 I recently read an article that compared grain fed beef to grass fed beef and I have to admit that I was quite surprised at the results. I really haven't previously given the whole grain fed vs. grass fed debate much thought because I'm not a ground beef eater. As a member of the food service community, I felt like I needed to be better educated about the differences between the two types of meat though. What I found was surprising. According to Cooking Light - 100 grams of grain fed beef contains 1.87 total grams of fat and .80 grams of saturated fat. The same amount of grass fed beef contains 3.65 total grams of fat and 1.58 grams of saturated fat. That means that grass fed beef is 95% higher in total fat and 97% higher in saturated fat than grass fed beef! Just for the sake of argument, I compared the grain fed beef to a piece of dark meat chicken of the same size. 100 grams of chicken thigh meat contains 7.20 total grams of fat and 2.09 grams of saturated fat. That means that the chicken thigh contains 285% more total fat than grass fed beef and 161% more saturated fat. Anyone else surprised by the results? I have a whole new respect for grass fed beef. Now that I'm a more informed beef shopper, I no longer dismiss the more expensive packages of grass fed beef as a marketing ploy to charge more money for ground beef. I sought out some really great grass fed beef for these grass fed burgers, in fact. They were not only a big hit with my family - I felt better about feeding them beef that was lower in total fat and saturated fat.
Grass Fed Beef Burgers 1 teaspoon canola oil 3/4 cup sliced onion 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon pepper 1 pound 93% lean grass fed ground sirloin 4 cheddar cheese slices 4 whole wheat buns 4 tomato slices 4 bibb lettuce leaves 1 avocado, sliced 1 ounce dill pickle slices
This is my idea of a perfect burger - 10% beef, 10% bun and 80% vegetables. I love giving my family the challenge of trying to wrap their jaw around this massive burger.
These burgers were a big hit with my family. I'm not sure they noticed that these grass fed burgers tasted any differently that ordinary ground beef burgers but I knew that I was giving them a healthier burger. I love the fact that I was able to pile on a couple servings of vegetables on top of these burgers too.
Ciao!
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 This is my second salad post in a week. I guess it's obvious that summer salads are my jam. Not the boring - feed to the rabbits kind of salads. I crave the loaded with seafood, chicken or thinly sliced steak kind of salads. This grilled romaine salad with fresh crab meat and roasted corn is truly unique. The freshest flavors of summer on one delicious, flavor packed romaine wedge.  Grilled Romaine Salad with Crab 2 ears fresh corn 12 ounces fresh lump crabmeat 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup canola oil 6 large romaine lettuce hearts, halved 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
Place 2 romaine halves on each plate. Spoon 2 ounces crabmeat over lettuce. Top with corn and tomatoes. 
Snow crab legs were on sale at the grocery store last week so I bought a pound to use on this yummy salad. Courtney ate her crab without the salad but Ben and I both enjoyed it on this delicious Romaine wedge. It was a great way to stretch a pound of crab meat between 3 crab lovers. You could also purchase crabmeat in a prepackaged container if you don't want to go through the trouble of cracking crab legs.
Ciao!  Make your own salad night is quickly becoming one of my favorite Friday night dinners. I set out bowl of ingredients and everyone puts together their own salad with ingredients that they love. It's a win-win. I also love that I can use up the crushed chips in the bottom of the bag, the handful of tomatoes that I pick from my garden everyday, a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and any other little bits and pieces that I have leftover in my refrigerator at the end of the week. I challenge you to find some simple ingredients in your house that would make a great "build your own salad bar".  Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce 6 cups cubed cooked chicken 1 and 1/2 cups corn 1 and 1/2 cups black beans 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 avocado, diced 1 green onion, sliced thin 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup crushed tortilla chips handful chopped cilantro 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons honey 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon minced garlic juice of 1 lime 2 heaping teaspoons taco seasoning (I use mild)
Drizzle dressing over salad and serve.
 The Greek yogurt dressing for this salad was FABULOUS! I usually stick with a southwest theme when I put together these make your own salad bars but I'm sure that you have some other ideas for me too. What other ingredients do you put on your salad bar? Do you like your salad with shrimp? grilled salmon? fancy croutons? spiral veggies? Send me your salad ideas so I can share them with the rest of my followers.
Ciao!
Have you ever tried to photograph guacamole? Let me just tell you - it is exceptionally difficult to make this green blob of avocado goodness look even remotely appetizing. I don't quite understand how something so creamy and delicious could look so unappealing. Despite it's unusual appearance, I would argue that there is no better appetizer than chips and guac. AND it really is so easy to make that you will never want to buy guacamole from the store again. Classic Guacamole 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion 1 serrano chili, seeded and minced 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest 1 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice 3 ripe avocados 1 plum tomato, diced 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Serve with chips.
 In my desperate attempt to add some visual interest to this chunky green mass, I tried adding a "dollop" of sour cream. Apparently --- it's impossible to "dollop" your sour cream in 90% humidity. Who knew? So just disregard my weird pictures and take my word for it - this guacamole is delicious - despite it's awkward appearance.
This is a very basic guacamole recipe - nothing fancy or exotic - but I want to know what you add to your homemade guacamole to make it personal. What spices or peppers or vegetables do you add to your homemade guacamole? Do you like it smoky or sweet, salty or fruity? Or maybe you're like me and you just like plain and simple guac with salty chips. Leave me a comment and let me know. Ciao! 
 While we were in Boston, perfecting our lobster catching techniques, we ate our lobster within hours of pulling it out of the traps and it was just amazing as you might think! Unfortunately, in Atlanta - we don't have that capability which is why this lobster bruschetta recipe is perfect for people like my brother who get tired of eating plain lobster AND for those of us who DON"T have endless amounts of lobsters at our fingertips. It doesn't take a huge amount of lobster to really set this bruschetta apart either so it's completely affordable for those of us who don't happen to have a boat docked in the Boston Harbor.  Lobster Roll Bruschetta 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1 Tablespoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon red pepper 2 small shallots, peeled and cut into thin rings 8 ounces lobster meat (2 tails) French Bread Baguette, split lengthwise 1/4 olive oil 2 large tomatoes, chopped 1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon peper 5 Tablespoons canola mayonnaise
Stir together lobster meat, oil, tomato, lemon juice, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.  Spread 1 1/2 Tablespoons mayonnaise on cut side of each bread. Top with lobster mixture and pickled shallot.
 I love the thrill of pulling up a lobster trap anxious to see what treasures from the sea await. I even love putting on the bibs and gloves to retrieve the lobsters that had found their way into the trap. And mostly, I love cooking up the delicious crustaceans and eating until I cant possibly take in another bite. There is just nothing better than fresh lobster and even though I don't get to experience the trill of catching my own lobster often, I can still enjoy some lobster from time to time. I love this Lobster Bruschetta recipe because it's delicious and it reminds me of your fun trip to Boston last Fall.
Ciao! |
