep the rest fresh and lovely. I actually let my entire beast rest in pan in the fridge overnight with all the juices so I can skim off the fat that thickens at the top, then I make my lunch for the morning :)
Labels:
beef brisket,
diet,
low sodium,
lunch,
no salt,
party,
peppers
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Eggplant Pizzas
These little guys are great for an alternative to carbs - they are quick and easy to make, and healthy too!
Ingredients
1 large purple eggplant
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots
1/3-1/2 cup Pom Diced Tomatoes (no salt added)
1 tablespoon Fresh Oregano
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (it is low in sodium, but check the brand to make sure it has no more than 50mg of sodium listed)
Gruyere Cheese for shredding (this can be low in sodium cheese - check the packaging before you buy)
First preheat your oven to 350F. Then slice your eggplant so that you get large even rounds about 1/3-1/2 inch thick. On a cookie sheet, drizzle enough olive oil so that all of the eggplant rounds will have some oil under them. Place all rounds on your cookie sheet in a single layer and put in the oven for 10 minutes.
While your eggplants cook, julienne slice your shallots and saute in a small saucepan using a little bit of olive oil. After the shallots sizzle for a few minutes, add the Pom Diced Tomatoes and let simmer uncovered on a lower stove setting. Take your oregano leaves and rip them, and throw them into the pot. This should simmer about 6 minutes or so. If you are drinking red wine or happen to have an open bottle around, a few tablespoons in the sauce will add nice flavor. Remove your eggplants after 10 minutes, and spoon the tomato sauce onto each round.
Add a dollop of Ricotta Cheese to the center of each round, and arrange a few pieces of your diced mozz cheese. Grate a very small amount of Gruyere on the top, add some fresh black pepper if you wish, and toss 'em back in the oven for another 10 minutes. When you pull them out the cheese should be melted and the eggplant tender. Enjoy!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GV6T4Qs1lEJ_Y8-HB2qYMefPNDsB0qhMusA-21wfRzoy2AWtKN5Uj7kW24VzXxHLMRSxkfV7JGMA9axM-BBBv0FEMu9MTJbR6mluFaGLMuUJTA7wz6eHqrTwfUhbENqwX9hgC9orYVI/s320/eggplant2.jpg)
Ingredients
1 large purple eggplant
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots
1/3-1/2 cup Pom Diced Tomatoes (no salt added)
1 tablespoon Fresh Oregano
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (it is low in sodium, but check the brand to make sure it has no more than 50mg of sodium listed)
Gruyere Cheese for shredding (this can be low in sodium cheese - check the packaging before you buy)
First preheat your oven to 350F. Then slice your eggplant so that you get large even rounds about 1/3-1/2 inch thick. On a cookie sheet, drizzle enough olive oil so that all of the eggplant rounds will have some oil under them. Place all rounds on your cookie sheet in a single layer and put in the oven for 10 minutes.
While your eggplants cook, julienne slice your shallots and saute in a small saucepan using a little bit of olive oil. After the shallots sizzle for a few minutes, add the Pom Diced Tomatoes and let simmer uncovered on a lower stove setting. Take your oregano leaves and rip them, and throw them into the pot. This should simmer about 6 minutes or so. If you are drinking red wine or happen to have an open bottle around, a few tablespoons in the sauce will add nice flavor. Remove your eggplants after 10 minutes, and spoon the tomato sauce onto each round.
Spoon Your Sauce On
Add a dollop of Ricotta Cheese to the center of each round, and arrange a few pieces of your diced mozz cheese. Grate a very small amount of Gruyere on the top, add some fresh black pepper if you wish, and toss 'em back in the oven for another 10 minutes. When you pull them out the cheese should be melted and the eggplant tender. Enjoy!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GV6T4Qs1lEJ_Y8-HB2qYMefPNDsB0qhMusA-21wfRzoy2AWtKN5Uj7kW24VzXxHLMRSxkfV7JGMA9axM-BBBv0FEMu9MTJbR6mluFaGLMuUJTA7wz6eHqrTwfUhbENqwX9hgC9orYVI/s320/eggplant2.jpg)
Buen Provecho!
Smoked Steaks with Porcini Slather
I cook everything I eat without salt - amending recipes, substituting ingredients and making foods from scratch are my specialty! My fiance brought home some lovely New York Strip Steaks from the Market and so I decided to make Smoked Steaks with Porcini Mushroom Slather for an early gourmet dinner :)
For this recipe you will need a charcoal grill, wood chips for smoke flavor, as well as a spice grinder (I use my coffee grinder).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiaiuwjJD2JEVXxsMl2vfY6JrzinHvnAV_21WND-xNsJUGUHzHRWZk-qRDSe1Oav0wuMMyeh4Y9ZXH7o4Cv2KI-vfZzWP7pbYgktNsXJB-s57fWrxf2VcaTeYdifOo1yTF5lOKUiN9zA/s320/opensteak.jpg)
Ingredients
For Steak:
2 New York Strip Steaks
Worcestershire Sauce
Balsamic Vinager
Chinese 5 Spice
Spices, Inc Salt Free Steak Rub
For Slather:
1-2 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms (or a mushroom mixture)
6 garlic cloves
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 sprinkle of sugar
Steaks
First, soak a handful of wood chips in a bowl of water - chips need to soak for at least a half hour so that they do not burn up in the grill. Get your coals started in your coal starter. We use natural lump charcoal, which burns clean and does not leave any weird starter fluid residue on our foods :)
Next, you will want to take your steaks out of the fridge so that they can come to room temperature. We will be adding a little bit of a marinade to the steaks, as well. First, sprinkle a small amount of Worcestershire and Balsamic on the steaks - be sure to turn them over a few times so that the liquids evenly coat both sides of the meat. Then apply the tiniest amount of Chinese 5 spice powder - just a few specks on each side. It is important not to put too much Chinese 5 spice on the steaks or the flavor will outshine your porcini slather, which would be silly. Next take your Salt Free Steak Rub and rub a generous portion into each side of the steak. Applying pressure helps the rub penetrate into the meats and stay on during cooking. Now you can let your steaks hang out while you get your charcoals poured into your grill. Once your charcoals are nice and hot, go ahead and brown each side of your steaks for 1-1/2 minutes. The grill should be very hot for this step. Once your steaks are browned on all sides, let them rest, uncovered, and prepare your slather while your grill cools slightly. Temperature for smoking should be around 400F.
For the Slather
Grind the dried mushrooms in your spice or coffee grinder and add to a small bowl. Peel and mince garlic into same bowl. Add 1 sprinkle of sugar (more if desired), and enough olive oil to make a mushroomy sludge (see picture).
Now that your Grill is ready to smoke, spread your soaked wood chips evenly across the coals and place your steaks on the rack, closing the lid quickly to keep the smoke inside. You will want to keep your grill's vents open enough to keep the fire going, but only slightly cracked to retain the smoke inside the grill. Cook the steaks on 1 side first before adding the slather, for about 5 minutes. Then flip the steaks and add the slather to the top of each steak, and quickly close the lid to retain smoke. Cook for about 5 minutes longer for medium-rare.
These little guys are gourmet with no need for salt!
Finished Steaks
For Reference, here is the salt free steak seasoning, which can be purchased at
http://www.spicesinc.com/p-460-salt-free-steak-rub.aspx
Buen Provecho!
For this recipe you will need a charcoal grill, wood chips for smoke flavor, as well as a spice grinder (I use my coffee grinder).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMiaiuwjJD2JEVXxsMl2vfY6JrzinHvnAV_21WND-xNsJUGUHzHRWZk-qRDSe1Oav0wuMMyeh4Y9ZXH7o4Cv2KI-vfZzWP7pbYgktNsXJB-s57fWrxf2VcaTeYdifOo1yTF5lOKUiN9zA/s320/opensteak.jpg)
Ingredients
For Steak:
2 New York Strip Steaks
Worcestershire Sauce
Balsamic Vinager
Chinese 5 Spice
Spices, Inc Salt Free Steak Rub
For Slather:
1-2 ounces of dried porcini mushrooms (or a mushroom mixture)
6 garlic cloves
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 sprinkle of sugar
Steaks
First, soak a handful of wood chips in a bowl of water - chips need to soak for at least a half hour so that they do not burn up in the grill. Get your coals started in your coal starter. We use natural lump charcoal, which burns clean and does not leave any weird starter fluid residue on our foods :)
Next, you will want to take your steaks out of the fridge so that they can come to room temperature. We will be adding a little bit of a marinade to the steaks, as well. First, sprinkle a small amount of Worcestershire and Balsamic on the steaks - be sure to turn them over a few times so that the liquids evenly coat both sides of the meat. Then apply the tiniest amount of Chinese 5 spice powder - just a few specks on each side. It is important not to put too much Chinese 5 spice on the steaks or the flavor will outshine your porcini slather, which would be silly. Next take your Salt Free Steak Rub and rub a generous portion into each side of the steak. Applying pressure helps the rub penetrate into the meats and stay on during cooking. Now you can let your steaks hang out while you get your charcoals poured into your grill. Once your charcoals are nice and hot, go ahead and brown each side of your steaks for 1-1/2 minutes. The grill should be very hot for this step. Once your steaks are browned on all sides, let them rest, uncovered, and prepare your slather while your grill cools slightly. Temperature for smoking should be around 400F.
For the Slather
Grind the dried mushrooms in your spice or coffee grinder and add to a small bowl. Peel and mince garlic into same bowl. Add 1 sprinkle of sugar (more if desired), and enough olive oil to make a mushroomy sludge (see picture).
Now that your Grill is ready to smoke, spread your soaked wood chips evenly across the coals and place your steaks on the rack, closing the lid quickly to keep the smoke inside. You will want to keep your grill's vents open enough to keep the fire going, but only slightly cracked to retain the smoke inside the grill. Cook the steaks on 1 side first before adding the slather, for about 5 minutes. Then flip the steaks and add the slather to the top of each steak, and quickly close the lid to retain smoke. Cook for about 5 minutes longer for medium-rare.
These little guys are gourmet with no need for salt!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s4k0G42d17eXTc2pt151JagLWtiId1zaDgOrJnMlU9xCVx-Suvt9YIDYpS10jRgUTqRAXbF6gjQDw8M_UuDmhxm7QbArteJqw7xKmDlACp5TuIYhRs0y-rDDZ7DkchTPuNzuJkg7sb4/s320/finished+steaks.jpg)
For Reference, here is the salt free steak seasoning, which can be purchased at
http://www.spicesinc.com/p-460-salt-free-steak-rub.aspx
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwJltp7juy1o0LJosd28VQWHrV4Vy-Z6IykrUW-eMWH1ssgXhVUL7gMw3eKemsGKArpehXaPgf0vY8RfPJ9lf4UxE87KOEi2Bp3tyoiEBwOYmToJbuDy8lylp4q8gj4-UIOXS7H3mIUo/s320/steakrub.jpg)
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