McKinley Grapevine

Coffee-Braised Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/coffee_braised_pot_roast_with_caramelized_onions.html

From EatingWell:  Fall 2004, October 1998, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)

This recipe is reminiscent of a pot roast made with onion-soup mix, but the flavors are true and pure–and nobody misses the excess sodium. (For a slow-cooker variation, see below.)

10 servings, about 3 ounces meat & 1/3 cup gravy each | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 3 1/4 hours

Ingredients

• 1 4-pound beef chuck roast, (see Ingredient note), trimmed of fat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, turning from time to time, until well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add onions, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and thyme; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in coffee and vinegar; bring to a simmer. Return the beef to the pot and spoon some onions over it. Cover and transfer to the oven.
4. Braise the beef in the oven until fork-tender but not falling apart, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Transfer beef to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, skim fat from the braising liquid; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, whisking, until the gravy thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Season with pepper. Carve the beef and serve with gravy.

Nutrition

Per serving : 252 Calories; 6 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 6 g Mono; 67 mg Cholesterol; 4 g Carbohydrates; 32 g Protein; 0 g Fiber; 99 mg Sodium; 49 mg Potassium

Exchanges: 1/2 vegetable, 4 lean meat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

• Ingredient Note: Although it is not the leanest cut of beef, chuck is still our choice for pot roast because it doesn’t dry out during braising. You will find pockets of fat as you carve it, but they are easy to remove.
• Slow-Cooker Variation: In Step 2, transfer the browned beef to a slow cooker. In Step 3, use just 1/2 cup coffee. Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker. In Step 4, cover and cook until beef is tender, 4 1/2 to 5 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. In Step 5, pour the liquid into a medium saucepan and continue as directed.

Eggplant & Chickpea Stew

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/eggplant_chickpea_stew.html

From EatingWell:  January/February 2011

This tasty vegetarian stew, studded with plenty of eggplant and protein-rich chickpeas, is reminiscent of ratatouille. The eggplant breaks down and makes a saucier stew if you peel it before cooking, but you can certainly leave the peel on if you prefer. Serve over quinoa or soft polenta with sautéed spinach on the side.

8 servings, 1 1/4 cups each | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 4 3/4-8 3/4 hours (not including soaking chickpeas overnight)

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 3 cups hot water
• 2 large eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 small (1-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed and soaked overnight (for a quick-soak method, see Tip) and drained
• 1 28-ounce can tomatoes (see Note), drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine dried mushrooms and hot water in a bowl. Stir well and let stand for 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with a paper towel and set the liquid aside. Finely chop the mushrooms.
3. Meanwhile, peel eggplants, if desired, and cut in half lengthwise. Brush the cut sides liberally with 2 tablespoons oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down, and roast until tender, about 25 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut into 1-inch cubes and transfer to a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cinnamon stick, salt, pepper, bay leaf and the chopped mushrooms; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid and chickpeas. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the eggplant.
5. Cover and cook until the chickpeas are very tender, about 4 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Stir in tomatoes and parsley.
6. Variation: Turn 3 cups of leftover stew into Eggplant & Chickpea Baked Pasta. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (or similar 2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook 8 ounces whole-wheat fusilli according to package directions. Drain and rinse. Combine 1/2 cup coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Note) and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Toss the pasta with 3 cups stew, 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (or basil) and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a large bowl. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until the topping is golden and crispy, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (or basil).

Nutrition

Per serving : 219 Calories; 7 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 33 g Carbohydrates; 9 g Protein; 12 g Fiber; 413 mg Sodium; 766 mg Potassium

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4 and refrigerate (in a container other than the slow cooker insert) for up to 2 days. To finish, transfer to the slow cooker and continue with Step 5. The cooked stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. | Equipment: 4-quart or larger slow cooker

• Tip: To quick-soak chickpeas (or other dried beans), place in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.
• Note: Look for Italian San Marzano tomatoes—they are particularly rich in flavor and taste best in this dish.
• Note: To make your own breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. One slice of bread makes about 1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs. For store-bought coarse dry breadcrumbs we like Ian’s brand, labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them at well-stocked supermarkets.

Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/wine_tomato_braised_chicken.html

From EatingWell:  January/February 2011

Here chicken thighs cook in a simple herb-infused tomato-and-wine sauce. The bone-in thighs give it plenty of hearty flavor, and since you cook them without the skin, it keeps the dish healthy. There’s plenty of sauce, so serve it over pappardelle or brown rice. Steamed broccoli or sautéed broccoli rabe tossed with olive oil and a splash of lemon juice complete the meal.

10 servings | Active Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 3 3/4-6 3/4 hours

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dry white wine (see Tip)
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juice, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 3/4 pounds), skin removed, trimmed
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble when cool.
2. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add tomatoes and their juice and salt; stir well.
3. Place chicken thighs in a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Sprinkle the bacon over the chicken. Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender, about 3 hours on High or 6 hours on Low. Remove the bay leaf. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
4. Variation: Turn 2 cups each of leftover chicken and sauce into Braised Chicken Gumbo. Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 diced medium red or green bell pepper and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring, until the pepper is beginning to soften and the flour is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups shredded chicken, 2 cups sauce, 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup sliced okra (fresh or frozen, thawed), 3/4 cup instant brown rice (see Tip) and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the flavors meld and the okra is tender, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving : 260 Calories; 13 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 88 mg Cholesterol; 6 g Carbohydrates; 25 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 492 mg Sodium; 392 mg Potassium

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 fat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare Steps 1 & 2, cover and refrigerate bacon and sauce separately for up to 1 day. To finish, bring the sauce to a simmer and continue with Step 3. The cooked chicken and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. | Equipment: 4-quart or larger slow cooker

• Tip: If you want to use rice that is not “instant,” stir in 1 cup of any leftover cooked rice instead. Or, if you have time, add 1/2 cup of quicker-cooking whole-grain rice, such as Bhutanese red rice or Kalijira rice, and an additional 11/4 cups of chicken broth before adding the okra. Cook until the rice is almost tender, about 25 minutes (or according to package instructions) then add the okra and simmer until it is tender.
• Tip: If you prefer, substitute 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth mixed with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice for the wine.