Culinary yoU: Vegetables

Showing posts with label Vegetables. Show all posts

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Eating LCHF And Keto On A Budget: Vegetables

If you are new to the low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) or Ketogenic (Keto) lifestyle, I am going to encourage you to do one thing for the first three or four months until you have developed good eating habits, and that's follow the 'KISS' principle. Of course 'KISS' is normally an acronym for 'keep it simple stupid', but I also like to think of it as meaning 'keto is simple stupid'. Now, before anyone gets riled up, the point is that following a keto “way of eating” (WOE) is really easy if you purchase the correct foods and prepare them properly. My advice is that you stay away from the LCHF and Keto dessert recipes as much as possible as overeating of these so called “fat bombs” and other low carb treats can blow you right out of ketosis. Once you have the basics of the Keto lifestyle down and have been doing it for several months, then slowly start adding some “treats” to your eating plan.

In my two previous articles on this subject, I talked about strategies you can use to help stretch your food dollars when you embark on a low carbohydrate high fat (LCHF) or Ketogenic (Keto) lifestyle. While it might cost a little more to eat LCHF and Keto due to the increased amount of fresh protein, dairy, seafood and vegetable sources, money should not be your biggest hurdle, most people fail because they purchase the wrong foods, or do not prepare enough ready meals during the week for those hectic days. Now that you know where to buy food and how to store it, let's examine what to buy in order to help you meet your weight loss goals. BTW, If you haven't read my previous article 'Money Saving LCHF and Keto Strategies', you can find it by following this link.

I mentioned earlier that Keto is simple, well it is, you have only one goal, and that is to keep your total carbohydrate intake less than 20 grams per day for a strict LCHF diet, or 50 grams per day for a moderate LCHF diet. Sounds hard right? Well actually it is pretty simple, and I am going to show you how to accomplish this goal without breaking the bank and help you to stay “keto strong”. Let's face it if you do not have LCHF and Keto friendly foods in your home, then you are destined to fail, and no ones wants that. So, in this article we are going to look at some of the basic types of vegetables that you should be growing and or looking for on sale when eating LCHF and Keto.

Choosing The Right Vegetables

I have seen the following questions many times on LCHF and Ketogenic forums and Facebook groups “So I can eat all the vegetables I want right?” or “Vegetables are great for keto right?”. Well no, and yes. While vegetables are an essential part of a LCHF and Keto WOE, they do contain carbohydrates, and while the majority of the carbohydrates from your diet should come from vegetables, not all veggies are created equal. In fact, some vegetables contain a large amount of carbohydrates and this small, but important fact can derail your LCHF / Keto WOE.

When it comes to carbohydrate content, the one thing you should keep in mind is that in general vegetables that grow above the ground have fewer carbohydrates than those grown underground (aka root vegetables). If you are on a moderate LCHF / Keto diet (50 grams or less per day), then you can generally eat all of the above ground vegetables you wish, but if you are on a strict LCHF / Keto diet (20 grams or less per day) then you have to be more selective. So let's take a look at the most common vegetables available for LCHF / Keto eaters.

Dark Green Leafy Vegetables – I put this classification of veggies in a separate category because dark green leafy vegetables are an excellent way to get fiber, nutrients (folate, cartenoids), minerals (iron, and calcium), and vitamins (C, and K) as well as cancer fighting antioxidants into your diet. For the LCHF / Ketogenic eater with a minimal carbohydrate footprint. Like many who have embarked on this WOE, we prefer to get our dark leafy green veggies in salads although there are a variety of different ways they can be prepared. In fact, on the days that I work (3 to 4 days a week) I eat a chef salad for dinner. The following nutritional data is for raw, uncooked leafy vegetables, In this article, I have included both volume (1 cup serving) and weight based (100 gram serving) nutritional information for your convenience. Adjust the portion size as necessary, for your WOE, but I needed a standard in which to compare vegetables. Note that for some vegetables the carbohydrate is higher for the weight based portion versus the volume based potion, and some are the same. It just depends on the vegetable being compared.

Arugula

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 6, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 0.4 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 30, protein 3 grams, fat 1 grams, carbohydrates 2 grams

Bok Choy (Shredded)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 9, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 0.8 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 13, protein 1.5 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.2 grams

Collard Greens

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 11, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 0.6 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 33, protein 3.3 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 1.8 grams

Kale

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 33, protein 2.9 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 5.4 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 44, protein 3.86 grams, fat 0.8 grams, carbohydrates 7.18 grams

Leaf Lettuce (Green, Red, Romaine, and Iceberg)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 5, protein 0.49 grams, fat 0.05 grams, carbohydrates 0.5 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 15, protein 1.36 grams, fat 0.15 grams, carbohydrates 1.43 grams

Mustard Greens

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 15, protein 1.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 0.8 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 30, protein 3.2 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 1.6 grams

Napa Cabbage

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 13, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.2 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 12, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.1 grams

Spinach

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 7, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 0.4 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 22, protein 2.9 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 1.5 grams

Swiss Chard

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 7, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 0.7 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 21, protein 1.8 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.1 grams

Veggies That Grow Above The Ground – In addition to leafy green vegetables, most vegetables that grow above the ground are preferred over vegetables that grow below the ground (root vegetables), and even some vegetables that grow above the ground contain quite a bit more carbohydrates than others, especially those that contain natural sugars. This is where some people unknowingly get tripped up as they assume that all vegetables that grow above ground are safe to eat when on a LCHF / Ketogenic WOE. If you are on a strict LCHF / Keto WOE, then you really need to examine the individual carbohydrate count of the type and amount of vegetables that you add to your eating program or you can quickly blow yourself out of ketosis.

Asparagus

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 27, protein 2.9 grams, fat 0.16 grams, carbohydrates 2.4 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 20, protein 2.2 grams, fat 0.12 grams, carbohydrates 1.8 grams

Avocado (Sliced)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 234, protein 2.9 grams, fat 21 grams, carbohydrates 2 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 160, protein 2 grams, fat 15 grams, carbohydrates 2 grams

Bell Peppers (Sliced)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 28, protein 0.8 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.7 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 20, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.9 grams

Brussel Sprouts

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 38, protein 3 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 4.7 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 43, protein 3.4 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 5.2 grams

Broccoli (Chopped or diced)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 30, protein 2.4 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 3.6 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 34, protein 2.8 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 4.4 grams

Cabbage (Shredded)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 17, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 2.3 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 22, protein 1.17 grams, fat 0.13 grams, carbohydrates 3 grams

Cauliflower

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 27, protein 2.1 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.9 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 27, protein 2.1 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.9 grams

Celery

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.7 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.4 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.7 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.4 grams

Cucumber

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 3.2 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 3.2 grams

Green Beans

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 31, protein 1.8 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 3.6 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 31, protein 1.8 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 3.6 grams

Mushrooms, White (Sliced or Pieces)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 16, protein 2.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 1.4 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 22, protein 3.1 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.3 grams

Olives, All Varities (Whole)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 160, protein 1.6 grams, fat 14.4 grams, carbohydrates 3.2 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 115, protein 0.8 grams, fat 11 grams, carbohydrates 2.8 grams

Patty Pan Squash (Cubed or sliced)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 23, protein 1.6 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 3.4 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 18, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.6 grams

Spaghetti Squash

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 31, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 5.5 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 31, protein 0.6 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 5.5 grams

Summer Squash (aka Yellow), (sliced)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 19, protein 1.4 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.6 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 16, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.3 grams

Tomatoes (Chopped or sliced)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 32, protein 1.6 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 4.8 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 18, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.7 grams

Zucchini

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 19, protein 1.4 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 2.4 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 17, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 2.1 grams

Although they fall into the category of vegetables that grow above the ground, the following vegetables should be consumed sparingly due to their high carbohydrate content. I have included these vegetables because they are a popular part of the American diet, but due to their high carbohydrate content it is best to avoid adding these vegetables to your diet on a regular basis. If you want to eat them then it is important to plan ahead so that you can make adjusts to the rest of the carbs you are going to be consuming that day in order to stay under your carbohydrate goal.

Butternut Squash (Cubbed)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 63, protein 1.4 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 13.2 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 45, protein 1 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 10 grams

Corn (Kernels)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 132, protein 4.96 grams, fat 1.82 grams, carbohydrates 25 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 86, protein 3.22 grams, fat 1.18 grams, carbohydrates 16.5 grams

Green Peas (English, Sweet)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 118, protein 8 grams, fat 0.6 grams, carbohydrates 14 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 81, protein 5 grams, fat 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 9 grams

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 000, protein 0 grams, fat 0 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 000, protein 0 grams, fat 0 grams, carbohydrates 0 grams

Veggies That Grow Below The Ground – These are the vegetables that usually have a higher concentration of carbohydrates (related to starch and sugars) than those grown above the ground. That is not to say that they should be totally avoided when on a LCHF / Keto WOE, you simply need to make the necessary adjustments when planning your meals to keep your total carbohydrates below your daily goal. Remember the lower your carbohydrate restriction, the more care you must take when adding root vegetables to your eating plan. Not listed are starchy vegetables that should be avoided as they simply have to much starch or natural sugars, these include: dried beans (pinto, kidney, black, garbanzo, navy, lima, etc...) and dried peas (black-eyed, purple hull, split, crowder, zipper, cow etc...), potatoes (all varaties), sweet potatoes (all vararities), acron squash, and pumpkin to name a few.

Beets

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 59, protein 2.2 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 9.2 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 43, protein 1.6 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 7.2 grams

Carrotts (Strips or Slices)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 50, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 8.6 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 41, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 7.2 grams

Onions (Sliced)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 48, protein 1.3 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 9 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 40, protein 1.1 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 7.3 grams

Radish (Sliced)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 18, protein 0.8 grams, fat 0.2 grams, carbohydrates 2.2 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 16, protein 0.7 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 1.8 grams

Turnips (Cubed)

Per 1 Cup Serving: Calories – 36, protein 1.2 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 5.7 grams

Per 100 gram Serving: Calories – 28, protein 0.9 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 4.2 grams

Veggies: Fresh, Frozen, or Canned

Obviously, one of the best options for adding fresh vegetables into your diet is to grow your own. Having a small to moderate size garden is an excellent way to stretch your food dollars. Each year we have a pretty substantial garden, this year it was destroyed by a hurricane on April 29^th so we are having to rely on purchasing the vegetables we like from our local supermarket. Even if you have the time and the space for a garden, sometimes it is simply cheaper to purchase those vegetables that you use quite frequently from your local supermarket, especially if you are a savvy shopper and purchase them on sale.

Many believe that purely from a nutrient standpoint, fresh vegetables are a better choice than canned, or frozen vegetables, but this may not always be the case. According to 'About The Buzz' “The nutrient content of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables is comparable to fresh and, in some cases, it may be higher than fresh. Produce to be canned or frozen is processed immediately after harvesting, so nutrient losses after picking are minimal. The canning or freezing process may cause some loss of nutrients which can vary by nutrient.” The University of Minnesota concluded in their study of nutrient loses in fresh versus frozen and canned vegetables “once canned veggies go through the necessary heating process to be packaged, about one-third to one-half of vitamins A, C, thiamine and riboflavin are lost. And about 5 to 20 percent of vitamins are removed after each year, depending on just how you’re storing the vegetables. So if you compare the nutritional value that’s lost between canned and fresh vegetables, the numbers are pretty even, which proves the difference between the two types of veggies are very small.”

So when it comes to vegetables, my advice is to eat what you have available or what you can afford. After all, if you adhere to the concept that you must only eat fresh vegetables, but you cannot afford to purchase such for your family, or they are not readily available then both your WOE and your family will suffer. While fresh vegetables still may be preferred by many consumers, it should not be a “fresh or nothing” option when it comes to preparing and eating vegetables.

Conclusion

So as you can see there is a wide variety of vegetables that are available to you when you are on a LCHF / Ketogenic diet, but care must be taken as not all vegetables are keto friendly. The stricter your carbohydrate allowance, the more care needs to be taken when adding any of the starchy vegetables to your diet. This is where meal planning really becomes an important part of your LCHF / Keto eating regimen. If you do not take the time to plan your meals ahead of time, you may find that over time you slowly begin to develop bad eating choices without even knowing it. I am sure there are a lot of veggies that are LCHF / Keto friendly that are not listed in this article, what I have tried to include are the most commonly consumed as well as our favorites. As for those that got left behind, there is always next time.

So while my research may indicate that there is little or minimal nutritional difference between fresh, frozen or canned vegetables, my preference is still to eat fresh first, then frozen and lastly canned. In fact, we generally try and grow as much fresh vegetables as we can, but this year is a total loss. As always, we ask that if you find the information in this article informative and enjoyable, that you share it this post with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on our Facebook page 'CulinaryyouLCHF', and/or add us to your circle of friends on Google+ CulinaryyoU.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

LCHF Ranch Dressing

The most popular salad dressing in the United States hands down is Ranch. The problem with commercially prepared Ranch dressings is that they contain a lot of preservatives and other ingredients you probably do not want to consume, and they just have too many carbohydrates per serving. Again as I have mentioned in many of my articles, a few carbs may not mean that much, but if you are following a strict low carbohydrate diet, every carbohydrate counts. While Great Value Buttermilk Ranch dressing only has 1 carbohydrate per tablespoon, our LCHF Ranch dressing has only 0.3 carbohydrates per tablespoons, that's 66% less carbs. So if you are trying to follow a strict LCHF lifestyle, you can eat a whole lot more homemade LCHF dressing than you can a commercially prepared product.

If you just want to make your own dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix and you are not concerned about the carbohydrate count. Then check out my article on 'Homemade Hidden Valley Ranch'. However, if you are looking for a great LCHF Ranch dressing, then read on my friend.

Now there are two different approaches to making your own LCHF Ranch dressing. The primary difference is whether you use fresh herbs or dried herbs. I have made it both ways, but as I generally keep dried herbs on hand (either dried from my garden or purchased), I almost always use dried herbs in my Ranch dressing and many of my vinaigrettes as well. While it is true that fresh herbs have more essential oils and do taste fresher, I have found that most people have the necessary dried herbs and spices in their pantries. As dried herbs and spices are cheaper as well as being more shelf stable, I will be using these in this Ranch dressing recipe.

Homemade LCHF Ranch (Yield: 2 cups, 32 tablespoons)

1 cup LCHF mayonnaise or any mayonnaise with 0 carbs

1 cup heavy whipping cream (6.6 carbs)
1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley, divided
½ teaspoon dried dill, divided

¾ teaspoon garlic powder (1.5 carbs)

¾ teaspoon onion powder (1.12 carbs)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Splenda or other sweetener
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or a container in which your immersion blender will fit and process until smooth. You can use more or less whipping cream depending on how thick you like the your Ranch dressing to be. Refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving, although I find waiting 24 hours before using yields a better flavor. Keep in fridge for about 7 to 10 days if using homemade mayonnaise, up to 4 weeks for commercially prepared mayonnaise.

Total Recipe – Calories 2468, protein 7.6 grams, fat 271 grams, carbohydrates 11.1 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 77, protein 0.23 grams, fat 8.4 grams, carbohydrates 0.34 grams

Hidden Valley Ranch

Per Tablespoon – Calories 70, protein 0.2 grams, fat 7grams, carbohydrates 1 gram

The following are a few of the variations that I have made over the years. I am sure there are many other possible combinations so I encourage you to experiment and expand your palate.

Bacon Ranch – Add 4 to 6 slices of crispy bacon chopped fine.
Buffalo Ranch – Add 3 to 4 tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce.
Buttermilk 'Style' Ranch – Substitute ¼ cup sour cream for ¼ cup of LCHF mayonnaise.
Chipotle Ranch – Add one chipotle pepper (smoked jalapeño) and one teaspoon of the adobo sauce. Remove the seeds if you wish as they contain most of the heat and do not attribute to the flavor of the dressing.
Fiesta Salsa – Add ¼ to ½ cup of your favorite LCHF salsa.
Santa Fe Ranch – Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of salsa verde (green chile salsa) or Hatch green chilies.

I find that when making any of the variations that have solid ingredients such as the 'Chipotle', 'Fiesta Salsa' and 'Bacon' ranch etc. That combining the ingredients in a pint mason jar and pureeing them with my emulsion blender before adding the mayonnaise helps give the dressing a smoother creamier texture.

Chef's Note: Just process the ingredients until well blended, you do not want to over process and end up with Ranch style heavy whipping cream. Or at least I do not think you want too…

Ranch Style Sour Cream Veggie Dip

I will be honest with you, most of the time we just use our LCHF Ranch dressing as a dip for vegetables when we make a veggie tray as we usually have some on hand. The consistency of the LCHF Ranch dressing is just about right as a vegetable dip. This following recipe really shines as a dip for chips as it is thicker and easier to scoop (for your friends who are not eating LCHF). Any of the additional ingredients used to make the dressing variations work just as well in the veggie/chip dip.

1 cup sour cream (7 carbs)
1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley, divided
½ teaspoon dried dill, divided

¾ teaspoon garlic powder (1.5 carbs)

¾ teaspoon onion powder (1.12 carbs)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Splenda or other sweetener (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and and mix until the herbs and spices are totally incorporated. Refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving, although I find waiting 24 hours before using yields a better flavor.

Sour Cream Variation

Total Recipe – Calories 459, protein 5.3 grams, fat 45 grams, carbohydrates 9.62 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 29, protein 0.33 grams, fat 2.8 grams, carbohydrates 0.6 grams

Greek Yogurt Variation

Total Recipe – Calories 114, protein 25 grams, fat 0.7 grams, carbohydrates 8.62 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 7.1, protein 1.56 grams, fat 0.04 grams, carbohydrates 0.53 grams

T. Marzetti Veggie Ranch Dip

Total Recipe – Calories 863, protein 7.8 grams, fat 86 grams, carbohydrates 15.7 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 54, protein 0.5 grams, fat 5.4 grams, carbohydrates 0.9 grams

The Ingredients

So why go to all the trouble of making your own version of Ranch dressing? I mean the commercial prepared dressings are convenient to use, and they taste good. Other than the carbohydrate count, the major concern for me is the ingredients that makeup most commercial dressings. Let's face it, Hidden Valley Ranch just has way to many preservatives and artificial flavorings. Yes, commercial dressings are shelf stable and will last for quite some time in your pantry, but at what cost? Making your own Ranch dressing gives you total control of what you consume. So let's examine the ingredents in both dressings.

Hidden Valley Ranch – Vegetable oil, water, egg yolk, sugar, salt, cultured nonfat buttermilk, natural flavors (milk, soy), less than 1% of: spices, dried garlic, onion, vinegar, phosphoric acid, xanthan gum, modified food starch, monosodium glutamate (msg), artificial flavors, disodium phosphate, sorbic acid, and calcium disodium edta as preservatives, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylaye, contains: egg, milk, soy. Gluten free.

Homemade LCHF Ranch Dressing – LCHF Mayonnaise, heavy whipping cream, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, Splenda, white pepper, and paprika.

I know which dressing I would rather feed to my family. Anyway, just in case you want to experiment with some additional ingredients or change up the ratios, I have included the basic nutritional information for all the ingredients that are or can be used to make your own LCHF Ranch dresing and veggie dip.

Buttermilk (1 Cup) – Calories 99, protein 8 grams, fat 2.2 grams, carbohydrates 12 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 6, protein 1 grams, fat 0.1 grams, carbohydrates 1 grams

Half & Half (1 Cup) – Calories 315, protein 7 grams, fat 28 grams, carbohydrates 10.4 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 20, protein 0.4 grams, fat 1.7 grams, carbohydrates 0.6 grams

Heavy Cream (1 Cup) – Calories 821, protein 4.8 grams, fat 88 grams, carbohydrates 6.6 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 51, protein 0.3 grams, fat 5.5 grams, carbohydrates 0.42 grams

Hellman's Mayonnaise (1 Cup) – Calories 960, protein 0, fat 160, carbs 0 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 90, protein 0, fat 10 grams, carbs 0 grams

LCHF Mayonnaise (1 Cup) – Calories 1633, protein 2.2 grams, fat 183 grams, carbohydrates 1.1grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 102, protein 0.14 grams, fat 11.4 grams, carbohydrates 0.06 grams

Sour Cream (1 Cup) – Calories 445, protein 4.8 grams, fat 45 grams, carbohydrates 7 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 23, protein 0.2 grams, fat 2.4 grams, carbohydrates 0.3 grams

Plain Greek Yogurt (1 Cup) – Calories 100, protein 17 grams, fat 0.7 grams, carbohydrates 6 grams

Per Tablespoon – Calories 6.25, protein 1 grams, fat 0.04 grams, carbohydrates 0.37 grams

Cost Analysis

Generally eating LCHF is somewhat higher in cost than typical a traditional American diet, but that is not always the case. When it comes to making your own Ranch dressing, you will find that the cost is somewhere in the middle of the pack when compared to commercially prepared dressings. The taste and quality of this homemade dressing is so far superior that the slight increase of cost is definitely worth it. Obviously prices will vary somewhat depending upon where you live. The prices I am quoting are from my local WalMart, as of September 2016, so take that into condsideration. So let's look at some of the numbers.

Great Value Ranch Dressing All Varities (16 ounces), $1.66

LCHF Ranch Dresing (16 ounces), $2.09

Hidden Valley Ranch All Varities (16 ounces), $3.11

So our homemade Ranch dressing is 21% more expensive than the Great Value Ranch dressings, but it is 33% cheaper than Hidden Valley Ranch. Like I said it is right in the middle of the pack when it comes to price.

Conclusion

Making your own LCHF Ranch dressing may not be the cheapest option when compared to similar commercially prepared Ranch dressings, however, having control of the chemicals or lack thereof that goes into the dressing that your family will consume is well....”priceless”. In addition, making your own ranch dressings and or dips gives you the ability to experiment with different flavors and textures and allows you to change them to suit you and your family's individual needs.

Let's not forget the most important reason to make your own LCHF Ranch dressing, and that is the carbohydrate content. The LCHF Ranch dresssing recipe in this article contains only 0.3 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon compared to a store bought Ranch dresssing that contains 1 gram of carbohydrate per tablespoon (that's 66% less carbs). And I can gaurantee you that your own homemade dressing will taste twice as good as any you could buy. As always, if you have found this article interesting and valuable, we ask that you share it with your friends. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook, or add us to your circles on Google+.

References:

Hidden Valley Ranch website, accessed 09/17/2016

Self Nutrition Data,Know What You Eat. website accessed 09/22/2016

Fat Secret website, accessed 09/19/2016

Calorie Count, There's Strength In Numbers website, accessed 9/23/2016

Friday, August 5, 2016

Dehydrating Onions

One of the few items that I never attempt to grow in our garden is yellow or white onions. It is just not a good use of our garden space as onions can be purchased on sale almost every week cheaper than we can grow them. Just last week white onions were on sale at one of the Mexican markets for $0.98 for 2lbs ($0.49 lb). So, when we did our weekly shopping we comp'd 6lbs of white onions at our local Wal-Mart. FYI, the Wal-Mart price was $.99 for 1lb, so we saved 50% using our 'Flipp' app (see my article 'Saving Money With Flipp').

So why so many onions? Well, we were getting low on dehydrated onions and it was time to restock our supply. While 4lbs of onions (which was 9 large onions) sounds like a lot, however, when dehydrated they take up the equivalent space of a one quart mason jar. We use dehydrated onions in a lot of our cooking, especially when making beans, soups, stews, marinades and spice mixtures (4 – 5 tablespoons of dehydrated onions is equal to about one medium to large onion). They are shelf stable and make a great addition to your minimalist pantry. My friend Steve Coyne who writes the 'I Grow Vegetables Blog' dehydrates his onions and then roasts them in the oven and grinds them into onion powder. I have yet to do this, but may one day in the future.

In this article I will show you just how easy it is to cut and dehydrate onions. Unlike other vegetables, you do not have to blanch or treat the onions to keep them from becoming discolored during the dehydration process. In fact, they are probably one of the easiest vegetables to dehydrate.

Preparing The Onions

When dehydrating chopped onions I have found that when using my L'Equip 528 dehydrator each tray will hold 1 ½ large onions. My L'Equip has 6 trays so I can dehydrate approximately 9 large onions (about 4 lbs) at a time. For chopped onions, I cut them into a small to medium dice, or the same size as I would use them in a soup or any meal in which I was sautéing them. If you are going to grind your onions to make onion powder then you can leave them in rings as you are going to grind them later with your food processor or food mill.

I cut my onions one tray at a time and then stack them onto the dehydrator, but if you like you can cut all of your onions and then place them on the trays. The important part here is that you try and evenly distribute the onions across the trays without to many touching to allow adequate air flow. Once you have all of your onions stacked onto trays it is time to get on with the drying process.

The Drying Process

Most dehydrator instruction manuals tell you that for dehydrating vegetables you need to set your temperature between 125 to 135 degrees. My Nesco FD60 manual indicates that onions cut 3/8” thick need to be dried for 9 to13 hours. The manual for the L'Equip 528 that I am using for this article indicates that it takes 6 to 12 hours to dehydrate sliced or diced onions. Of course actual drying times will vary as the process is affected by the moisture content in the onions, the relative humidity in the air, temperature used, and the size of the cut onions you are dehydrating. For me, I have found that dehydrating onions cut to a small and/or medium dice, 12 to 18 hours of drying time works better for me, and if I forget and leave them on for 24 hours then no biggie, they cannot get to dry. If you want bigger slices or pieces of onions, then you will probably need to dehydrate the onions for 24 hours.

So if cutting onions makes your eyes water, just wait until you get 4 to 6 pounds of them dehydrating in your kitchen. My wife is pretty sensitive to smells and has underlying asthma so when I dehydrate onions or any other strong smelling vegetable I begin the process when she is not around. Because we do not have a garage or basement, I place the dehydrator on our glass top stove and turn on the vent hood. The smell is the strongest when you are first dehydrating the onions, but the drier the onions become, they less they smell up your house.

Rehydrating Your Onions

If you want to rehydrate your onions to be used in place of fresh onions simply reconstitute them in boiling water. You will need 2 ½ to 3 cups of water for each cup of dehydated onions (a 2.5 to 3 ratio of liquid to dried onions) that you want to reconstitute. I know it sounds like a lot, but do not skimp on the water or you will be disappointed with the results. Let the onions sit for 90 to 102 minutes (2 hours) for them to fully absorb all the liquid that they can. Once they are done, drain the water as use as you would fresh onions. Keep in mind, that as with most vegetables, rehydrated onions will rehydrate to about 80% of their fresh state and may be a little more chewy than fresh or frozen onions.

Adding Dehydrated Onions To Soups

If like me, you want to add your dehydrated onions straight to your bean or soup pot, you have to take into consideration that the onions will absorb some of the cooking liquid. So when cooking beans and or soups with dehydrated vegetables add additional water and stock as necessary during the cooking process to maintain the amount of final liquid you desire in your recipe.

Conclusion

Dehdrating onions is a simple process and they are one of the easiest vegetables to dehydrate. They are also one of the more fragrant. Remember that dehydration times will vary depending on the size of the onions used, the moisture in the air, the temperature of your specific brand of dehydrator. Dehydrated onions are shelf stable and will keep almost indefinately. My experience has been that when adding dehyrated onions to soups and stews is that 1/3 of a cup (4 – 5 tablespoons) of dehydrated onions is equal to one large fresh onion. As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Spaghetti Sauce For Canning: My Garden Variety Recipe

Usually when I make any kind of tomato based sauce my wife helps me core, blanch and peel the tomatoes to remove the skins. However, when we make this sauce we simply core the tomatoes and remove any blemishes and cut them in halves or quarters with the skins on. Then, I throw them in my 15 year old Oster shaft driven blender and puree the heck out of them. Now I have to say that this blender is a beast, it will crush ice with ease and will puree just about any vegetable out there with a little liquid. When we make this sauce it purees the tomatoes so well you cannot even tell that they are any skins in the sauce when it is cooked.

This sauce is our short on time, have to many vegetables from the garden sauce, hence the name 'Garden Variety'. It is packed full of vegetables because I puree them all and if I did not tell you, you would never even know there were in there. And that's great, because I am a big texture eater and just cannot eat cooked squash which my wife loves, so I have to hide my veggies from myself while increasing the nutrient value of the sauce. I know kinda sounds moronic and childish, that a 53 year old man has to hide his vegetables in order to eat them, but it is what it is.

The recipe

There is nothing really fancy about this recipe, it is pretty much a basic spaghetti sauce recipe with a few of my own personal tweaks. This is our base recipe, if we have zucchini squash we add it, last year we used banana peppers instead of bell peppers because we had a bigger crop of them as opposed to our bell peppers. If you have them and you like mushrooms, add 1lb fresh mushrooms sliced, or 1 cup of chopped celery (when used, I have to puree it because my grandson does not like it, and he never knows it's there). Anyway, I digress here is the recipe we use a lot, it has served us well and it will do the same for you. It shares some ingredients from both the 'Spaghetti Sauce' recipe found in the USDA Complete Guide To Home Canning (section 3, page 14), and the 'Italian Tomato Sauce' found in The Ball Blue Book (in the 2011 version it is on page 74).

20 – 25lbs assorted tomatoes

6 yellow squash (8 to 10” in length), peeled and cubed

3 green bell peppers, seeded and diced

2 large onions, diced

¼ cup granulated sugar (optional)

4 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon marjoram

4 teaspoons basil

4 teaspoons oregano

4 teaspoons parsley

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

2 bay leaves

Core and dice all of your tomatoes and puree them in your blender and add them to your stockpot. Any liquid that you have leftover from when you were dicing the tomatoes goes into the stock pot as well. Take the time to make sure you have a big enough stockpot before you get started, having to wash extra dishes is a pain in the backside. I use a 15 quart granite ware stockpot that I purchased at Wal-Mart which you can still purchase for less than $20, so if you do not have one, get one.

Chef's Note: You want to avoid using an aluminum stockpots because high acid foods such as tomatoes can cause a metallic taste to be leeched from the aluminum into the food you are preparing.

Peel and dice the yellow squash and in small batches, add it to the blender with a little of the pureed tomatoes (the liquid makes it easier to puree the squash) and process until all the squash is pureed. Then core, seed and dice the bell peppers and set them aside, dice the onions as well. Then process the onions and bell peppers in your blender until they are pureed as well.

Chef's Note: If you want, you can leave the onions and bell peppers as small dice, but you should definitely liquefy the squash. The USDA has concerns that some yellow squash may possibly contain harmful bacteria and does not recommend that it be canned in either the sliced or in cubed form. In this recipe, we are going to be removing the skin, pureeing the squash and cooking it in a tomato based sauce for about 2 hours. I bring the sauce a rolling boil then cook it for 10 to 15 minutes before reducing the heat to kill any bacteria that might be present (not likely since we grow our own, but hey safety first). Note that the Center For Disease Control CDC states that boiling a liquid for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on altitude) will kill all pathogens.

Add the remaining ingredients to your stockpot (except the sugar) and bring to a rolling boil and cook at this level for 10 minutes, make sure you stir the sauce frequently during this time to keep it from scorching, especially if you have a thin bottomed stockpot. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to low, cover your stockpot and cook for 60 minutes. After you have cooked the sauce for 60 minutes begin adding the sugar to get the desired sweetness you and your family like. Usually, I just dump it all in, but individual preferences vary so go slow, you cannot remove the sugar if you the sauce too sweet for your tastes.

Thickening Your Sauce (The Crossroads)

At this point you have two options to thicken your spaghetti sauce. The first option takes the longest and is preferred by some canners and is recommended by the USDA as well. That option is to cook the sauce until it is reduced by about half and thick enough to be served directly over pasta. Cooking times may vary depending on the moisture content of the tomatoes and associated vegetables used in the sauce. The second option is to use canned tomato paste. I know, I know, I hear the gnashing of teeth and the howls of canners venting their rage against the idea of using a commercial product to thicken there prized home made spaghetti sauce. So call me a blasphemer, but after 60 minutes of cooking the sauce I add 2 (6-ounce) cans of tomato paste to my stockpot and get ready to process it into quart jars in my weighted gauge pressure canner.

If you decide to use tomato paste, the easiest way to incorporate it into your sauce it to place half of can of tomato paste in a medium sized bowl, then ladle some of the hot spaghetti sauce into the bowl and mix with a wire whisk. Then add the contents of the bowl to your stockpot. Repeat as many times as necessary until you have added all the tomato paste. This keeps the tomato paste from sinking to the bottom of the stockpot an not getting thoroughly integrated into the spaghetti sauce. I have presented you two options to thicken your pasta sauce, the path you choose is up to you, they both work equally well, and unless you tell someone they will never be the wiser.

Chef's Note: Even after I add the tomato paste, my sauce is a little thin, I like to can it that way and then when I make spaghetti I simmer it uncovered to reduce any additional moisture. I would rather have my sauce a little thiner so that I can process it safely than get it to thick.

Processing The Sauce (10lbs PSI)

While tomatoes may be a considered a high acid food, the addition of other ingredients in the sauce has the potential to reduce the pH making it dangerously close to the low-acid food line. Therefore, in order to maintain safe canning practises, this sauce needs to processed in either a weighted gauge or dial gauge pressure canner. Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency, reduce the heat to simmer or 'keep warm' dial on your burner if you have one to keep it hot.

Ladle the hot sauce into hot jars leaving about 1-inch of headspace (do not forgot to remove the bay leaves). Remove any air bubbles and adjust headspace as necessary. Apply the two-piece lids and bands and place in your pressure canner and process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes at 10lbs of pressure (PSI).

Chef's Note: If you add meat to this sauce, then you must process it just as you would any meat product. Pints for 75 minutes, and quarts for 90 minutes at 10lbs of pressure (PSI).

Conclusion

This spaghetti sauce recipe is extremely flexible and easy to make, and just about everyone I know enjoys a good meal with spaghetti and garlic bread. The thing that we like most about this recipe is that it allows us to use whatever vegetables we have on hand from the garden to enhance not only the flavor, but the nutrient content of the sauce. In addition, adding additional veggies increases the yield of the sauce making it go further. If you find that you do not have the individual dried spices in your pantry, simply substitute 4 tablespoons of 'Italian Seasoning', if you like your sauce a little spicy, add 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes, one of my favorite additions is 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds which I pulverize in my mortar and pestle.

Most additions you can make without any concerns that it will affect the processing time of the sauce in your pressure canner. The one exception to this rule is if you add any type of ground meat to your spaghetti sauce then you will have to process the sauce for an extended amount of time as recommended by the USDA. Therefore, the addition of meat to your sauce require that pints must be pressure canned for 75 minutes, and quarts for 90 minutes at 10lbs of pressure (PSI).

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Making Your Vegetable Stock For Free...

I may have mentioned in one of my earlier articles that one of the things that was drilled into my head many years ago during culinary school was that nothing goes to waste. In our kitchen, each time that my wife or I cut or prep vegetables, we save all the ends, pieces and peelings (carrot, zucchini, squash etc.) and they go into a one gallon zip lock bag and are placed in the freezer. When we get 1 – 2 bags full of ends and pieces I throw them in a large stockpot, and add enough water to cover the vegetables by two inches and bring to a boil. I then reduce the heat and simmer the vegetable pieces for 45 to 60 minutes, or I add them to the pressure cooker and process the vegetables for 30 minutes to get out all those great flavors and nutrients.

Then I strain the vegetable ends and pieces through a fine mesh strainer. Most of the time I keep the strained stock hot and can it in 1 quart mason jars. However, if you wish, you can cool the stock and then pour the stock into the freezer safe container of your choice. For this article I canned all the vegetable stock in 1 quart mason jars. Once the vegetables have been cooked and all the flavor and nutrients have been extracted, the veggies are then cooled and fed to our chickens.

The Recipe

There are a couple of different ways to make vegetable stock. I use to simmer it on my stove top for 1 – 2 hours, but now I pressure cook the vegetables and then can them in my pressure canner. For small batches (1-2 gallon bags of ends and pieces) I cook the vegetables in my electric pressure cooker. For this article I had three 1 gallon zip lock bags of vegetable pieces so I pressured them at 10psi for 30 minutes in one of my two Mirro Matic 23 quart pressure cookers. Because I had such a large batch of veggies it was simply easier and faster for me that cook them in my large pressure canner. But by all means cook your stock however you are most comfortable.

Vegetable Broth

3 gallons of mixed vegetables pieces (3, 1-gallon bags)

2 gallons of water

2 teaspoons salt (optional)

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns (optional)

Combine all ingredients into your stockpot or pressure cooker and cook thoroughly. If you are using a stockpot, then cook the vegetables for 1 to 2 hours, if using your pressure cooker, cook them on 10PSI for 30 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and strain out the solids.

If you are going to freeze the stock, allow it to cool completely. Fill the container of your choice about 75% full, as the liquid will expand as it freezes, and place in your freezer until needed. If you want to can your vegetable stock, then follow proper canning procedures and can pints for 20 minutes at 10PSI or 25 minutes at 10PSI for quarts. I am not going to go into the step-by-step procedure for canning in this article, but you can find such instructions is my article 'Canning Basics: A Step-By-Step Guide'.

Chef's Note: I realize the ingredient list for this recipe is not in exact quantities, but a good starting ratio would be 3 quarts of liquid for every 1 gallon bag of ends and pieces. Usually, I just fill my pot about two inches above the vegetables and get good results.

Storing Or Preserving Your Stock

If you are not going to use your stock right away, you need to find a proper way to store it as it is only good in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. So you have a couple of decisions to make, when I have small amounts of stock and I do not want to tie up my canning jars I pour the stock in 20oz Gatorade or 2-liter soft drink bottles and place them in the freezer. Just remember that liquid expands when it freezes so if you decide to freeze your soup stock only fill the bottles about 75% full. If you have a vacuum sealer, you can freeze your stock in small containers, then once it is fully hardened take it out of the container and vacuum seal your blocks of stock.

Most of the time I prefer to can my stocks and soup bases. Fortunately, I have the storage space and the equipment to do so, but I understand not everyone does. The added advantage to canning my stock is that it does not take up precious space in my freezer and the stock is shelf stable until opened. You will need to use your pressure canner as stocks are a low-acid food and all low acids foods must be pressure canned to make sure they are safe for you and your family.

Pressure Canning Your Vegetable Stock

By this point you have done all of the complicated stuff, now comes the easy part. One at a time, ladle your hot stock into your sterilized jars leaving 1-inch of head space. Then, wipe the rim of the jar with a damp clean paper towel. Place the heated lid on the jar then hand tighten the ring and using your tongs, place the jar in the simmering pressure canner. Repeat this process until your canner is full, then place the lid on the canner and process at the USDA recommended time and pressure (see below).

Chef's Note: The USDA does not give a specific time for processing vegetable both, but does give times for meat broth 20 minuted for pints, 25 for quarts. I have used the same processing time as recommended for vegetable soups 60 minutes for pints and 75 minutes for quarts. I realize the time may be longer than necessary, but it will not hurt your vegetable stock. I have included the recommended times per the Ball Blue Book of Preserving below, the recommended time is quite a bit shorter, but I process all my soups and stocks for longer than recommended.

If you have more stock to process than your canner will hold, only fill enough jars to completely fill the canner. Once the first batch of stock has been processed and removed from the canner, check the water level in the canner and adjust it as necessary. Then fill additional jars with stock following the previous instructions and process the remaining stock. Continue to do this until all of your stock has been safely processed.

If per chance, you do not have enough jars of canned stock to fill the pressure canner (which happens to me all the time) Take empty jars filled with warm water without lids and add those to the canner to take up the empty space. These water filled jars will keep your precious bounty from falling over and possibly breaking during the pressure canning process. Remember to take care as the stock in the canning jars will be boiling and quite hot to touch.

USDA Recommended Processing Time In Dial Gauge Pressure Canner for Vegetable based Soups.

Pint Jars 60 minutes at 11lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 12lbs (2,001 – 4,000ft), 13lbs (4,001 – 6,000ft) and 14lbs (6,001 or greater).

Quart Jars 75 minutes at 11lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 12lbs (2,001 – 4,000ft), 13lbs (4,001 – 6,000ft) and 14lbs (6,001 or greater).

USDA Recommended Processing Time In Weighted Gauge Pressure Canner for Vegetable based Soups.

Pint Jars 60 minutes at 10lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 15lbs (greater than 1,001ft altitude).

Quart Jars 75 minutes at 10lbs (0 – 1,000ft), 15lbs (greater than 1,001ft altitude).

In my Ball Blue Book of Preserving (2011) it lists the following canning times for vegetable stock pints 30 minutes, and quarts 35 minutes at 10PSI of pressure.If you live at altitudes greater than 1000ft above sea level, Ball recommends that the increase the pressure to 15PSI and use the same recommended cooking time. As mentioned earlier, I process my stock for the same amount of time as my soups, if you have a lot of stock to process, then the recommended lower processing times as recommended by Ball will definitely same you some time.

Conclusion

Homemade soups and stews are an inexpensive way to feed your family. Making your own vegetable stock from leftover ends and pieces costs you absolutely nothing except the cost of the storage container. This stock can be the basis for many vegetarian meals and soups, it can be used to enhance other stocks, or as an additive to soups and stews to give them additional flavor, body and essential nutrients that your family will rave about. I find vegetable stock a really nice way to ramp up the flavor and nutritional component of all different types of beans as well. Remember if you are going to can vegetable stocks you need to pressure can them, no water baths allowed here!

If you are looking to find additional ways to stretch your food dollars, be sure and check out some of my other articles on the subject on our blog. And as always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

Additional Article On Our Blog:

Yes You Can! Preserving Your Harvest

To Pressure Or Not To Pressure, That Is The Question

Additional References On the Web:

USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Revised 2015

Ball' Guide To Pressure Canning Low Acid Foods

Friday, October 30, 2015

Beef Stew (Oven Version)

A few weeks ago I posted my recipe for canning beef stew, but I realize many of you do not have the option or equipment to can your own stew. So I wanted to post for you my 'go to' beef stew recipe that I make in my trusty enamel ware cast iron dutch oven. Last week, I canned the last of our roast, and I have been waiting until we could find a good roast on sale before tackling this recipe. Fortunately, last week when we were looking at the comp ads we were able to find chuck roast on sale for $2.69/lb, regular price $5.69/lb that was 53% savings so off we went to Walmart for our bi-weekly shopping spree and we bought three roasts.

Trained in the French style of cooking, my beef stew recipe is based on the tried and true 'Beef Bourguignon' a classical French beef stew made with just a few ingredients. A true beef bourguignon is made primarily with, bacon, beef, carrots, baby onions, and mushrooms in a brown stock with red wine. I have made this dish countless number of times, but I take a more traditional American approach. That is to say, I use white or yellow onions diced and slightly caramelized instead of whole baby onions, and I add potatoes, and generally a few other vegetables depending on what I have in the refrigerator. I also usually omit the red wine, not because I do not like the flavor, but my wife does not care for beef stew made with red wine.

I use a dried shitake mushroom in my soups and stews for two primary reasons. The first being that they last forever because they are dried making them a pantry staple at our house. The second reason is that when re-hydrated they have good flavor and a nice firm texture that I enjoy. I purchase mine dried in large bags from the Asian market. Any type of mushrooms will work in this recipe, the most common type you will find here in the states at your local grocery store are button mushrooms. If you want the mushrooms to have more body or texture in the stew the quarter them or leave them whole otherwise slice or dice them however you wish.

The Recipe

The beef in this recipe is mixed with flour after browning and then heated in the over for a total of 8 minutes to help made a light roux that will add both flavor and some body to the stew while it cooks. It is an extra step that you might think to skip, but I assure you it definitely makes a difference in both the flavor and texture of the stew. This step also eliminates having to add a thickener later after the stew has cooked. While it may seem like there are a lot of steps, this recipe is really easy and it is minimalist pantry friendly.

Beef Bourguignon (Beef Stew)

2 - 3 lbs beef (cut into 2-inch cubes)

6 slices bacon (optional)

4 cups of water

4 dried shitake mushrooms (re-hydrated in one cup of hot water)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Yukon gold or red new potatoes

2 carrots, sliced

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon beef bouillon

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon thyme leaves, dried

½ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Trim the roast and cut into 2-inch cubes. Pat dry and place on a plate until ready to brown. Place the dried shitake mushrooms in 1 cup of boiling water to re-hydrate. I use a small 'Hot Shot' to heat up the water, but you could use your microwave to heat the water.

Sauté bacon in your casserole dish until crispy, then remove to a plate lined with paper towels with a slotted spoon. While the bacon is draining, add your cubed beef to the casserole dish a little at a time and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Remove the browned beef to a plate until all of it has been browned. While you are browning the beef, coarsely chop up the bacon as we are going to add it back to the casserole dish later.

Once all the beef has been browned and has been removed from the casserole dish, add the carrots and onions and saute until the onions are slightly browned and remove them from the casserole dish and set aside in a bowl or small plate.

Add the bacon, browned beef and any juices on the plate, salt, pepper and flour to the casserole dish and mix throughly. Place the casserole dish uncovered in your 450 degree heated oven for 4 minutes, then remove and stir the beef mixture and return to the oven to cook for 4 more minutes (a total of 8 minutes). While the beef is in the oven remove the mushrooms from the cup of water (save the water to add to the stew) and cut them into small pieces.

Remove the casserole dish from the oven and place on the stove. Reduce the heat in the oven to 325 degrees and add the remaining ingredients except the potatoes to the casserole dish and bring to boil. Once the stew has reached a boil, remove from the burner and place in the oven and cook for 2 hours at 325 degrees.

Chef's Note: At this point add any additional vegetables you would like. I sometimes add a drained can of corn or green beans, it just sort of depends on my mood, or what I have leftover in the refrigerator.

After the stew has cooked for two hours, remove the casserole dish from the oven and check the doneness of the meat. It should be tender and easily cut with a fork, the cooking time my vary slightly depending on the quality of the meat used. Cheaper cuts of beef may take longer, but generally 2 hours is sufficient to give you a nice tender texture. At this point add your potatoes and place the casserole dish back in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Chef's Note: Potatoes can be divided into two specific kinds boiling (Yukon Gold, New Red Potatoes, etc…) and baking potatoes (Russet). As their name implies boiling potatoes stay more firm when boiled as they have less starch in them are the preferred potato for for soups and stews. Baking potatoes have a higher starch content and are best for baking and making French fries, hash browns, and tator tots. Because of their high starch content they do not hold their shape or texture as well when boiled or stewed for more than 30 to 45 minutes. For this recipe I actually used russet potatoes as that was all I had, and cooking them for only 30 minutes keeps them from breaking down into the sauce and still gives them a slightly firm texture. Use the potatoes you have, just be aware of their limitations.

Conclusion

As I mentioned earlier, this is my go to beef stew recipe and it is really easy to make and it is minimalist pantry friendly. The great thing about stews is you can add any ingredients you like as long as you start out with a good base. That is the greatness about beef bourguignon is that even if you distill it down to the minimal ingredients of beef, onions, carrots, and brown stock you have essentially a blank canvas for a number of stew variations. Remember, this is your recipe, add what you and your family like and you will have a wonderful meal that all will enjoy. And if you can find and comp a chuck roast or comparable roast for like we did that is even better!

I believe the red wine adds both body and character to your stew, and if you have any on your shelf or in the fridge try using some. My choice would be a good burgundy, but any red wine will work for this stew. My only caveat would be that if you would not drink the red wine alone, then do not add it to your stew. If it is not good enough to drink, then it is not good enough to cook with. If using 2 lbs of meat then substitute 1 cup red wine for one cup of the water or both (if using powdered bouillon adjust accordingly), if using 3 lbs of meat, simply add the cup of red wine to the stew with the water.

I especially like to add a red wine if using venison in place of the beef when making this stew. I mention this as deer season is upon us, I know there are many of you will will be making venison stew this winter and red wine really brings out the character of the wild game. So I hope all your deer hunters will give this recipe a try the next time you make venison stew.

As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.