Rebuild from Depression Blog

Question: Hey Jeanie, do you have a great dish for company? I've got some friends coming over and would like to serve them a home-cooked meal, but I've also got to work all day.

Answer: This meal has pulled it out of the bag for us a number of times. We've even served it for Christmas. It's a variant of a North African dish called "Moroccan Beef."

Most of the meats I've encountered from North Africa are cooked long and slow. They are not cooked in what we would recognize as a slow-cooker, however. The following recipe is my slow-cooker adaptation of a most tasty dish. I've tried it with a number of roasts and steak cuts, including tenderized round steak. Seems you just can't miss on this one.

1. If your meat is not already in pieces as stew meat would be, then cut your meat into serving-sized pieces.

2. For each pound of beef peel and grate one large onion. The onion not only adds flavor, but also thickens the broth because it is grated so finely.

3. Place the grated onion in a bowl with

½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon saffron threads

4. Mix the seasonings and onion thoroughly.

5. Toss the onion mixture with the meat in the slow cooker.

6. Add one cinnamon stick.

7. Dot the top of the mixture with butter, about three tablespoons.

8. Pour in about 2 cups of water and cover with one bunch of cilantro, spread over the top.

9. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours depending on how much meat you have in the pot. Six hours is adequate for a pound.

10. For each additional pound duplicate the amount of seasonings listed here. You don't want to skimp. The succulence of this dish has been a winner with everyone to whom we have fed it.

11. In the last hour of cooking add some dried prunes to the pot, about 6 prunes per pound of meat. This may sound strange if you grew up on pizza, but the end result is splendidly flavorful.

12. When ready to serve, lift off the cilantro and discard. Place the pieces of meat on your favorite serving platter and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

13. A nice menu to accompany this meat is a large green salad with vinaigrette dressing and steaming hot quinoa. Check out my tips on selecting salad greens, handling greens, and making your salad dressing. You will also absorb more minerals from the quinoa if you soak it in advance (read the technique here).

What we have here is company fare with little work on the part of the cook. Enjoy and rake in the compliments!

In light of the entry on making your own kefir, I asked my mom to write a bit about smoothies. Here's what she says:

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When summer comes and the sun beats down, I think of ice cream. The cold and the sweet of it are so refreshing. Refreshing, but gosh, that's a lot of cream. So, I've found an alternative that is almost as satisfying: kefir smoothies.

Mom is in Hawaii taking in the sun and building up her vitamin D levels. She had the nerve to send us all a postcard.

"Mom, the rest of us are here windblown, flooded, frozen, and poor and you're in Hawaii."

Mom's Hawaiian food report:

Beef liver (and other animal livers) may be nature's top depression-fighting food. Liver and onions is absolutely the best way to eat it fresh. Check out Mom's recipe for flash fried beef liver for our favorite way to prepare it.

What goes with beef liver and onions as a side dish? I asked Mom.

Mom recommends:

1. Rice pilaf and a green salad.
2. Baked potato and a carrot salad.
3. Baked squash and a marinated tomato salad.
4. Quinoa and asparagus.
5. Bulgur pilaf and green beans.

Enjoy this frugal dinner option. Find more frugal ideas at The Nourishing Gourmet's Pennywise Platter Thursday.

Read more on the fat content of beef liver and more about the nutritional value of beef liver.

Mom praises the simplicity of broth:

So, you've already made your delectable broth [how to make bone broth]. You have a number of options, but don't forget to enjoy your broth just as it is. I tend to forget this one because I love to use broth in a number of dishes that just insist on homemade bone broth.

Last year I was sick for a week, not eating anything. There comes a point where you know you'd better put something in that tummy or you're going to be sick for a lot longer. I went to the fridge. Ugh, food!

Then my eyes fell on the jar of broth that had not been used up since I wasn't cooking. I warmed it up a bit and poured it into a cup. It is amazing how that stuff went down! My cup of broth was the best thing in the house for the next week. I added a bit of garlic salt and a sprinkle of pepper once my appetite really kicked in.

My energy and sense of well-being immediately improved. And, no wonder! Broth is full of water-soluble vitamins and minerals all ready to be absorbed into your bloodstream. My body was really happy.

Even if you are not sick, this broth pick-me-up is a God-send. Have a cup in the mid morning or mid afternoon slump. You'll get more of a boost with this than with caffeine or sugar and you won't have any bad side effects with the broth.

Consider taking warm broth with you on a day trip, a picnic, in your brown bag for the morning coffee break. Have a cup with your breakfast. Sneak it in wherever you can. Your improved health and energy level will be quite apparent.

Even though I have given you simple soup ideas for using up your broth stash, don't forget the humble cup of broth.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday.

Chicken liver is packed with nutrients [liver nutrients] but its strong flavor makes it a controversial choice in many households. This casserole, similar to "dirty rice," masks the strong flavor well. Serve the casserole with barbecue chicken, grilled steak, or lamb shish kebob. Serve sliced heirloom tomatoes on the side.

Ingredients
2 cups white rice + 3 cups water
½-1 pound rinsed chicken livers
5 stalks celery, diced
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Fresh herbs: 2 large sage leaves, 2 tbs minced parsley, 1 tsp minced lemon thyme
(Alternative: 2 tsp poultry seasoning)
3 tbs olive oil or butter
2 tsp salt
4 thin slices provolone or swiss (optional and to taste)

Steps